By now, you have probably come to terms with the new business reality that you are a brand. Entrepreneurs are not just ambitious dreamers anymore that chose to manifest a better destiny where they get to call the shots. They are so much more. In truth, the business owner and the business they own are no longer two entities but one single organism.
This new single unit is the brand. You are the brand. Your business is the brand. Your employees promote the brand. Your building, website, goods, services, even the companies you use to outsource work when you have too much to focus on all of it, every single thing that touches your company is part of your brand.
This is important to know when positioning your brand in the market. You are not just putting your business out there but yourself. And it goes much deeper than simple marketing tactics. To really dig in and get noticed, you need a plan, a process, and to know the steps that will ensure your best business growth through a tried and true brand positioning strategy.
What is a Brand Positioning Statement
Often known as a mission statement, the brand positioning statement is a brief description of what you provide, be it a product or service, and how it is necessary for your market. It guides the brand vision, your brand strategies, and pretty much any actions taken within the brand.
A brand statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself as a unique, genuine, clever, and above all, necessary addition to the niche market you will make your home within, giving everyone who needs to know you a heads-up that you are in it to win it no matter what.
Your Brand Positioning Pathway
There are hundreds of schools of thought on how brand positioning statements should be created, tons of ways the steps can be organized for maximum efficiency, and lots of charts and diagrams explaining why one works better than another. The problem here is, in a way, they all have their merit. So, which is right and which will you use to draft your perfect positioning statement?
We have come up with six steps that will get you in the right headspace to craft a brand positioning statement. If done in order with the same passion you bring to your business, you will see your brand catapult over the competition and a significant gain in revenue and traffic:
Step 1: Evaluate Your Identity
Know thyself. The first step is to identify your brand and what you bring to the market. How will your brand make a huge splash, get noticed, and survive the tides of change that affect the business world almost daily? Can you tell someone who you are and what you do in a single sentence?
If you are new, positioning can be tricky, especially if you aren’t sure where to focus your attention for the best results. For established brands who wish to resurrect their position, as long as you still have a fixed view of your brand and a history of success within the market, you will know what needs to be changed and what works well.
Step 2: Research Your Competition
Know your enemy. Well, not an actual enemy, but your competition. Perhaps you can see them as adversarial. They want to take your customers, and by extension, your revenue. Having a deep understanding of who your direct competitors are and what they offer will give you a good idea of how to draft your positioning statement away from them and onto you.
Businesses that compete regularly do this all the time. Consider the war between McDonald’s and Burger King. One makes a burger, then the other makes a similar burger but cooks it in a way that will make the customers love it more. You can enact the same strategy once you have a handle on who is on the other side of the battleground. There will always be competition no matter how unique your business is.
Step 3: Understand Your Differentiator
Now you know who you are competing against, you have researched them, and feel you have a pretty good idea of what they are all about. It's time to break down their vision statement and determine what they are doing that makes them so viable within your chosen market.
For this, you need to know their positioning and use this information to adjust your own positioning goals to be different and special. It doesn’t matter if they have uncovered the most amazing secret formula to the perfect brand positioning, never a carbon copy your competition. This leads to redundancy and market saturation.
Step 4: Embrace Your Uniqueness
You are the only you out there. Your business, your brand, has your interesting quirks, your idiosyncrasies, and your personality. Is there anyone like you? Not exactly, and that makes your brand one of a kind. And people love unique brands. Niche markets all began with unique brand concepts that spoke to the character of the owner.
This is when you must look inward, really deep within your brand into its soul, and recognize just how amazing and genuine it is. People are sick of the same old, same old. They want fresh ideas, something that will knock them out of their day-to-day grind and give them a renewed love of whimsy. Show them who you are.
Step 5: Revolutionize Your Sales Approach
Never sell yourself short by selling the same way as everyone else. Your brand is unique, so sell it uniquely. This brings your brand identity to the forefront because you can only sell yourself if people can truly see you. Give them a glimpse of what you have and why it is different than all the others out there.
Make your business growth strategies exciting. Let this energy invigorate your staff and supercharge their desire to promote your brand even when they aren’t getting paid to do it. Insert your passion into every part of your brand and it will have its own electric current directed into the hearts of everyone your brand touches.
Step 6: Connect Your Mission Statement
Now is the time to get the pen and paper out and put the mission statement down for posterity. You know who you are, you know what you do, you know who you are competing against, and you have a firm grasp on how you are important and special to your niche market.
Craft a mission statement that plays to every strength. Tell everyone why your brand deserves to be positioned at the top, even if you are just starting out, and how you plan to stay there. Make this your banner, your declaration of intent, and spread the word that you are here to stay.
Unlock Your Brand's True Potential
When writing a brand positioning statement, it's easy to get lost. By following these six easy steps, we can help you achieve a powerful statement to help align your business.
Ready to elevate your brand to new heights? Apply now to get your growth program strategy and unleash your brand's true potential!
