Unique Selling Propositions: How unique is too unique?
If one is good, then many must be better, right? Not when it comes to your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP. We all struggle with this. When we’re coming up with our USP – that core of our identity that spells out precisely what makes us different from the competition – we want to be as special as possible. The problem is that we dilute our own specialness when we give people too many reasons why we’re unique. Too much uniqueness For example: Here at ABC company, we provide you with outstanding microwave ovens. Our appliances are designed with a streamlined and elegant look,...
read moreAre You Sure About Your USP?
In your marketing, how do you know how to position your company? Maybe you focus on your deep expertise. Or maybe you focus on your outstanding customer service. But how do you know these point are your company’s biggest selling points? Do they really make your company unique? Or are you just guessing? Marketers like to talk a lot about the Unique Selling Proposition (USP). The problem is that not enough companies understand what makes them unique. I used to ask new clients what they saw as their USP…but I’ve stopped, because I was often dissatisfied with the answers....
read moreWhy Is Strategic Planning So Important in Marketing?
I try hard to make the best use of my time. I can’t afford to mess around with activities that won’t bring me a certain amount of return. And that’s why, for each activity I do, I try to know precisely what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I try to think strategically about it. I’m not interested in guessing or hoping that a strategy will work, either. I want to know it will. Unfortunately, too many companies guess and hope with their marketing activities. This is why strategic planning is so important in marketing. With careful planning, you get a whole lot more...
read moreThree Reasons Why You Should Love Junk Mail
I was starting to write an article for this newsletter about benefits versus features, when I realized I needed some good examples to demonstrate my point. I turned to my “swipe” file to pull out marketing materials that I’ve saved over the years, when it occurred to me… Does everyone have a swipe file? Because you should. What is a swipe file? Brochures, postcards, flyers, direct (aka “junk”) mail, even email spam all go into my swipe file. It’s nothing fancy, just a plain accordion file, and it takes very little time to maintain. Read the piece then throw it in the file to...
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