Every company does something that distinguishes them from its competitors. You could be able to give a higher-quality product, faster order fulfillment, or superior customer service than your competitors.
However, none of it will benefit you if no one is aware of it.
This is when your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) comes into play. As a business owner, you must be able to summarize your company’s distinctive capabilities in a single line that is easily understood by everyone.
Today, I’ll go over what a unique selling proposition is and I’ll show you 5 outstanding USP examples to help you come up with your own.
Let’s get started!
What is a unique selling proposition?
A USP is a statement that outlines how your product or company is different – and presumably better – than the competitors. In a few memorable lines, the USPs take a distinctive feature and describe how that quality will benefit your consumers.
A USP is frequently summed up in a single, succinct, snappy, and memorable sentence (ten words or fewer).
Be cautious, though; it’s super easy to mix USPs up with a slogan. However, there is a significant distinction between the two.
Take a look at this corporate slogan to see the difference: “Taking your business to the next level.”
It sounds fantastic, but it’s NOT a unique selling proposition. That’s because it makes it difficult for potential consumers to grasp why they should select you over your competition (it’s too general).
A unique selling proposition is a statement that describes what exactly sets your company apart from the competitors which is why it’s also referred to as a “selling point.”
Your USP is usually centered on a single attribute that your firm excels at in comparison to others in your industry.
Unlike slogans, your unique selling proposition doesn’t have to be repeated verbatim in your marketing materials or fit into a commercial jingle.
Unique selling proposition and value proposition
Because they’re so similar, people often confuse value propositions with USPs. Both are about communicating, but the value proposition goes into great detail about the benefits and value you deliver.
It’s an explanation of how your product or service actually works.
To avoid confusion, think of it this way: You can exchange value propositions with other firms, but you won’t be able to share unique selling propositions.
How to craft a unique selling proposition
Crafting the ideal USP for your company requires serious research and consideration.
It’s not always simple to respond to the question, “What makes my company unique?” Sometimes the answer is pretty evident, sometimes not so much.
If you’re having trouble identifying what makes your organization distinctive, try the following steps.
Talk to your clients
Look at the folks who buy from you on a regular basis before attempting to create a unique selling proposal.
Do they belong to a specific age group? Do they have a specific address? What are their favorite and least favorite things? How much disposable income do they have?
Speak with them to see if they can throw any light on what makes them choose you over the competitors.
Investigate the problems
Make a list of all the issues your product addresses and the ones it helps your consumers avoid.
What difficulties do your consumers face, and how does your company address them?
Think about your promise
When you’re selling a product or service, you’re also selling a promise.
Perhaps that promise appeals to the buyer’s feeling of humanity by stating a shared commitment to use only environmentally beneficial products.
Perhaps the promise is about delivery speed, beneficial to those who require your product immediately. Perhaps the promise is durability, especially for things that are used frequently.
Introspection is difficult, especially when it comes to business. It is, nonetheless, vital.
Examine your company from top to bottom to see what makes it unique.
Common USP mistakes
These are the most common mistakes people make when coming up with USPs:
- Too wordy
A USP must convey a lot of information in as few words as feasible. Make sure you’re being as explicit and straightforward as possible.
Remember, your USP isn’t something you’ll print up and hang on the wall of your workplace. It’s supposed to serve as a motivational springboard for all of your communications.
- Not true
Every member of your team must be able to defend your unique selling point. You’ll come out as dishonest if your marketing team creates a snappy statement that your sales team can’t back up.
- Too general
Your selling proposal must be something that only you can use, meaning it has to be one-of-a-kind.
Your competitors can easily say the same thing if your USP contains terms like “always 50% off” or “the best quality.”
- Only in the headline
Once you’ve developed a good USP, you need to weave it into the fabric of all your content.
It’s not enough to just turn it into a catchy headline at the top of your page. Your unique selling proposition’s messaging should continue to pop up wherever your consumer goes.
Otherwise, people could assume it’s merely a clever phrase that you don’t plan to stand by.
Examples of unique selling proposition
Now you understand the concept of USPs, but you probably have more questions like “What is unique selling proposition example?”
The following are 5 excellent e-commerce unique selling propositions now in use.
1. Anchor
➯ “The easiest way to make a podcast”
Anchor is a hosting and publishing platform that focuses on making podcasting simple and accessible to everybody.
For its unique selling proposition, Anchor focuses on the simplicity of use.
Their focus is on removing the obstacles to creating a podcast, and all of their marketing and sales efforts appear to be centered on this unique selling proposition, which sets them apart from the competition.
3. HelloFresh
➯ “America’s Most Popular Meal Kit”
With a clear unique selling proposition of “America’s Most Popular Meal Kit,” HelloFresh makes a strong statement that they’re the best of the best at what they do.
This remark not only causes FOMO but also functions as social proof in and of itself.
You have your USP if you can clearly articulate why your product or service is superior to the competition, and HelloFresh succeeded at making its message bold.
3. Drizly
➯ “Let the drinks come to you”
Drizly capitalized on the increased demand for delivery services by allowing consumers to buy beverages and have them delivered to their door in under 60 minutes.
Despite the fact that other firms have gotten on board, Drizly’s unique selling proposition remains under 1-hour delivery.
Drizly also collaborates with retail outlets in hundreds of locations, making it the world’s largest alcohol marketplace. “We have the biggest selection for on-demand alcohol in the history of ever,” the company claims on its website.
This makes it very obvious why they are superior to their competition.
4. Stripe
➯ “The new standard in online payments”
This example of a unique selling proposition is clean and distinctive – it’s the new gold standard in online payments.
Stripe is a simple-to-use payment platform geared for online software developers. The firm simplifies online payments by removing financial complexities, providing industry-leading documentation, and integrating with third-party services.
Their message makes it apparent why they’re the most adaptable and configurable solutions for developers, and how they’re altering the online payment game.
5. Robinhood
➯ “Investing for everyone”
Robinhood was the first mobile investment app to provide commission-free trading, which has since become its main selling point.
This motto, combined with the description on their website, emphasizes what sets them apart from their competition.
Robinhood is a “pioneer of commission-free investing,” having done something that no other financial services firm has done before. They were the first, and their marketing efforts reflect that.
Now that competition has caught up, their USP is “investing for everyone,” which emphasizes simplicity and accessibility.
Conclusion
I hope these examples of unique selling propositions inspire you to come up with your own.
Every company is different, and each company approaches its USP differently, but the idea is that if you can state loud and clear why your product/service is superior to your rivals, and then phrase it in a memorable and engaging way, your USP will come out on top.
Don’t be like everyone else. It’s time to shake things up and be one-of-a-kind. That is the most important aspect of developing a killer USP in 2021.
So, what is your unique selling proposition?