How to define your unique positioning statement
In a world full of “me too!” and cheap knock-offs, it can be difficult to differentiate ourselves from the competition.
A quick search on Amazon for anything from heated blankets to phone chargers returns hundreds, if not thousands of results.
How can you stand out?
How does your brand – whether it is your personal brand, company brand, or your product – rise above the masses to be noticed?
A few tips:
- Don’t be afraid to niche: a narrowly defined product offering is easier to defend, define, and deliver than a broad, “everything for everyone” approach. Not only will you have an easier time explaining what you do, but you will not overwhelm your potential customers by offering too many choices.
- Doubledown on your experience: Your previous experience can build credibility and create a differentiator.
- Create a community: A community is a moat. A non-duplicatable advantage. Where a competitor can copy your product, communication, and pricing, they cannot copy your community.
- Remember your own uniqueness: We all have multi-facited interests. Where do yours overlap? Where can your different interests be married into a unique product or service?
- Don’t let crowded markets scare you away: As if the world needs another dating app, a recently lauched match-making service uses the individual musical interests of singles to pair users. With the right twist, you can enter already-established markets to find your audience
- Zag where others zig: “We only use the freshest ingredients.” As much as every cheif or mealprep company wants to believe this makes them unique, it actually makes them the same. Look at what your competitors are bragging about (hint: it is probably the same two or three things) and find what they have overlooked.
- Interview your ideal clients: ask your prospects, ideal clients, and existing customers why they chose to work with you. Listen carefully to the words they use. Ask for clarification and dig into their answers.
- Personality matters: A few of the HGTV remodel shows really stand out. Why? The hosts. Think of their personalities, their quirks, their approachability, their language, or polish. You possess the same traits. Use those to craft your customer-facing persona.
- Define your MVA: A minimum viable audience is smaller (and probably less glamorous) that many of us think. How many customers can you realistically serve at the start of your businesss? 10? 100? 1000? 10,000? Starting with a focus on the smaller number (say, 100) keeps your focus centered on the core group. Less scope creep means a better defined product or service. A smaller group means better community. A group of raving fans is like stored energy waiting to be released.
The formula for creating a unique positioning statement is quite simple. Start with the basic building blocks of who you are, what you do, and who you do it for.
I am (a) __________________, I/who (help/do) __________________ for (ideal client) __________________.
Examples:
- I am a copywriter for busy solopreneurs who want to dominate search engine results.
- I am a traveling hairstylist for busy moms and families.
- I am a reformed corporate human resources director helping small businesses and startups avoid costly personnel mistakes.
- I am a boutique wedding cake artist delighting destination-wedding brides.
While you are unique, just like everybody else, you have a skill to share, a message that matters, and customers who need your help.
If you have struggled to find the right words to define who you are, what you do, and who you do it for, take some time this week to devote to the tips above. I guarantee your confidence will go up, your business will find purpose, and the quality of your clients will climb.
All the best,
-Shaun
P.S. Due to a technical issue, last week’s newsletter did not send out. In it, I provide a framework for creating an intentional 2022 with some goal-setting questions for the coming year. You can read it here.