Positioning – How to Claim Your Place in the Market
What is positioning?
Positioning is the strategic choice of how you want your brand to be perceived in the minds of your target audience. It's about claiming a clear, unique place in the market, so people automatically associate you with the value you deliver.
Good positioning is all about conscious choices: you can't be everything to everyone. The sharper your position, the easier it is for people to choose you.
Also read: Personal Brand and Brand Identity.
Why is positioning important?
Without clear positioning, customers find it hard to place you. This makes you interchangeable and price-sensitive. With strong positioning:
- People immediately know what you do and for whom
- You become top-of-mind faster in your niche
- You can charge higher rates because your value is clear
- You attract the right clients instead of everyone
People immediately know what you do and for whom
You become top-of-mind faster in your niche
You can charge higher rates because your value is clear
You attract the right clients instead of everyone
Want to know more? Also read: Target Audience and Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
The building blocks of strong positioning
1. Target audience selection
You can only position well when you know who you serve. The more specific, the better. Also read: Target Audience.
2. Core values & brand personality
These determine how your brand feels and comes across.
See also: Brand Values and Brand Personality.
3. Unique promise
Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) makes clear why people choose you and not someone else.
4. Visual and verbal identity
Your Brand Identity and your Signature Style ensure your position remains visually and content-wise recognizable.
How do you determine your positioning?
- Research your market – Know who your competitors are and where opportunities lie.
- Define your specialization – The more specific your offering or target audience, the stronger your position.
- Formulate your brand story – See Brand Story for the narrative foundation of your positioning.
- Test your message – Test whether people can describe you in one sentence.
- Communicate consistently – See Consistency in Branding.
Research your market – Know who your competitors are and where opportunities lie.
Define your specialization – The more specific your offering or target audience, the stronger your position.
Formulate your brand story – See Brand Story for the narrative foundation of your positioning.
Test your message – Test whether people can describe you in one sentence.
Communicate consistently – See Consistency in Branding.
Example of strong positioning
A photographer who says: "I help female entrepreneurs who want to increase their online visibility with powerful personal branding photography, so they attract more clients without having to push themselves."
This sentence makes clear who you work for, what you deliver and what result that produces.
Common positioning mistakes
- Positioning too broadly – "I photograph everything and everyone" is not distinctive.
- Not naming a clear target audience – People don't recognize themselves in your offering.
- Vague promises – "I take beautiful photos" says nothing about the value for the customer.
Positioning too broadly – "I photograph everything and everyone" is not distinctive.
Not naming a clear target audience – People don't recognize themselves in your offering.
Vague promises – "I take beautiful photos" says nothing about the value for the customer.
Conclusion
Positioning is the foundation of every strong brand. It determines how you are seen, remembered and chosen. With a clear, consistent and authentic position, you make it easy for your target audience to say "yes".
Want more depth? Also read:
