I’ve been working on a couple of strictly positioning focused projects lately.
For the uninitiated, positioning is basically your strategy to convey what you do, who you do it for and how uniquely you do it.
It’s fun, I love strategizing and feeling part of my client’s teams.
These projects come in 3 flavours:
- Murky and unclear positioning strategy
- Solid positioning framework, not yet translated into copy
- No positioning strategy whatsoever, just winging it
Let’s take number 3 out of the equation (if you need help though get in touch).
While number 1, an unclear strategy might sound like the second biggest problem, I’d argue that a solid framework that can’t or won’t be translated into messaging, can hurt your business even more.
Why?
What I’m seeing when this happens, is that businesses work with positioning experts or firms that, while being amazing at what they do, can’t (or won’t) connect the dots for their clients.
The dots being, the marketing messaging.
And these businesses are left with a ton of insightful, well researched documents that are not really useful when it comes to writing the actual words.
That’s when they reach out to someone like me.
Which is totally fine, and I don’t expect a positioning expert to also be a good copywriter.
So, what’s my “secret” for helping them out?
I add one dimension to their work.
I make it 3D
Enter the 3D Positioning™️ method.
While most positioning work is focused on two dimensions, the business and the competition – I look at their audience too.
And just like that, you get to see two things:
- How your audience sees the industry / competition, and what words they use to describe them
- How your audience sees you with your current positioning, and what words they use to describe you
Getting insights into these is most of what you need to gather voice of customer data that you can use to make your positioning strategy truly sing in your marketing materials.
This is where the rubber meets the road.
Until you keep thinking that your positioning and messaging should only be dictated by your own internal meetings and brainfarts, you’ll be missing an important piece of the puzzle.
P.S. I’m thinking of new ways to use our Youtube channel. What would you like to see more or less of? What are some of your favorite industry channels? Hit reply!
Quote and reflection of the day:
“If someone is winning at a higher level than you are, either lower your expectations to match your work ethic or increase your work ethic to exceed your expectations. If you do neither, you’ll be miserable”
- Patrick Bet-David, Your Next Five Moves
The more you expect of yourself the more you have to prove you’re worthy of that ideal. High expectations come with a price and you have to pay it all the way til you realize them.
