Every single business is going to want to make sure that they stand out from the crowd. That their audience knows that there is something extra special about them. This means that you need to recognise (and work really hard on promoting) your unique selling proposition, or your USP.

Let’s take a look at some more information on USP and why you should know more about these three all-important letters.

What is your USP?

As the name somewhat suggests, your USP is what makes your business, as well as what you can offer the customer, different. It is what you can do, or what you can offer that no-one else out there can. USPs come in a variety of forms, this could be the highest quality, or perhaps the lowest price. Maybe you are the type of company who takes pride in your customer experience. Or your USP is all about technological innovation.

Why your USP is so important

So, you know more about what a USP is, but why do you need it? Your USP is going to make sure that your customers quickly understand what your business can offer and whether or not it matches in with their own specific needs and requirements. They will see what makes you different to the competition, and, in the most basic way, it will help them to categorise your business alongside other businesses, making their decision-making process that little bit easier.

Finding your USP

Although it might not always be easy to figure out what your USP is, there are ways that you can make things that little bit easier for yourself. First of all, you need to make sure that you understand your target audience. You need to know what they need, what they are looking for and the things that they put high value in. As a result, you are able to pull together a list of what makes you have the edge over the other businesses out there doing the same thing as you.

Make a list of your competitors and consider what needs they are meeting. Maybe they are meeting the same as you, maybe they are not. This will help to identify where you sit in the industry.

Sometimes the USP might be you, your experience in the industry or the way you approach things.

Check out whether or not you are properly communicating your USP

Once you know your USP, make sure you are getting this message across. For instance, come up with a strong statement that you think perfectly summaries your USP and test it out on a number of potential customers (those that fit in with your target audience) do they see what you are trying to say? Do they get your USP? If they do, great, you are on the right track. If they don’t then you need to do your best to work on it. This statement is all about the how, what, where and why!

Above all, identifying your USP can take time and effort, but this is time and effort that you desperately need to make sure that you put in. The rewards for knowing and promoting your USP can be huge for your business.

Take a look at some related blogs

Pinpointing your perfect customer

A practically perfect positioning statement