Brand positioning. How to get started?

Positioning: definition and meaning

Positioning, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing a website in order to gain greater visibility and a higher ranking position in the SERPs. For this purpose, tools from fields such as computer science, programming, marketing, promotion and even psychology are used. All this to mark your place on the web.

SEO, for online stores, is the process of creating a distinct image or identity in the mind of a potential customer or audience. It is a marketing strategy that differentiates a company or brand from its competitors by focusing on a specific target audience and emphasizing the unique benefits and features of a product or service. The goal is to establish a clear and distinct identity in the customer’s mind that will lead them to choose your brand over others.

What is a "brand"?

A brand is more than just a name or a logo – it’s the perception and emotion that your company evokes in its target market. Brand positioning is the process of creating a unique, differentiated identity for your brand within the minds of your customers.

Brand positioning requires an in-depth understanding of your target market, and the strategies that you can use to create a distinct perception and identity for your company. It involves careful analysis of the market landscape and crafting an identity that sets your company apart from your competitors.

Benefits of brand positioning

The benefits of taking the time to develop a strong brand positioning are numerous and can lead to increased visibility, more customers, and a stronger bottom line. You can use different tactics such as advertising, content marketing, or social media to get your message across and make sure that it reaches the right people.

A well-positioned brand should have a clear idea of its target audience, what makes it different from competitors, and how it wants to be perceived. By focusing on these factors, you can ensure that your company’s message is delivered to the right people in the right way. This will help you build trust and loyalty with your customer base and will ultimately result in more sales.

Finally, brand positioning can help you establish a strong reputation for your company. When customers know exactly what your company stands for, they’re more likely to become loyal customers who refer other people to your business. This increases your reach and boosts sales as well as increases your company’s visibility in the market.

Brand foundations

Brand voice

Your brand voice is the way in which you communicate with your target audience. It should have a unique tone and personality that reflects your company values, goals, and mission. It should be consistent across all marketing channels, and it should be recognizable to your target audience. This means that your brand voice should capture the essence of who you are as a company, and how you want to be perceived.

Brand values

Brand values are the core principles that define your brand’s identity and guide its actions. These values reflect the core beliefs that shape your brand’s ethos, reputation, and attitude towards customers. When creating your brand values, think about what makes your brand unique, what it stands for, and how it serves your customers.Your brand values should be authentic and specific.

USP and ESP

The two main elements of brand positioning are Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and Emotional Selling Proposition (ESP). USP focuses on identifying and highlighting what sets your product or service apart from others on the market. ESP, on the other hand, digs deeper into the emotions behind why customers choose your product or service.

RTB

Reason to Believe is the core belief that underpins the brand, helps create an emotional connection with customers, and builds customer loyalty over time. Developing an RTB requires both deep research and creative thinking. The process involves understanding the current landscape, analyzing the competition, and identifying what sets your brand apart.

Brand promise

A brand promise is a statement or set of statements that succinctly communicates what you will deliver to your customers. This could be anything from a guarantee of quality, to a commitment to provide excellent customer service, to a promise of fast delivery times. The brand promise should be memorable and consistent across all touchpoints, from product packaging to advertising campaigns.

Consumer insight

Understanding your target market and how they interact with your product or service is key to creating an effective brand positioning strategy. As the first step in your brand positioning journey, it’s important to invest the time and effort into learning about the people you want to reach.

Brand positioning. Checklist for beginners

A brand is a voice and a product is a souvenir.

Step 1: Research your competition

When it comes to brand positioning, the first step is to do your research. This means taking a look at your competitors and getting an idea of how they are positioning themselves in the marketplace. It’s important to understand how their positioning strategies are working for them, so you can identify areas for improvement for your own brand.

Step 2: Define your target audience

Who are the people that would be interested in buying your product or service? Knowing your target audience will help you create a positioning statement that speaks directly to them. Think about the demographics of your target audience. What age range are they? What gender? What income bracket? Do they have any specific interests or hobbies? Are there any other factors that could influence their buying decisions? Understanding who you’re trying to reach is essential for developing an effective brand positioning statement.

Step 3: Create your brand identity

Your brand identity will be composed of several elements, such as a logo, tagline, color palette, typography, and imagery. Each element should work together to create a unified and recognizable look that resonates with your target audience.

Think about the words that describe what you do. What do you stand for? What is the most important thing to convey about your company? What are the feelings or emotions associated with what you offer? Consider developing a personality for your brand by choosing adjectives that match this description.

Step 4: Develop your unique selling proposition

A USP is a statement that reflects the competitive advantage of your product or service. It should communicate why your business is different from others and why customers should choose you over your competition. Content is the backbone of any successful brand, as it helps create an emotional connection with your target audience and tells your story in a way that resonates with them. Some of the most popular strategies include creating blog posts, producing videos, hosting webinars and podcasts, and sharing infographics. Whatever content you choose to create should be unique to your brand and must convey the message you want to get across.

Step 5: Use SEO and SEM techniques

Using SEO and SEM techniques can help your business reach potential customers more effectively and build a stronger brand presence online. Conduct keyword research. By researching relevant keywords, you can create content that is more likely to be found by potential customers. Optimize titles and descriptions. Utilize social media – networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great ways to build relationships with potential customers and spread the word about your business. Try PPC advertising.

Step 6: Test, monitor, and analyze

Testing and monitoring involve gathering data that will help you determine how your messaging is received. Your test might include surveys, focus groups, interviews, and A/B testing. You can also look at analytics on your website or social media profiles to see how many people are engaging with your content and what kind of reactions they have.

Wrapping up

When it comes to brand positioning, there are many different strategies and approaches you can take. Ultimately, the most successful brand positioning campaigns are those that take into account the unique needs and characteristics of the target audience. By using a combination of research, experimentation, and creativity, you can develop a positioning strategy that will help your business stand out from the crowd and reach your desired customers.