Positioning establishes how your product is perceived in the mind of the user. It sets your product apart, making it uniquely suited to meet the needs of your target customers. In Obviously Awesome, April Dunford takes a deep dive into the art and science of positioning, providing actionable strategies to ensure your product connects with the right audience.
This blog outlines the 10 essential steps Dunford suggests for achieving the awesome positioning for your product.
#1 Understand the Customers Who Love Your Product
To craft effective positioning, identifying the ideal customer profile for your product is crucial. Start by conducting customer interviews to uncover their pain points, needs, and motivations. Additionally, analyze feedback and reviews from current users to identify patterns and common traits among your most loyal customers. This process helps you pinpoint the right customer segment and understand why they choose your product repeatedly. With these insights, you can refine your positioning message to resonate deeply with your target audience.
#2 Form a Positioning Team
To progress effectively, assemble a cross-functional team that brings diverse perspectives to the table. This team should include representatives from marketing, sales, product development, customer success, and executive leadership. By involving these stakeholders, you can achieve a holistic understanding of your product and its market. Ensure that each team member is clear on their roles and responsibilities, fostering an environment of open and honest communication. This collaborative approach is essential for aligning efforts and making well-informed decisions in the positioning process.
#3 Align Your Positioning Vocabulary and Let Go of Positioning Baggage
In this step, focus on developing a shared vocabulary to articulate your product and its value proposition clearly and effectively. Avoid using jargon or industry-specific terms that might confuse your target customer segment. Take this opportunity to challenge existing assumptions and biases within your organization about the product and its market. Be prepared to let go of outdated and ineffective positioning messages in favor of creating a fresh, compelling narrative that resonates with your audience.
#4 List Your True Competitive Alternatives
Identify both direct and indirect competitors—companies offering similar products to your target customer segment. Conduct a thorough analysis of their strengths and weaknesses to uncover opportunities for differentiation. This insight will help you pinpoint areas where your product stands out, enabling you to build a competitive advantage and position your product more effectively in the market. By understanding your competitors, you can carve out a unique space that highlights your product's value and appeal to your audience.
#5 Isolate Your Unique Attributes or Features
Identify the features that make your product unique and deliver real value to your target customer segment. Avoid listing features that are common among competitors, as these don’t differentiate your product. Use usage data and customer feedback to validate your list of unique features, ensuring that they truly resonate with your audience. Once validated, communicate these unique features clearly and concisely to your customers, focusing on making them easy to understand. This approach helps customers quickly recognize what sets your product apart and why it’s the best choice for their needs.
#6 Map Attributes to Value “Themes”
The next step is to identify the values and benefits your product can deliver to users through the unique features you've previously identified. Group features under broader value-based themes that align with your customers' needs and priorities. These themes should reflect the outcomes your customers truly care about. Once you've grouped the features, create a compelling narrative that connects these features to your customers' desired outcomes. Use active, engaging language to communicate the value of these themes, showing how your product helps customers achieve their goals, solve problems, or improve their lives. This approach makes your product's value clear and compelling.
#7 Determine Who Cares a Lot
Identify a very specific segment within your target market that values your unique positioning and focus your efforts on this high-value customer group. Use usage data and market research to pinpoint this segment, understanding their distinct needs, behaviors, and priorities. Once identified, tailor your messaging to directly resonate with their specific needs, emphasizing how your product addresses their unique challenges or desires. By focusing on this high-priority segment, you can maximize your product's relevance and appeal, ensuring your marketing efforts are both efficient and impactful.
#8 Find a Market Frame of Reference that puts your Strengths at the Center and Determine How to Position in it
Define your market context by understanding the broader landscape in which your product competes. Identify the key players, trends, and categories that shape your market, and analyze your competitive landscape. Position your product within this context in a way that emphasizes its strengths and unique value. Develop a clear and concise positioning statement that articulates your unique value proposition, highlighting what sets your product apart and why it’s the ideal choice for your target audience. Use this positioning statement as a guiding tool for your marketing and sales efforts. Additionally, create a set of targeted tactics to communicate your positioning effectively, ensuring it resonates with your audience and drives engagement.
#9 Layer on a Trend
Identify the key trends that are shaping your target market. Position your product as a leader or innovator within these trends, highlighting how your product aligns with these changes. Incorporate trend-related language, imagery and messaging into your marketing and sales materials to resonate with your audience and reflect your product's relevance. Use social media and other digital channels to amplify your trend-related messaging, creating visibility and engagement around your product’s role in these developments. Continuously monitor how trends evolve, and be prepared to adapt your positioning to stay ahead of the curve and maintain your leadership stance.
#10 Capture your Positioning so it can be shared
Effectively communicate your positioning statement to all internal stakeholders, ensuring that everyone within the company understands and embraces the positioning. This alignment is crucial for delivering a consistent and unified message across all departments. Use your positioning statement to guide all marketing and sales activities, ensuring that all communications, campaigns and sales strategies reflect the product's unique value. Regularly monitor and measure the effectiveness of your positioning efforts by gathering customer feedback, tracking market trends, and analyzing key performance indicators. Continuously refine and improve your positioning based on this data to ensure it remains relevant and impactful.
The following positioning canvas can be used to define a strong positioning for your product while following these steps.
