Recently I’ve been doing a lot of work with my 1:1 and group clients on getting clear on who they are, what they offer and how they stand out from their competition.
It sounds like an obvious piece of work to do, doesn’t it? However, how many of us take stock of how we’re communicating these points clearly on a regular basis? Our businesses and brands evolve and before we know it, we’ve created an inconsistent stream of mixed up messages and quite often products and services that we’re not communiciating the benefits of.
So if you’re reflecting on 2018 or planning for 2019 let me help you with your ‘positioning statement’ (Don’t forget to download my top 5 marketing tips too. Click here)
Your positioning statement is a sentence or series of sentences that’s going to get you absolutely clear on who you are, what you do. A place to communicate the benefits & outcome that people receive when they work with you and how you differentiate yourself from your competition.
It’s an internal tool. Every product and marketing decision you make regarding your brand has to align with and support your positioning statement. A good positioning statement is a guiding tool for your marketing efforts. It helps you maintain focus on your brand and its value proposition.
It’s a really good chance to think about how you differentiate yourself from your competition. What’s your unique selling point? For anyone, whether you’re in a saturated or busy market this is helpful for you to know so that you can consistently pull this out
I’ve got an easy to use formula – fill in the missing blanks.
There are four essential elements of a best-in-class positioning statement:
- Business Name
- Your product / service
- Target Customer: What is a concise summary of the attitudinal and demographic description of the target group of customers your brand is attempting to appeal to and attract?
- Brand Promise: What is the most compelling (emotional/rational) benefit to your target customers that your brand can own? This includes thinking about how you compare to your competition. What makes your brand unique and something that no –one or very few can provident.
- Reason to Believe: What is the most compelling evidence that your brand delivers on its brand promise?
Let me share mine as an example…
So, what are the benefits of creating a positioning statement?
- Allows you to be more specific about what you do. It positions you in the marketplace. Remember not everyone is your ideal client. You know I’m a big fan of having a niche, and being specific on who you serve and want to attract into your business. Be specific about what you do.
- It separates you from your competitors. Why someone should pick you and your business to work with over anyone else.
- It creates a trove of top notch content that you can always refer to when you need something to post to your website, blog, social media.
- Really define your customer. Remember, the more general you are, the less memorable you are. Who do you help most or who do you enjoy working with most? Who are you already attracting into your business?
- Avoid fluff and Explain the benefit better.
I’d love to hear how you get on with this guidance. Take 30 minutes out of your day and have a go at crafting your positioning statement. Let me know how you get on hello@thrivewithsam.com
I’m Sam Dixon, founder of Thrive In Business – an experienced Marketing Coach & Consultant to ambitious businesswomen who want to launch, grow and scale their business with flexible marketing support. For a free 30 minute discovery call get in touch on 07972 783 507 or email me at hello@thrivewithsam.com
And if you’re looking for the support of like-minded women, come and join the conversation on my Facebook group Women Who Thrive in Business