What is Your Unique Selling Proposition?

Why Establishing Your Unique Brand Matters

Recently, I was watching a design show on HGTV when the hosts asked a question that literally made me sit up straight, hit pause, and rewind to make sure my ears hadn’t deceived me …

“So, what’s your unique selling proposition?”

As a Brand Marketing Coach, this is a question I’m all too familiar with … And yet, I don’t think I’d ever heard it asked in such a real-world, mainstream context.

Surprising as it was, it made perfect sense! The designers were overhauling a restaurant to help them attract more attention and provide an unforgettable experience for their target audience. They needed to understand what made that particular restaurant stand out from all the other restaurants in town so that their design could strengthen the brand.

Thankfully, the restaurant owners had a thoughtful answer and a lot of great insights around their unique selling proposition.

They went on to share exactly what made their restaurant different. They explained the key elements of their dining experience and what they alone could provide for their customers.

Armed with this info, the designers were able to create a highly-customized, on-brand customer experience where patrons of this restaurant could enjoy an incredible meal in a beautiful, tailored-to-them atmosphere.

And while I, unfortunately, don’t have access to HGTV’s stats, I’d be willing to bet that this branding makeover led to a significant boost in business for the restaurant owners

… All because they were able to clearly communicate what made their brand special and capture that magic for their customers.

Why Understanding Your Unique Selling Proposition & Establishing Your Unique Brand Matters

As small business owners, we’re almost never the very first to come up with our business idea. The world is FULL of photographers, realtors, health coaches, interior designers, stylists, you name it.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be successful if your market already feels a bit crowded. In fact, seeing other businesses thriving in your industry should give you confidence that there’s a need for what you’re offering!

But it does mean that you absolutely MUST find a way to set yourself apart from all the other folks out there doing what you do.

How do you do that? By creating a strong, strategic brand.

How to Find Your Unique Selling Proposition

Developing your brand starts with understanding your unique selling proposition—or in other words, understand what makes YOU different from everyone else in your industry.

Discovering your unique selling proposition can happen in a lot of different ways. For some business owners, it’ll be intuitive. For others, market research may be required.

Personally, I think a great way to start figuring out your unique selling proposition is to ask yourself these questions: