Finding a USP (unique selling proposition) for your small business is important, but not always easy. So, let’s explore some USP examples to help with your inspiration and stop you from sounding like everyone else!
Good, effective marketing is a reflection of what you do best and how your ideal clients benefit from that. So, every business, no matter the size, can find its USP without having to revolutionise the world with groundbreaking inventions.
And there are plenty of reasons why defining a USP makes a lot of sense for your small business:
- Attracting more of your ideal clients
- Improving your conversion rate
- The ability to charge what you’re worth
- Getting more repeat business and referrals
- Increasing engagement and trust
- Improving brand awareness
Most importantly, with a USP in place, you’ll never struggle to explain what you do ever again. But if you’re still not sure if a USP is a good thing for your small business, let’s look at a few of the most common objections.
Focus doesn’t mean narrow
It can be easy to feel like defining your USP means restricting yourself. This is something so many clients I have worked with in the past have come to me worrying about. Or they were convinced that everything has already been done before, and that their best bet for success is to just “follow the crowd”. But that’s not the case.
A Unique Selling Proposition (or USP) is about what makes you unique, what sets you apart from the competition. And in this case, unique doesn’t have to mean you are the only one to do it (whatever “it” is). It simply means you’re the only one to make it “your thing”!
Your USP also doesn’t have to be about focusing on a specific industry, sector or niche (e.g. women aged 35-45). If you’re worried about competing with yourself, missing out on business or want to get a wide variety of clients, you can find your USP in many other aspects of your business: It could be your approach or process, your values, the style/design of your brand or content, your business size, your product, or even your personality!
So there are endless USP options that reflect what you do best and love most about your business without a) restricting yourself or b) sacrificing variety and turning your business into a boring job.
For further exploration of what a USP is and why you need one, head to this post here!
A caveat
To find your USP, you need to know your ideal customer. Fully understanding who this is is something that comes with time, so if your business has been around for a while, there’s a good chance you could rhyme off exactly who they are on the spot! When you have this down, you’re in a great position to define your USP.
However, if you are a relatively new business, you might still be in the land of trial-and-error. If so, you may need to get some experience with different projects and clients before you can define your ideal customer, and that’s okay. Experimenting until you get a handle on this is the way to go.
Once you’ve got that down, however, you’ll find you’re in a much better position to figure out how you can stand out from the crowd. By knowing everything you need to know about who you want to attract, you can start to see those gaps in the market where you shine in a way no other business does.
So let’s check out a few companies who are nailing it when it comes to their USPs!
Great USP examples
1. Wise
It might sound trivial, but it can be beneficial to carve out a USP that is inspired by your approach and how you do things.
A great example of this is Wise. This online money transfer service helps customers transfer their money internationally for less. Their aim is to make this process as low-cost and easy as possible. So, they do things a little bit differently.
Wise’s approach is that they have money in all the countries they convert currency in. So, they don’t really transfer the money; instead, they put it into their UK account and pay it out from the French account.
The result of this is that Wise has lower conversion costs than their competitors, making them a more attractive option for customers who are looking to maximise their money and avoid extra fees. And with 12.8million customers across 80 countries and in 40+ currencies, it’s clear that it’s working!
So have a think – is there a specific way you do business that sets you apart? Is there anything in your approach you could use to market your business and attract the people who are looking for exactly that?
2. Fjallraven
Have a look at your values and causes that are close to your heart; they might be able to give your business a boost as well.
Fjallraven is an excellent example of this. This Swedish brand’s aim has always been to make nature accessible to their customers through their innovative products – starting with their iconic backpack.
But rather than just using nature as inspiration for their collection, Fjallraven has made being “in harmony with the environment” a core value of their business. And they market themselves as such, attracting people who also care about spending time in nature and sourcing sustainable items to help them do so.
The brand has even launched The Arctic Fox initiative – each year they award grants to several non-profits each year, which align with their mission. Here’s a quote explaining the thought behind this project:
“The Arctic fox has become more than a conservation effort for Fjällräven. It is a symbol of our expanding efforts to protect nature, and to support initiatives that have the same goal.”
If, like Fjällräven, your business values are a core part of your overall brand identity, marketing yourself with this in the forefront could be a perfect way to connect with your ideal customer.
3. Le Labo
There is something to be said for a really distinct design! Having a style that stands out can be a great way to stick in the mind of your ideal customers.
Le Labo is a brand that is well known for oozing sophistication at every point of interaction. From their shops to their packaging to their online presence, wherever a customer encounters Le Labo, they will instantly recognise that iconic design.
But it’s even more than that. Le Labo takes that luxury style to the next level by making shopping with them a luxury experience. Their hand-poured candles and hand-formulated perfumes give a feeling of exclusivity and personalisation that does not come from just any old fragrance brand.
It is this connection between style/design and experience that has made Le Labo stand out from the crowd and create such a devoted following.
So, take a moment to consider your brand’s style. Is there anything unique about your design that could become a real point of attraction for your customers?
