3 Top Requirements for Successful Brand Positioning

1 Define Your Differentiators Precisely
2 Use Consistent Voice, Messaging and Interaction
3 Be a Real Person

In today’s world where every little company can compete in the global marketplace, brand positioning has gone beyond smart marketing and become a marketing essential. Your digital presence must immediately define your niche to allow potential customers wading through the morass of information to recognize you as the perfect solution for their needs.

Define Your Differentiators Precisely

It’s not enough to say that you sell hats. Be very precise: are you selling red hats? baseball caps? helmets? The more precise you are in your online presence, the easier it is for your potential client to shout YES! when they spot you and get you that all-important click-through.

Not sure how to differentiate you? Start by checking out your competition. The more you know about what they sell, the easier it is to define what is different about what you offer.

To be even more precise take the time to truly define your ideal client. Avoid the easy mistake of focusing on what you offer and instead consider how your ideal client may search. Sometimes it’s difficult because you know too much about your own business. Your clients may not know your language for what they want, or know the options available, so imagine how they might think about what they want.

Here’s a quick checklist of what to avoid when you’re positioning your brand.

Don’t try to be all things to all people

Marketing is not about one sale, it’s about creating an association. Kleenex is synonymous with tissues; that’s an association. Although it would be lovely if your clients thought of you for every purchase, that’s not going to work as a marketing strategy. Even Walmart doesn’t carry everything, so they focus their marketing on cheap pricing.

What is the association you would like your clients to form with your brand? To answer that question, precisely define your ideal client. Your ideal client has associations with car brands, shoe shopping and services. When should you come to mind for your ideal client?

Don’t follow whims: keep every message on target to build trust and association

If your brand is built on customer service, then that is your drum. Beat your drum. Don’t get distracted with anything else. Keep your messages consistent. Focus on the association you want to form for your ideal client. Define your niche, and focus all your messaging on your niche.

Marketing is not about making one sale, it’s about building brand recognition

If you sell hats, don’t try to sell helmets. You’re building your online presence so people will recognize you as a purveyor of hats. If you try to make your audience aware that you could find them a helmet or you could also provide ribbon for a special event hat decoration, then you’re losing your opportunity to claim your niche. Focus on brand recognition, and use your website to show them other things you can do.

For successful brand positioning define your differentiators with great precision. Which niche market do you want to own?

Use Consistent Voice, Messaging and Interaction

Are you a ‘yo’ or a ‘hello’ kind of person? Will your ideal client be more comfortable with slang or with proper sentences? Will your ideal client skim posts at lunch time or in the wee hours of the morning? Defining your ideal client defines your aim for interaction that establishes your brand.

‘Voice’ refers to tone, language selection and attitude of your messaging. The ‘voice’ used for your messaging will determine whether you’ll reference country music lyrics or soap opera characters or video games. The voice of your messaging must connect with your ideal client. Let go of the idea of reaching the masses. Focus on your niche.

Your messaging will convey the specifics of your differentiators in language that connects with your ideal client.

Choosing your interaction style defines the right platforms, timing, graphics and scope for the messaging that positions your brand. Whether your advertising during half-time or posting to Mommy’s Club groups, your impact depends on your precise targeting of your ideal client.

Define the voice and the goals of your messaging to provide consistency of interaction style that builds client trust.

Elaine’s ABC’s of Social: Always Be Connecting

Social interaction is social. People aren’t interested in being bombarded with advertising. Do you really want your posts to be associated with a washroom break? Remember that you are building relationships and the best formula for posting is 80/20. Eighty per cent of your posts are chatty, information and giving and only twenty percent or less are offering products or services.

Keep your tone consistent with your defined voice and your message even when you’re doing personal connection. If you’re a hello person, use proper english in all your posts. If you’re a yo person, stay true to tone.

People want to do business with those that they Know Like and Trust. Be a person with consistent voice and message, interacting where your clients will be, to build a relationship.

Be a Real Person

When you are authentic it shows and your potential clients can form a better connection with you.

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