Learn what a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is, why it’s essential for your business, and follow step-by-step instructions to create a compelling UVP that sets you apart from the competition.
IE 420: What is a Unique Value Proposition & Why Do I Need it for My Small Business
What is a Unique Value Proposition (UVP)?
Unique value proposition is going to help you differentiate your business, your products, your services, from everyone else that is out there.
What is it that is special about what you provide?
Whether you are a therapist that deals with grief, or you are a food blogger that is providing everyday recipes for people, what is it about you that is going to make people want to come to you over someone else?
That is what you are trying to determine here.
How can you deliver that product or service for them through your marketing and show them that you are the right person for them?
You want to make sure that you are using your unique value proposition to be able to attract the right audience and keep those people continuing to come to you, so that, instead of stopping at your site for a one-off DIY or a one-off recipe now, instead they subscribe to your newsletter, they grab your opt-in that you’re offering them and they continue to come back to you.
What I want to see is I want to see in Google Search Console that one of the number one ways that people are coming to you is for the name of your site, or your name in particular, so that we know that people are starting to see you as that expert, that educator that we have been stressing so much over the last couple of weeks.
You want to have this unique value proposition and it needs to have some really key elements to it.
We’re going to walk you through exactly how to go about creating it, step by step. But when you are creating your unique value proposition, you want to make sure that it is very clear on what you do.
Why a UVP is Important
When we are looking into doing this, we need to understand why a UVP is important.
Why is that unique value proposition, such an important piece of what we do.
The first is that for customer attraction having a strong UVP draws in customers because it’s meeting their specific needs.
They identify with what you are offering.
They see themselves in the problem that you are solving for them.
It also is going to give you a competitive advantage because it is going to set you apart and position you differently than others in your industry.
Others are not necessarily taking the time to sit down and be able to clarify this.
This messaging that you are creating this UVP is going to become part of your messaging throughout your copy, within your graphics, as part of your personal brand strategy.
It is also going to help you improve marketing efforts, because a UVP creates a foundation for consistent messaging across your marketing channels.
Whether it’s social media, it’s your email, your blog or your podcast, all the different ways that we have talked about are the ways that you are going to get in front of your audience, that is going to help with your messaging.
It’s also going to help focus your business strategy because it’s going to guide your product development, your marketing and your sales strategies, so that you are making sure that you are staying within this unique value proposition.
Key Components of a UVP
Let’s talk about the key components of unique value proposition and then we’re going to talk about how to create one.
The first is your target audience.
You need to be identifying the specific group of people or products or service benefits that you are providing for people.
We’re not necessarily going to try to identify each individual product.
That’s a little something different called a selling proposition, which we’ll talk about in future episodes.
What we are trying to do is what is your overall purpose of what your products are trying to solve for them?
What is the overarching reason for it?
Are you trying to make it easier to get dinner on the table?
Are you trying to make it so that they can spend less money at the grocery store in order to make meals in 15 minutes?
Are you trying to make ways for them to be able to help their kids with their ADHD through play, therapy and interactions?
Understanding that target audience who is it meant for?
You also want to think about the value, the unique benefits and solution that your product offers to them is going to be super important.
When you are creating this, you’re again going to make sure that you differentiate.
What sets you apart from the customers what makes you different than everyone else, and then also if you can pull in proof evidence that actually supports your claims that you are able to deliver on what you are promising.
This is going to come in through testimonials, case studies, maybe even interviews, through podcast episodes, which you are going to hear in upcoming episodes on my podcast so that you can hear from my clients and the things that they have been able to overcome within their business.
That is the proof that people need to know that your unique value proposition is actually true, honest and authentic.
How to Create a Unique Value Proposition
Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience
You want to hone in on and research your ideal customer.
Who is that person?
I don’t want you to go after that red ocean, like we’ve talked about in the past.
Blue ocean, big pumpkin.
Who is it that you ideally want to work with?
Then I want you to analyze their needs, pain points and preferences.
What is it that they truly need for their problem to be solved?
What are they really struggling with?
Think about that transformation they ultimately want.
Do they want to fit in that black dress.
It’s not that they want to lose weight.
It’s that they want the transformation of feeling comfortable in that cute black dress for new Year’s Eve.
Step 2: Define the Problem You’re Solving
You want to clearly state the problem you are solving overall through your products and services and then you want to show how your solution directly solves that problem.
You’re going to hit on the pain points of what they are struggling with feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, wanting to feel more energy now that you’re 40 and going through pre-menopause.
Here’s your solution.
I’m going to show you how to get your energy back, feel good in your skin and look great in that sexy black dress for New Year’s Eve.
That’s your transformation.
That’s how you’re showing you’re solving that problem.
Step 3: Understand Your Competition
You want to actually take a look at the competition that’s out there.
What are they doing?
What are you doing differently?
How is what you are doing going to be better?
You want to identify how the competition actually positions themselves.
Where are they saying their strengths are?
What are they saying that the problems are that they solve?
Then you want to find gaps or opportunities to differentiate.
If you’re noticing there’s a certain target audience that’s being totally disregarded or a specific pain point that is being disregarded, that is where you want to make sure that you are emphasizing and potentially get out your messaging to that target audience.
Step 4: Highlight Your Key Benefits
You want to focus on the core benefits of your overall products and services.
What is it ultimately that you are solving for them?
Then you want to use data and testimonial to back up your claims.
You want to make sure that you can provide them with numbers.
Have you helped someone save money?
Have you helped someone save time?
All of those are going to be important in highlighting this.
Step 5: Craft a Clear, Concise UVP Statement
You want to write a simple focus statement that explains what your product or services do, who it’s for and what makes it unique or better.
Step 6: Test and Refine
You’re going to test your unique value proposition with your real customers.
Are they identifying with it?
Are they staying on your website more?
Are they perusing more of the content that they have?
Are you signing up for their email list?
Are they opening your emails when you send them?
Provide?
You want to make sure you’re looking at the data and then you want to use feedback to refine and improve your messaging.
If someone is unclear on what it is that you do, you want to make sure that you really hone in on that.
Here is a unique value proposition example.
It is actually mine, at Influencer Entrepreneurs, we help female business owners stop trading time for money by providing step-by-step education according to your business needs.
Unlike others, we differentiate our instruction because small businesses are not one size fits all, which ensures that our clients see growth in their visibility and profits in their business.
Clear, concise you know who it’s for.
You know what it is that we’re looking to do, and you know what’s going to set me apart from everyone else that’s out there.
UVP Example
At Influencer Entrepreneurs, we help female business owners stop trading time for money by providing step-by-step education according to your business needs. Unlike others we differentiate our instruction because small businesses are not one size fits all, which ensures that our clients see growth in their visibility and profits in their business.
Action Steps:
- If you liked this episode of Influencer Entrepreneurs, please subscribe and leave a fabulous review!
- Join the conversation and leaving a comment below with any questions.
- Be sure to become an Influencer Entrepreneurs+ member to listen in on exclusive content.
