UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

A unique selling proposition (USP) is what sets you apart from your competitors. It's why a potential customer will choose you over the competition. Your USP is important to consider when prioritizing the information you choose to communicate online.

For example (using Helen's Yoga Studio):

Betty has decided that she wants to take up yoga and has been researching different yoga studios near her home, work and university. She quickly finds that she has many options available. Why would she decide to choose Helen's Yoga Studio over a competitor?

This is why Helen must have a USP.

It's not necessarily about having the best product or service. There are usually many other businesses out there trying to be the best so competing this way will be a never-ending battle. Instead of trying to compete at being the best, try offering something that no one else offers or a combination of benefits that is unique to your business. Your USP doesn't have to appeal to everyone, it simply has to appeal to your target audience.

If you are selling a product, one important note to remember is that a USP is not simply the features of a product, it is the benefits that these features bring to the user. People don't buy features, they buy into the idea that a product or service will make their life better.

See the below diagram showing the difference between a feature and a benefit.

* Task 1: It's time to define your USP. We've put together 6 steps to help you do this. Download the PDF below and follow the steps to determine your USP.

Your business may have more than one USP. We will explore how to prioritize these and when & where to communicate each of your USP's in a later lesson.

If you already know your USP, that's great! We will refer back to it in a later lesson.

Examples for your reference:

Now that we have determined what you will be communicating, it's time to explore the voice and tone you will use to communicate it.