In this post on brand positioning within your niche, the word brand can refer to you as an individual trying to make a name for yourself (think Oprah or Jerry Springer) or your business (think McDonald’s or Burger King). How your brand is seen, and that it is seen at all, is important to your business success. That is where brand positioning comes in.
We used the above examples because while both brands in each grouping do similar things, they are not completely equal. They each have their own way of marketing themselves to appeal to their particular sub-niche.
Position Yourself As An Expert
When marketing your brand, you can position yourself as an expert worth doing business with because you cater to the needs and tastes of your target audience. When you are hungry, any burger will do. In the same way, a hungry niche audience will also buy if a good deal is right in front of them, easy to get hold of.
For those who are not starving and have time to weigh their choices and comparison shop, there are certain signals that tell them what brands are worth doing business with and which to avoid. Google describes this kind of marketing as the ‘zero moment of truth’, the point at which a prospective customer first discovers your brand through a link, ad and so on, and goes on a fact-finding mission to learn more about you.
What will they see if they Google you and/or go to your site? The saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” is very true in a competitive niche. We have already mentioned becoming an expert in your niche through your research and keeping up to date with the latest trends. If potential customers click on your URL, what will they see?
You need a professional-looking website with interesting content and above all, compelling sales letters that will lead people to buy, not click away to your competitors. Your sales letters should have a clear call to action, either Buy Now for sales, or Learn More/Register Now for your free items. Free should never equal shoddy. Your free content should show your target audience the kind of quality they can expect if they decide to do business with you.
One of the most common reason marketing messages miss their intended target is because they emphasize the features, not the benefits, of the item they are trying to sell. The ad copy might be factually accurate, but facts rarely take hold of the emotions and imagination. Benefits do.
Think of one of the features most often listed in descriptions of cars: leather seats. That is a factual description of what is in the car, but what is the benefit? There can be many, but the one/s you choose in your sales letters will very much depend on your target audience.
For sporty singles, style, comfort and flair will be important. For a soccer mom, leather seats will be easier to clean than upholstered. Benefits are features that answer the question "what's in it for me?" for the person thinking of buying. The more vividly you answer that question, the more likely they are to buy.
Final Thoughts On Brand Positioning
One final point is to look at both those categories of buyer. Singles are not likely to buy an SUV; a soccer mom is not likely to buy an expensive sports car. They are both vehicle buyers but they each have a specific set of needs and values you can cater to when you position your brand within your niche. Therefore, come up with key selling points and unique offerings that target your ideal customer in your niche.
A positive user experience can go viral, with your customers passing along information about your great products and offers. This word of mouth marketing can help you reach a range of customers you might otherwise never be able to connect with. That is brand positioning.