Too many cleantech companies use guess work and habit to communicate their USP and value proposition. Instead, you should use a clear and focussed methodology to ensure your USP and value proposition are consistent and compelling. In this blog post, we tell you how.
Finding your USP
Before you can communicate what makes you special, you need to identify what that is.
Research and analysis
A thorough approach includes an in-depth audience and competitor analysis, interviews with your stakeholders and a review of your media landscape.
- Identify your target audiences’ needs
- Gain detailed knowledge of your competitors’ approach
- Crystallise what compelled your stakeholders to invest in or work with you
- Be clear on what journalists and readers need
Aside from this research and qualitative assessment work, you need to get creative and involve your whole team. How should you facilitate this?
Creative workshops
In a virtual or face-to-face workshop, challenge your team to articulate the company’s personality and use this to build a relatable company identity. This will serve as the foundation for creating a visual brand that aligns with your vision, commercial goals and company ethos.
In another workshop, move the focus towards your customers and gain clarity on what it is about your company, and your product or service, that makes you deserve their business.
Differentiating your business
These activities – the research and analysis in combination with getting creative and hands-on – will help you to:
- Define a compelling value proposition that creates clarity with customers and drives sales, and
- Craft a business story that sets you apart in the market and builds international profile.
Next, in order to differentiate your business with a brand strategy that supports your vision, you will need to refresh or create your brand to align with your newfound insight. Find out how to build an authentic cleantech brand and why investing in a solid brand is so important even at an early stage.
You will also need to compose messaging that showcases your unique selling point and tells a consistent story.
Communicating your USP
Once you have laid solid foundations, it’s time to shout your USP from the rooftops. But don’t fire on all cylinders indiscriminately. We’ve previously stressed the importance of a communications strategy to avoid wasting time and money.
Here, we’d like to introduce five ways to communicate your USPs compellingly and authoritatively.
Website and marketing materials
Put a team in charge of updating your website and marketing materials with the new brand and messaging in one neat project rather than having to use old materials, for instance when you’re in a rush to put together a presentation or proposal.
Press and your relationship to journalists
Third-party endorsement such as that by an independent press is powerful. It enables your target audience to hear from people other than yourselves about your work and expertise. Therefore, communicate regularly with key publications and journalists in your field and update them on your milestones with well-written press releases and background interviews where appropriate.
Compiling an FAQ and blog
Write a useful resource for your target audiences that serves as evidence of your expertise. Answer the questions your stakeholders and the media aren’t clear on and provide helpful information.
Case studies and testimonials
Gather the information and data to write insightful case studies as soon as possible. This includes asking your stakeholders for testimonials at the end of projects or at important milestones. Case studies are one of your most powerful sales tools.
Whitepapers
Another way to communicate your expertise are whitepapers. They offer the reader more detail on one topic than your website copy, sales brochures and blog and should be expertly researched, composed and designed. You don’t have to write many whitepapers, but if you start early, even writing one a year will soon build an impressive portfolio.
We have written an in-depth blog about content marketing and about how to maximise your PR activity on a budget, which we invite you to read next.
