What is your unique value proposition?
A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is what makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s the value you’re offering. It’s what makes you different from your competitors, and better for your customers. It’s your what, your how, and your who.
I’ve found that sometimes organizations confuse their mission with UVP.
Mission statements are for internal purposes. They describe why you exist. They’re statements that guide who you are, the decisions you make, and direction for your team.
UVP’s are external. They’re the reason your offering should be their best option for your audience. It’s the “why” for convincing customers to choose you. Your UVP should be driving your communication and messaging strategy about the offerings and value you provide.
It should be short, clear, and to the point. Think of it as an extreme elevator pitch. It should be what you do, for whom, and how you provide more value than anyone else. It can be as simple as a short, catchy headline that hits the what, how, and who, or a headline plus a couple of sentences going a little more in detail about the value.
With a strong UVP, your marketing will be far more effective. It gives you a starting point and will help keep your messaging consistent across all channels. In a pinch, it can be your base marketing message.
Here’s an example from Trello:
Trello helps teams move work forward.
Collaborate, manage projects, and reach new productivity peaks. From high rises to the home office, the way your team works is unique—accomplish it all with Trello.
Need a UVP? Begin by answering these questions: Who is your customer? (Everyone is not an answer, be specific.) What problem (wants/needs/fears) does your customer have? How do you uniquely solve that problem? (What is the value/benefit of using your product?)