A Unique Selling Proposition or USP for short, is a statement that identifies the one thing that sets your business apart from your competition. A USP can also be referred to as a brand promise as it should summarise the promise that you make to your customers. It should communicate the unique benefits that your product or service offers to them.
This article explains how to write a unique selling proposition that succinctly answers the question, “Why should I buy from you?”.
How to write a Unique Selling Proposition
Step 1
Consider your target market. After all, this is who you are communicating to. What problem do they have that your business solves? What need or desire does your product meet? And what is it about your product that keeps them coming back for more?
Step 2
Next, consider your business values. If you don’t already have these written down somewhere and work out the most important values that you hold for your business. Consider why you started your business in the first place and the way you operate. What is special about your business? Below is an exercise to help you work out your values if you’re not already clear on them.
Complete these sentences and don’t stop at one response. Come up with as many different answers as you can.
“I am in this business because ……”
e.g. I am in this business because I want to create high quality products. I am in this business because I love this location and want to share it with others.
“We are …….”
e.g. We are family focused. We are environmentally conscious.
“We are not …….”
e.g. We are not arrogant. We are not inaccessible.
Step 3
Think of your USP as the crossover between what your target market wants and what your business does well. With that in mind, bring together the desires of your customers and the most important elements of your business values.
Ideally you want to be able to capture this idea in one sentence, although two sentences can also be acceptable if need be. You can employ the assistance of online writing tools such as Quillbot, a paraphrasing tool, or Copy.ai, which uses artificial intelligence to generate useful ideas and sentences, to help you.
Draft, redraft and redraft again until you come up with a USP that you can be proud of.
USP examples
Food tour operator
We offer Australia’s most iconic food tours, facilitating guests to experience seasonal native foods and foraged local produce from North Queensland’s pristine rainforests.
Womens suit tailoring
Womenswear that challenges the notion of what a traditional tailoring house can be, we are part of a new era of thinking in Australian fashion that promotes a greater connection to our clothing through timeless, high-quality pieces that are designed to last.
Accommodation provider
Luxurious and private 3-bedroom beachfront villas in Noosa Heads within walking distance of Hastings Street.
Boutique designer and builder
Architecturally designed and beautifully crafted prefabricated modular living spaces for Australian families.
What to do with your USP?
Consider your USP to be your new, favourite catchphrase! Whenever anyone asks you, “What do you do?” your USP is the answer!
Here are a few practical places to use your USP:
- Front and centre on your website’s home page – it should be the first thing that people see when they come to your website and are scrolling through the contents of your home page
- Your Facebook about section
- In the caption of your Facebook cover image
- Your Instagram bio
- Your Google My Business listing business description
- Your email signature
- In a digital brochure
- Shout it from the rooftops!
Essentially, your USP should appear everywhere your business does online. Think of it like the sidekick for your logo.
In the digital world, consumers are swimming in a sea of options and as a small business owner, you need to quickly and effectively communicate who you are, what you offer and why your audience should choose you.
