One of the first things you see when you exit the train station in Bath, Somerset, is an iconic British telephone booth filled with flowers.
I’ve seen lots of red telephone booths, some lined with books inside, others vandalized and reeking of urine, but never filled with purple primroses and intertwining ivy.
I took a photo of it thinking it’d be the only one in town.
Luckily, there was another one just around the corner.
Turns out, this is a trademark of Bath’s. Or another way of putting it — it is their unique selling proposition (USP). They reimagined an antiquated communication system and turned it into something you might encounter in a Lewis Carroll book.
It catches your eye and makes you think, why doesn’t London do that?
But that’s exactly what adds to Bath’s unique appeal. The city is smaller, quainter and has special touches like flower-filled phone booths.
Like Bath, your business needs to have a reason why people decide to visit your website or storefront.
What do you do differently and better than your competitors? It is this distinction, your USP, that will attract the right people to your brand.
Here’s how differentiating yourself and promoting your USP can be the simplest way to grow your audience and increases sales.
Your USP sets you apart
Roughly 2.6 million blog posts have been published so far today.
That’s a whole lot of content options for your audience to choose from.
Why would they visit your blog then and spend time on your site?
Because they value whatever makes your product or service different — a love of all things handmade, an eco-friendly approach or a long history of exceptional performance.
Your brand personality, motto or experience jumps out at them because it is relevant and/or appeals to them.
Your USP zooms in on your audience
A direct (and positive!) result of setting yourself apart is a clearer picture of who you are trying to reach.
Whether you share a belief with your audience or have a similar personality or way of doing something, that likeness is what groups you and your community together.
This likeness, originating from your USP, is baked into everything you do, and gradually attracts the right people to your brand.
So rather than casting a wide net in hopes of attracting a bigger audience, concentrate on your distinguishing trait and focus on drawing in those who you have something in common with. This will make it much easier for your target audience to recognize you and become a valuable part of your community.
Your USP naturally generates engaging content
Once you decide what your special X factor is, put it at the center of everything you do.
That way you have a guiding light, so to speak, that makes it obvious which direction your blog posts, newsletters and company’s content should take.
If achieving a meditative mindset is at the core of your yoga clothing line, then your content should revolve around a mindful lifestyle. You could write a blog about morning routines for a productive day. Or shoot a video of your favorite meditative poses. Or team up with a healthy food store and host a yoga event.
The possibilities are endless when you clearly define what makes you different.
Whatever your X factor may be, it is essential in catching your audience’s attention. It not only provides a meaningful connection to your community, but it also makes it much easier to create compelling content.
Think of the flower-filled telephone booth and capture your customer’s imagination with your USP.