Brand Positioning
Do your potential customers "get it"
when you tell them what you do?
Why should I worry about my positioning?
Do people understand the problem you solve for them, and how you can make their life easier? Do they know why you’re different from the other options available to them?
When you first started your company or launched your signature product, you had a pretty good idea of how you explained it to your customers. But is that still valid? Since then, the market has shifted, your audience has grown, and the way your product works has changed.
How you position your brand, and how you talk about your products and services is a critical part of your business, but often one that doesn’t get a lot of thought. We’re not talking about a rebrand or a new logo here - although sometimes they happen at the same time. This is about your messaging and how you explain to people what you do.
Nailing your messaging
Good positioning starts by really understanding the problem you solve for your customers. Which means you need to be clear on who you are selling to.
An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) identifies the intersection between those who benefit most from your product, and the type of customers you have clear access to. We're focusing on companies who need your offering, and are likely to purchase from a company like yours. This process may also highlight a mismatch between your 'early adopter' customers, who first made you successful, and the type of companies that will fuel ongoing growth.
Your messaging strategy should clearly state why an ideal customer should be interested in your company - in words they understand - and what makes you different from the others. It should also outline how you talk to your potential customers, and where you share your message.
Positioning your brand
Positioning comes from understanding the market, knowing your competition, and - most importantly - from talking to your customers and potential customers.
We look at existing customer data, and interview your sales and customer support teams. We talk to your product people, and your customers. And we analyze the positioning of your competitors and the industry terminology.
The outcome is a set of Customer Profiles and Buyer Personas to represent your audience; a messaging document to guide your communications, that describes what you do and how you do it; and recommendations on how to update your external positioning.
“Working with Steve helped me understand better how to reach my target audience. I’ve cut off expenses on some marketing channels that did not make sense for me to use, and focused more on those that are actually bringing me more business.
My message became clearer and more focused. I definitely should’ve worked with Solent Strategies before I started marketing my services”
– Irina Mason | Irina Mason Photography
