11-10-2014
Don’t Just Assume the Position
Dear House Rules,
I own a start-up IT business. My service capability is really diverse and flexible and I want to appeal to the widest possible audience. How do I write a positioning statement that informs as well as attracts the largest number of customers?
Sincerely,
Don’t just assume the Position
Dear You Can’t Please Them All,
The oldest and most reliable technique in marketing is to target what you do to a specific market. Sometimes this seems difficult when you first start out, but it works and that is the purpose of writing a positioning statement. Your brand’s position should rest on the #1 thing you do best. It is a strategic guideline to focus on a target market before you devote time, effort and expense to branding efforts. Like most major business decisions, we recommend you huddle with your core team before writing a positioning statement. Work together to answer a few key questions.
- What is your Target Market?
- How does your business offering differ compared to your competitors?
- In which segment does your product compete? (aka frame of reference)
- What causes your customers to trust in your abilities and believe in your promise to deliver?
- What is your brand promise?
Once you brainstorm these important factors to thoroughly define the company, you are ready to plug them into a brand positioning statement. For the do-it-yourselfers, try this Market Positioning Statement Generatorcomplements of the fine folks at eCornell, an on-line subsidiary of Cornell University that provides online professional and executive development to students around the world. If you would like live assistance in crafting a powerful and compelling positioning statement consider working with an expert brand marketing company.