Brand Positioning: How to Make Your Business Easier to Understand

A common problem many businesses face is setting themselves apart from the crowd. Effectively communicating with their target audience why they’re the best choice is a critical part of a sales conversion, but one that all too many trip over.

Brand positioning supports businesses in explaining what they do, who they are, and why they matter in a simple, memorable way.

We’ve created a guide to help businesses understand and develop their own brand positioning and effectively communicate it to their customers.

What is Brand Positioning?

Brand positioning is the process of distinguishing your brand from your competitors and clearly conveying to your consumers the values your company, products, and services hold.

​Regardless of how strong, unique, or practical your products or services are, without strong brand positioning, you’ll struggle to grab people’s attention. Effective positioning secures your brand a spot in someone’s mind by answering simple questions, such as:

  • What services or products do you provide?
  • What problems do your products or services solve?
  • Who is your brand designed to help?
  • How are your products or services different to competitors?
  • What do you want your brand to be known for?

Why Clear Positioning Matters

Studies have found that people struggle to connect with abstract ideas, have difficulty forming a mental image of the concept, and frequently fail to recall it from memory.

Therefore, clear positioning is crucial in developing a memorable brand that people can relate to and position relative to other businesses. For example, Smol sells home cleaning products designed with “less chemicals, less plastic and less carbon.” Its subscription-based delivery model enables it to lower costs, and the savings are passed on to the consumer.

By positioning themselves as an affordable, environmentally-friendly, delivery-based company, they can compete with bigger brands that typically dominate the market, such as Persil and Ariel. Smol appeals to people looking to cut down on expenses, streamline their purchasing habits, and reduce their impact on the planet.

Effective positioning can act as a backbone from which a business can grow – providing a core identity and narrative. It can produce more focused website copy, such as Smol’s “smol versus leading cleaning brands page”, more consistent social media content, stronger trust, and crucially, more enquiries and conversions.

How to Establish Your Brand's Positioning

To deliver consistent brand positioning, everyone across your business must be on the same page. Your logo, website copy, and customer experience must align to create a recognisable, memorable experience.

A brand positioning statement is typically a short, internal document that summarises the key features of your brand and highlights why your products or services beat out your competitors. It typically includes:

  • Your target audience
  • Services and/or products on offer
  • Competitors
  • Unique selling point (USP)
  • Company values

A positioning statement may follow a template, such as:

“[Target customers] who need [target customers needs] can look to [brand name], as they provide [primary USP] because [trust signal/values].

Start with the Target Audience

Many businesses unintentionally dilute their message and positioning by trying to appeal too broadly and connect with every potential consumer. This often results in generic copy, vague product descriptions, non-specific ads, and competing messages.

Clearly defining your target audience as specifically as possible is crucial to effectively targeting your services and products to the right people. Branding doesn’t require you to convince the whole world to view your business a certain way – just your demographic.

A positioning statement should be built around customers’ needs and understanding. Consider the following identifiers when determining who your audience is:

  • Age
  • Gender identity
  • Profession and income
  • Location
  • Language
  • Pain points

Define the Problem You Solve

Most consumers are less interested in what a business does and more interested in what it helps them achieve. For example, a web design agency doesn’t just build websites – it helps businesses boost their online presence, leading to more enquiries and sales.

Look beyond what your products and services do in the short term, and identify the issue you’re fixing for the consumer. By doing this, you can create a more compelling and convincing argument.

For instance, an oven cleaning company does more than just clean an oven – it saves people the time and effort required to source cleaning supplies, research an appropriate method, and clean the oven.

Make the Offer Clear

Effective brand positioning needs clear details regarding what’s on offer. Be specific about the services or products on offer, what’s included, why they’re useful, who they’re for, and the next step in the customer journey.

Show What Makes the Business Different

Standing out from the crowd doesn’t require big claims or dramatic declarations. Instead, be specific about what your brand offers that others don’t, such as experience, local knowledge, responsiveness, and proof.

Provide your customers with believable qualities, and if you have evidence, use it to back up your claim. Reviews, case studies, testimonials, accreditations, and even years of experience can all provide evidence that your brand is who they say they are and that they are up for the job.

Review Competitors, but Don't Copy Them

Competitor research is integral to developing strong brand positioning, as you can identify gaps in their services and patterns in their behaviour. By assessing what works and what doesn’t, their USPs, how they use proof to back their claims, and the claims themselves, you can find a unique angle to set yourself apart.

Connect with Customers Through Effective Brand Positioning

Effective brand positioning helps customers to understand your business quickly. It provides essential details on services, values, reviews, and what makes your brand special.

It doesn’t need grandiose claims or to apply to everyone – the more specific and grounded in reality, the better.

For brand positioning designed to build your credibility, presence, and sales, speak to Mayfly today.