How to Highlight Your USP and Gain New Customers

In a nutshell, a unique selling proposition (USP) is what your company is about and what you stand for. A USP can help you stand out from the competition, because it gives like-minded consumers a cause to get behind alongside you. It can also be about what is unique or the value you provide.

Don’t just pick a USP because you think it will attract customers. It should be something you’re truly passionate about. A good USP gets to the core of who you are as a brand and why you do what you do.
However, it doesn’t do you much good to create a USP if you don’t present it to the general public in a way that attracts your target audience. The beauty of a USP is that it allows you to change the world in a positive way that has meaning for you and your employees, and it also attracts like-minded consumers who want to team up with you to make a difference.

Here are six ways to highlight your USP and gain new customers:

1. Add Visuals

Making your USP more visual is a smart move. About 37 percent of marketing experts state that visual content is crucial for their businesses. Adding visuals that represent what your USP is all about can have a big impact. Whether you are supporting a cause or offering something unique for your customers, taking photos of your company in action is a smart move.

You can also add data visualization to bring your story to life. There are any number of ways that visuals can add to the message you’re trying to get out there. Photos should naturally tie into the underlying message and add to the story.

Note how Zappos features images of some of the children it’s helping lift out of poverty with its Zappos for Good campaign. This puts a face to the stories and the purpose of the proposition and allows the consumer to see the specific people being helped. This is quite effective at telling a story for the brand.

2. Collaborate

One way to highlight your USP is to collaborate with someone who has the same purpose as you do. You might find a local celebrity who supports your cause. Another idea is to reach out to social media influencers in your industry and get them behind your purpose as well. This allows you to reach that person’s audience and them to reach yours, making it a win/win situation.

3.    Show Your Excellence

If your company has won any type of award or special merit, be sure to include that information on your website somewhere. This shows an outside authority has judged your company and found you to be excellent. It lends some additional authority to what your company has to offer.

Note how Ambiance Window Coverings highlights its most recent award at the top of the landing page. It also points out that it’s won the Best of Omaha award from Omaha Magazine for the last six years in a row. Highlighting how impressive it is to consistently win an award shows potential customers the quality of its product.

4. Tie Into Trends

Pay attention to current trends so you can tie your USP into those trends. For example, if your USP is that you offer free shipping for any order, then you might tie that into Black Friday. Tell new customers they can order Christmas presents from the comfort of home without having to pay outrageous shipping costs.

5. Stand for Something, but Not Everything

You have to decide what you stand for and stick to it. For example, if you stand for the highest-quality product in your industry, you probably aren’t also going to be the cheapest product available. Quality costs money. On the other hand, if your USP is providing cheap items to the public, then the quality may suffer a bit. The key is to hone into what your target audience does or doesn’t want.

Starbucks set a standard for offering high-quality roasted coffee. It quickly grew and became known for its great taste. It never claimed to offer cheap coffee. After all, people can buy that at any gas station or diner. Instead, its USP is quality coffee, pastries and teas.

6. Solve a Problem

Does your USP solve a problem for the consumer? If so, you really need to figure out how to get this across to your target audience. Use storytelling to show site visitors what problem your product or service solves. You can also utilize testimonials to highlight real people whose problem you’ve already solved.

Highlight Your USP for New Customers

Highlighting your USP is one way to gain the trust and attention of new customers. However, you need to believe in your proposition so strongly that the goal isn’t just selling to someone new. Customers are an added benefit of your USP, not the goal.

Once you grasp the importance of the USP for the entire identity of your brand, then you will strive to get that message out. Reaching new customers will simply be a natural result of sharing that message.

Before you go, you might also be interested in Building a Successful Brand.