For any brand, the most important thing is finding the right customers. While getting these customers to purchase your product or service can seem intimidating at first, the easiest way to gain their trust — and, subsequently, their business — is to prove your value to them. The easiest way to accomplish this goal is through creating a strong value proposition for your brand.
A value proposition is a short and clear statement that identifies the benefits a customer will get from your product or service. It’s more than just a description of what your business offers — it should communicate how your product or service will improve their lives. Although the “what” of your brand does is important, its “why” is more pivotal to your value proposition.
Your value proposition identifies your product or service’s core benefits and why potential customers should purchase it from you. By identifying this core value early in your brand’s journey, you can have an idea of what your marketing strategy should be to best position yourself to potential customers.
Researching to create a value proposition
Before you craft a compelling value proposition for your brand, you must first understand your ideal customer. Your value proposition must be targeted specifically to the needs, wants and pain points of your target market. Demographics are an essential factor in this — you must know who you are selling to, after all — but psychographics should also be considered. These will help you define the particular needs your target customers have, and how your product or service can help to fulfill those needs.
Establishing a profile for your own product or service can also be an effective way to find your value proposition. Determine your product or service’s place in the market, and identify how you can best serve your customers from that point. If you can’t identify how your product or service fulfills your customers’ needs, it’s unlikely that they will be able to either.
What makes a great value proposition?
The first component is a concise headline. It must be catchy enough to draw attention, but not sound so gimmicky that it comes off as overly-salesy or insincere. The goal is to make customers want to do business with you naturally by giving them a reason.
However, a value proposition should not be considered a tagline or slogan. These are two marketing tools that are more abstract. Also, being too direct by calling out the competition, or signaling that you specifically have something they are missing, can make your value proposition ineffective.
Your perfect headline should be followed by a subheading or short paragraph — just a couple of sentences — that describes the basics of what your ideal customer would need to know about your product or service. Give them the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where” and “why” of your brand to deliver the value of it succinctly and without any fluffy language.
Ideally, your value proposition should be paired with an effective motion graphic that reinforces your message. Although this isn’t entirely necessary — the written portion is often strong enough on its own — having that image can further show your potential customers the value of your product or service and entice them to make a purchase.
Additionally, including it could help to draw in more potential customers who learn more effectively through visuals, rather than text alone.
How to use your value proposition
Once established, ensure that you place it at the core of all your brand’s marketing initiatives. Your messaging across the board is driven by why people should be your customer, and your value proposition summarizes that quickly. Your value proposition is particularly effective at targeting audiences with short attention spans, such as those on social media or surfing the internet and visiting your website, as it quickly communicates why your product or service deserves their full attention.
One of the best places that you can place your value proposition is near your calls to action. On your website, you should already have buttons where potential customers can click to either purchase your product, subscribe to your service, set up an initial consultation or even just learn more about your brand and the people (or reason) behind it.
Putting your value proposition next to these calls to action can be a critical reminder of why the customer should want to follow through, leading to more conversions and eventual sales.
The value proposition is a powerful tool that effectively and clearly communicates your brand’s relevance in a handful of words. It is a key part of your brand’s identity because it defines precisely why your customers should want to buy your product or service. Knowing this will ensure that you can convince your potential customers of that fact.
Alaina Chiappone is a publicist at Otter PR in St. Petersburg, Fla. She has a Bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida. Previously, Chiappone worked in corporate communications, public affairs and digital marketing. Her clients have included fashion, wellness, music, hospitality, fintech and health care industries.
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