How to indentify your unique selling points

Unique selling point or proposition (USP) is a term business owners hear on a regular basis. But what does this term really mean? Let's start with looking at the dictionary definition of a USP. A USP is a feature or characteristic of a product or service that distinguishes it from others of a similar nature and makes it more appealing (Oxford English Dictionary, 2019). In other words, a USP could be thought of as what you have that your competitors don't. So when we are talking about a business's USPs, we are looking to identify the features and characteristics that will help to set that business apart from the competition.

Identifying your USPs requires some serious thought. One way to start is to take a look at how other practices use their USPs to their advantage. This requires careful analysis of other practitioners' websites and marketing messages. In last month's issue of Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, we looked at how you can carry out a competitor analysis by visiting websites and social media platforms (Dickons, 2019). To maximise your efficiency, you could identify their USPs at the same time.