Successful Marketing Using Your Usp - Unique Selling Point
DO YOU KNOW WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO GOINTO BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE? For effective marketing this is a very good question to know the answer to.
There are so many answers and if you know the answer it may well help you realize whether you are marketing your business correctly or not.
Whatever it is,you need to have it clear in your mind what your business is all about.
Whether you are selling a product or whether you are in the service industry, whether you are a single operator or employing 6 or so staff, then there is one thing that all small business owners must do and that is KNOW THE CORE OFTHEIR BUSINESS.
THE NEXT VERY IMPORTANT POINT FOR SURVIVAL IS THAT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS MUST MARKET THEIR BUSINESS.
"WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT?(USP)" If you have a unique service or product then it is an easy question to answer, but in reality it is not very often that this occurs and if it does it probably wont be long before there is someone else doing the same thing anyway.
So if you have a service or product that other people nearby are selling then you have to look for a USP (Unique Selling Point) that sets you apart from your competitors.
If you do not know what your USP is, there is a good chance that your marketing money is being spent on obscure, ineffective advertising because you are not telling your clients what your particular product or service can do for them and make them want to come and buy from you.
To find out what your USP is you many need to do intensive research on your competitors and find out what attracts clients to them and not to you.
You may need to chat to a few of your customers to find out why theychoose to come to you in preference to your competitors.
Once you have found this out you will need to differentiate your product/s or service so that you can promote the difference.
If you honestly just cannot find one then you will need to set one up and this may be in the form of an extra service, an add on bonus or whatever you decide.
Once you have created a USP then you can use this to focus your marketing and bring clients to you.
USP's are what get customers talking.
If you are adding a USP make sure that it is something that is going to strike a cord in a positive way with not only your existing customers but also bring in new customers.
It is possible that you may have a business where you can run a new USP every couple of months (as in a different bonus) and be able to use this as your marketing tool so that your marketing is not seen as repetitive and boring.
Add-ons and bonuses don't always have to cost a lot and if they are bringing in new customers it is well worth while.
This technique can be used in many types of business and can prove to be more cost effective than discounting products.
These points should all be part of your marketing plan.
If you have not got a marketing plan I would suggest you rough sketch up the next 12 months (taking into account seasonal changes if they affect you) and detail the next 3 months.
SO BEFORE RUSHING IN TO YOUR NEXT LOT OF ADVERTISING GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT AND PLAN AHEAD.
IT IS BETTER NOT TO ADVERTISE FOR A MONTH OR SO AND START AGAIN WITH A WELL THOUGHT OUT PROJECT.
There are so many answers and if you know the answer it may well help you realize whether you are marketing your business correctly or not.
Whatever it is,you need to have it clear in your mind what your business is all about.
Whether you are selling a product or whether you are in the service industry, whether you are a single operator or employing 6 or so staff, then there is one thing that all small business owners must do and that is KNOW THE CORE OFTHEIR BUSINESS.
THE NEXT VERY IMPORTANT POINT FOR SURVIVAL IS THAT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS MUST MARKET THEIR BUSINESS.
"WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT?(USP)" If you have a unique service or product then it is an easy question to answer, but in reality it is not very often that this occurs and if it does it probably wont be long before there is someone else doing the same thing anyway.
So if you have a service or product that other people nearby are selling then you have to look for a USP (Unique Selling Point) that sets you apart from your competitors.
If you do not know what your USP is, there is a good chance that your marketing money is being spent on obscure, ineffective advertising because you are not telling your clients what your particular product or service can do for them and make them want to come and buy from you.
To find out what your USP is you many need to do intensive research on your competitors and find out what attracts clients to them and not to you.
You may need to chat to a few of your customers to find out why theychoose to come to you in preference to your competitors.
Once you have found this out you will need to differentiate your product/s or service so that you can promote the difference.
If you honestly just cannot find one then you will need to set one up and this may be in the form of an extra service, an add on bonus or whatever you decide.
Once you have created a USP then you can use this to focus your marketing and bring clients to you.
USP's are what get customers talking.
If you are adding a USP make sure that it is something that is going to strike a cord in a positive way with not only your existing customers but also bring in new customers.
It is possible that you may have a business where you can run a new USP every couple of months (as in a different bonus) and be able to use this as your marketing tool so that your marketing is not seen as repetitive and boring.
Add-ons and bonuses don't always have to cost a lot and if they are bringing in new customers it is well worth while.
This technique can be used in many types of business and can prove to be more cost effective than discounting products.
These points should all be part of your marketing plan.
If you have not got a marketing plan I would suggest you rough sketch up the next 12 months (taking into account seasonal changes if they affect you) and detail the next 3 months.
SO BEFORE RUSHING IN TO YOUR NEXT LOT OF ADVERTISING GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT AND PLAN AHEAD.
IT IS BETTER NOT TO ADVERTISE FOR A MONTH OR SO AND START AGAIN WITH A WELL THOUGHT OUT PROJECT.
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