Have you ever looked at your business to find its USP (Unique Selling Point). Have you ever asked yourself the question: "Why did I go into business?" Some owners think that you can just set up a business and hope that customers will continue to keep buying from you. You would be very lucky indeed if this happened, but in most cases it wont.
But whether you are a single operator or employing 6 or so staff, then there is one thing that all small business owners must do and that is successfully MARKET YOUR BUSINESS.
Let's look at that question again, "Why did I go into business?"?" When you can answer that question you may be able to answer the next question "What is my Unique Selling Point?"
If you have a unique service or product then it is an easy question to answer, but in reality it is not very often that this occurs and if it does it probably wont be long before there is someone else doing the same thing. Therefore you need to find a USP that differentiates you from your competitors. You may even have to look at this on a regular basis if you have a very aggressive competitor as they may copy your techniques.
It is essential that you can answer what your USP is because otherwise you are probably wasting marketing dollars by not targeting the customers wanting your product or service.
To find out what you have to offer that your clients do not (your USP) it is quite likely that you will have to compare in detail your products and services. It would probaby be a good idea to ask some of your regular customers why they use your busines and what benefits they get from using your business. Once you have found out you will need to differentiate your products or service.
If you honestly just cannot find one then you will need to set one up and this may be in the form of an extra service, an add on bonus or whatever you decide. When you have created a USP you find marketing so much easier and you will be more focused in your strategy.
USP's are what get customers talking. If you are adding a USP make sure that it is something that is going to strike a cord in a positive way with not only your existing customers but also bring in new customers.
You may even decide to run a new USP every couple of months (as in a different bonus) and use this as your marketing tool so that your marketing is not seen as repetitive and boring. Add-ons and bonuses don't always have to cost a lot and if they are bringing in new customers it is well worth while.
These points should all be part of your marketing plan. If you have not got a marketing plan I would suggest you rough sketch up the next 12 months (taking into account seasonal changes if they affect you) and detail the next 3 months. It is not too difficult once you put your mind to it but like most small business owners finding the time seems almost impossible. If you do not find a USP and start setting up a marketing plan you will find that your marketing will remain ineffective.
