A Content Marketer’s Checklist to Creating a Killer USP (That’ll Propel You Above the Competition)

Stripe and Klarna – two companies that sell two very different products, but what do they have in common? They’re both big, iconic brands in the fin-tech and e-commerce industry. Say their name and everyone knows who you’re talking about. But, have you ever wondered what it is that makes them stand out from their competitors?

The answer: They both boast a carefully thought out brand positioning strategy with a compelling USP (unique selling proposition) that shines through everything you see in relation to their brand.

Klarna’s strap-line: ‘Payment experiences shoppers love.’ This unique strap-line conveys the heart of the brand within seconds, letting their audience know exactly what they do and what makes them unique. To stand out, Klarna places the brand at the forefront of all touch points and interactions with end users and merchants.

We bet you’ve heard about Klarna’s huge collaboration and marketing stunt with Snoop Dogg!

Your Shopify business shouldn’t be any different. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you'll need to develop a USP that makes sense for your brand and speaks to your audience! (4,200+ apps in the Shopify App Store to date and Shopify merchants run over 1,000,000 businesses in 175 different countries.)

Simple, right?

Let’s delve a little deeper...

What's a USP?

Your unique selling proposition should spell out exactly what makes your business different from the competition. Your USP sets the tone for your marketing and branding strategy – creating a competitive differentiation in a crowded marketplace, providing a brand your ideal customers love and connect with.

When a prospective customer stumbles across your Shopify business, the answer to their question, “Why should I choose you?” should be evident from your USP. 

With that in the forefront of your mind, here's a checklist for defining a USP for your Shopify business. 

By doing so, you'll make building a distinct brand so much easier for yourself and your team. Then, over time, your people will begin to associate and relate to the USP you're peddling, which should correspond to a boost in sales. 

Ready to get hyper clear on what makes you unique? Here’s 3 simple steps!

1. Speak to your customers

Research is vital for your content marketing strategy’s success - and customer research is the most crucial part of the research phase. This helps to identify how you're differentiating yourself from your competitors – digging deep into how your customers truly feel about your product.

As you go about this, hone in on what makes your Shopify brand stand out. 

For instance, is it: 

  • The ease of your making a purchase or return?
  • The ease of your app’s user experience 
  • How the features of your products benefit the user
  • Your niche to a particular type of consumer or merchant (e.g. sustainability / social impact)
  • The surprising feature benefits released on a quarterly basis
  • Or how you’re always there for them when they need extra support

These are the things that attract and delight your customers and it’s important you get clarity here. 

Where do you start?

First, launch an anonymous survey asking your customers some of the following questions: 

  • What words/phrases do they use to describe your business and products?
  • What do they think is unique about your products or app?
  • Is what’s unique about your brand desirable? If so, how? 
  • Would they recommend your product or service? 
  • Have they shopped with your competitors over you before? If so, why? Or why not?
  • What made them switch to your product or service?

These are just a few of the many questions you could ask, but you get the idea. It's worth requesting an expert Shopify marketing team to conduct the surveys for the best results.

Second, get on a call and talk to your customers about their experience working with your solution. Customers open up in a different way during a 1-1 conversation, and again, it’s beneficial to hire an external team to conduct these interviews with your customers.

Bonus: this phase will help you define persona profiles later on.

2. Get inspector gadget on your customers

Without analysing your competitors USP and how they are positioning themselves, how will you know what sets you apart?

Choose 2-3 of your biggest competitors or industry leaders and analyse their proposition in detail. Carefully pinpoint exactly how they are positioning themselves, taking note of how your product compares. 

3. Data analysis & USP definition

Finally, gather the insights gleaned from the research phase and narrow down your core benefits to a maximum of three.

  • Once you've done that, condense this into a paragraph
  • Next, cut it down into a one-sentence USP
  • Make sure it is specific, snappy and concise, making it easily recognisable and memorable! 

The final version of your USP should include the following:

  • Words that customers use to describe your Shopify business
  • The best thing that makes your Shopify business different and unique
  • The positive impact that your products or app has on the lives of your customers

Voila, that's it!

Examples to inspire you

  • Netflix: “Unlimited films, TV programs, and more. Watch anywhere. Cancel at any time.”
  • Vend: "Vend is perfect for retails stores, just like yours."
  • Slack: "Whatever work means for you, Slack brings all the pieces and people you need together so you can actually get things done."

Ready to create your own USP?

We hope this checklist has inspired you to start thinking about your USP. However, if you’re still stuck for ideas and think you might need more hands-on help, we have built a program specifically for Shopify developers! For more details on the program lessons and 1-1 support, click here.