4. Soil Ninja
Look at your ideal client or customer and use this insight to define the USP of your small business. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – starting with your customer is the key to so many successes in marketing. And finding your USP is no different!
A perfect example of a brand that has done this is Soil Ninja. In 2019, founders Jack and Lev “realised that sourcing components to make the perfect blend for our houseplant collection was a right faff!” (Listen to that distinct, friendly tone of voice!) So, with that in mind, they set out to make their own lives, and the lives of all houseplant lovers, easier. And Soil Ninja was born.
Six years on, their business is thriving. They did their homework and have created a range of high-quality, peat-free houseplant substrates. Customers can browse their site and make their own premium mix, or choose from ready-made species-specific blends.
Their USP, then, is their audience. And how were they able to connect strongly with that? Because the business began with their ideal customer – themselves! Everything Soil Ninja built was based on the knowledge Jack, Lev and their team had on what their customer needed because they experienced it too.
Does this sound familiar? If you started your business because you realised something was missing from your life, your audience may well be your USP too!
5. Crunch Platters
It might sound obvious, but it’s true – if you’re the only one to offer a specific service or product in your neck of the woods, then that can be a very good USP.
During lockdown, the founder of Crunch Platters, Kirsty, realised she couldn’t find a decent cheese platter delivery. So, noticing the gap in the market, she decided to create one herself!
In an instagram post reflecting on her journey, Kirsty said: “What began as a simple project to satisfy my own craving for a good platter quickly snowballed into something much bigger. 5 years later, here we are collaborating with amazing businesses, creating our own condiments (!!) and even seeing our platters pop up with brands I’ve admired from the start.”
It can be as simple as that: if your product fills a gap in the market, that alone can be an incredible USP! As Kirsty discovered, you’ll often find that you were not the only one to wish it existed!
So take a look at your own products and services and ask yourself – is what I’m doing unique? Or, even unique to my town or city? If so, you could be on to a winner.
6. With Jack
Do you target a specific type of customer or business size? You might not have considered it, but that can be a great USP to lean into.
Ashley, the founder of With Jack, for example, works specifically with freelancers. With Jack is an insurance provider aiming to help a specific group of people tackle their business insurance with confidence. Here’s a perfect summary:
“We protect sole traders and limited companies on the high seas of freelancing. So you’re free to navigate uncharted territories and fish for amazing projects. With Jack is all about insurance for freelance creatives. Simple.” (note how the copy links into the branding – see image above! A great example of streamlining your whole brand)
So, rather than marketing the business to all companies, large and small, Ashley has narrowed the focus. This means that she can position With Jack as the go-to business for freelancers and assert her expertise. The more you specialise, the more confidence your ideal customers will have that you are the right choice for them.
Is this the case for your business? Do you specialise in a particular group or business size? If so, this could be the perfect USP to market yourself on!
7. Iolla
Have you thought about your pricing, or your approach to pricing, as a potential USP for your business? Here’s a great example of a business that did just that.
Iolla has become an iconic name in the glasses industry in the UK. With showrooms in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester, a beautiful online store and a growing list of stockists, the brand prides itself on offering stylish eyewear for what they call “remarkable pricing”.
How do they do it? “Unlike other optical retailers, we include the ‘necessary options’ as standard. Oh and we don’t discriminate against those who need thinner lenses either!” [iolla.com]
This means that while competitors usually price the frames individually, with the lenses and any necessary coatings added on to the price afterwards (often coming to as much as £300), Iolla’s glasses include all of the above for their standard £85.
This is a great way to position yourself in your industry. So take a look at your own pricing structure vs. the pricing of your competitors. Are you a step ahead? If you do things differently, marketing yourself via your pricing might be the right USP for you.
8. Who Gives A Crap
Is your brand infused with personality? That can be a really incredible USP if you play your cards right!
An example of this that I love is the toilet paper company Who Gives A Crap. A huge part of their brand is their focus on sustainability and making a difference. But everything they do, they approach with loads of personality and humour. It’s been a core part of the brand from the beginning.
“Sure, we love puppies and sunny days and walks on the beach, but our real love is toilet paper. Why, you might ask? First of all, it’s funny. Lots of room for toilet jokes, which we love. But really, we love toilet paper because for us, it’s our way of making a difference.”
From their memorable name and instantly recognisable colourful packaging to their humorous social media content, Who Gives A Crap manages to balance genuinely making a difference (50% of their profits is donated to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world) with being a fun, cool-to-shop brand – not always an easy feat! And it’s all down to their personality.
Is this something you could look at for your business USP? If humour is your brand’s first language, you should definitely consider it!
KEEP READING
If you are interested in reading more about this topic, have a look at these:
Define Your USP in 5 Steps [infographic]
What’s a USP, Why Do I Need One & How Do I Get One?
Do You Know Enough About Your Target Groups?
Small Business Brand: What Is It, Why Do I Need One & How Do I Get One?
