New guest post alert by Mia Clarke. She is sharing with us how Brand Positioning and Strategy can be built through the eyes of a copywriter. Mia is showing us the ropes on how a brand’s voice is defined when there is a professional copywriter involved.

Mia Clarke: “Successful brands such as Coca-Cola, Apple and Amazon have one thing in common – they have a strong brand positioning which means they have successfully positioned themselves in the minds of consumers. These brands have succeeded to set themselves apart from the competition and have created brand personalities that consumers can relate with.”

Knowing your brand inside out and how it benefits your target customers is one thing. Letting people know about your brand and why they should trust it is another, and this is where the need for an effective Marketing Strategy comes in.

Eventually, at some point in the marketing process, you will need to engage copywriters that will help communicate your brand to customers and convince them to trust your brand and give your product or service a try. Below are some of the things to consider when talking about brand positioning with a copywriter.

What is brand positioning for a copywriter?

As copywriters, our job is to persuade your target customers to choose you. How are we able to do that? For starters, we need more than your product brief. What we need is to have a deeper understanding of your brand and what sets you apart from your competition.

Understanding how you position your brand in the minds of consumers also gives us an idea of your Unique Value Proposition which is what we will draw from to create compelling copy that will convert your prospects to actual customers. With your brand positioning, we can create a strong argument for why people should choose you.

What are the questions that you should answer when explaining your brand positioning?

We understand that you might have a ton of information about your brand, and you do not want to overload your copywriter with too much information. As a jump-off point when working on a campaign with a copywriter, you can break down your wealth of information into concise answers to the questions below. Your answers will tell to the copywriters the most important things that they need to know about your brand:

1. What’s the big customer problem that your product or service is going to solve?
   When your ideal customer encounters your brand for the first time, what is the problem that they need to solve? Think about why they may not have found the perfect solution yet.
2. Who is your ideal customer? How will your customer feel as a result of choosing your brand?
   When people buy products, it is also a reflection of their personality and the image that they have of themselves. You can share with your copywriter the emotional benefits of your product that you want to convey to your target audience. Think about when a customer buys your product. How will this affect their typical day, reputation or self-image?
3. Why should customers consider your brand? What makes your brand different from the competition?
   What are the functional benefits of your product or service? What specific attributes make your product or service better than the alternatives?

One way to differentiate your product from the competition is to ask yourself if it is easier, faster or more accurate as a start; however, many other qualities can also set your brand apart from the pack. You can also offer something longer-lasting, simpler or more customized.

Whatever quality that makes your product unique in a sea of similar offerings, a copywriter can help communicate it to your target audience.

What are the steps in a Brand Positioning Strategy?

There are many ways to go about creating your Brand Positioning Strategy. We already mentioned some points when we talked about the guide questions you should keep in mind when discussing your brand positioning.

Now, we will incorporate these questions with other steps that you should take when you go through the process of developing your Brand Positioning Strategy.

1. Identify your target market
   According to the dictionary, a target market is a particular group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed at. A copywriter needs to know who it is talking to. Knowing your target market and what they want will help you in making your marketing efforts more strategic. It also helps your copywriter write in a tone that will be appealing to your target audience. Have in mind that you can learn more about consumers and the right people to target through research, focus groups, and market trends.
2. Learn about your competitors
   You need to understand your competition so that you can set yourself apart from them.
   Research about what your competitors are offering as well as their marketing tactics. Once you have done a competitor analysis, your insights will help you decide on a plan that you and your copywriter can implement to give your brand a competitive edge.
3. Conduct a SWOT analysis
   Conduct an honest assessment of your brand and analyze how it stands up against your competition. Knowing your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) will help you narrow down your best-selling points and any gaps you should be addressing.
4. Identify what makes your brand unique
   Knowing your unique selling proposition is essential to your Brand Positioning Strategy. After analyzing your customers, your competition, and even your brand, you should highlight what makes it stand out. Differentiation is key when it comes to catching consumers’ attention. Your unique selling proposition will help your copywriter create effective copy so that your target customers remember your brand.
5. Create your Brand Positioning Statement
   A Brand Positioning Statement is a brief description of a product or service and how the product or service fills a particular need for the target market. It is a statement of how you want your brand to be perceived. In the eyes of your copywriter, it is a guide that will shape all the communications that he or she will develop so that the messaging is consistent and aligned with your brand.
   A real-life example of an excellent brand positioning statement is the one from Apple. “For individuals who want the best personal computer or mobile device, Apple leads the technology industry with the most innovative products. Apple emphasizes technological research and advancement and takes an innovative approach to business best practices — it considers the impact our products and processes have on its customers and the planet.”
6. Refine your Brand Identity
   Your Brand Identity consists of the visible elements of your brand such as its logo, color, design, and other components that identify and distinguish your brand in the mind of consumers. Your copywriter will take note of incorporating your brand identity in any copy that he or she creates so that your target customers will recognize your brand.

Why is brand positioning essential to successful copywriting?

Copywriters understand that brand positioning is important. Your brand positioning also affects your brand personality and brand voice which are just equally as important when writing copy.

When we include your brand personality and brand voice in what we write, we want your target customers to be able to relate to you. When we write about your Unique Selling Proposition, we want consumers to know why you are a better choice compared to your competition.

Successful copywriting that truly converts is a result of the combined efforts from you and your copywriter. As the brand owner, you know best about what makes your product or service appealing. As copywriters, we will develop the messaging to show your target audience why your product or service is worth trying.

About Mia Clarke

Mia Clarke is part of the content and community team at Userful.com, experts in all things video wall and display solutions. When Mia is not spreading the word about video walls she is often found discovering the great outdoors, walking or cycling.

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