A positioning statement is simply a brief description that distinguishes a product, brand, or vendor in the marketplace. It defines how the company perceives itself and interacts with a product, service, or company. Well… Your positioning statement will dictate how your business approaches sales, growth, marketing, and even how you build the product(s) or service(s) you offer customers. Your customers should never see it or hear it. Given the importance of a brand positioning statement, writing one is not a process to be taken lightly. A positioning statement is an important communication tool you can use in interviews, networking events and social functions. A positioning statement is a small but powerful piece of a company’s marketing collateral. It defines how a product or a brand distinguishes itself from the competition, explains how the benefits from the product or brand will help the client, and how these benefits will be communicated to the prospective customers. Create a positioning statement that will serve to identify your business and how you want the brand to be perceived by consumers. Although this is the work that happens before the brand positioning statement is written, a statement should not be defined without developing your positioning strategy. Positioning is the process of identifying an appropriate market niche for a product (or service or brand) and getting it established in that area. A positioning statement is a one or two sentence declaration that communicates your brand’s unique value to your customers in relation to your main competitors. A positioning statement expresses the essence of a brand with precision. A positioning statement describes the customer and paints a picture of how you want the market to perceive your brand. A brand positioning statement explains what your brand does, who you target, and the benefits of your brand, in a short, concise statement. A positioning statement—also called a purpose statement—isn’t a tagline, or an elevator pitch, or a mission statement. Your positioning statement might be some of the most powerful sentences you ever write. Writing an efficient brand positioning statement requires a bit of finesse but these steps simplify the process. It’s a single sentence stating exactly what your position in the employer marketplace will be. But in some ways, it’s more important than anything else you do, because it informs everything else you show to customers. Positioning statement vs mission statement A position statement is sometimes confused with mission statements and value propositions, but there are a few key differences: Positioning Statement: Used to align messaging on internal teams, though a good positioning statement is often versatile enough to use externally, too. Every firm tries to occupy a portion of the mind and heart of their target group using a positioning statement. A good position statement will be well-researched and written in a structured manner. The following positioning statement example was used by Amazon.com in 2001, when it sold books almost exclusively: For World Wide Web users who enjoy books, Amazon.com is a retail bookseller that provides instant access to over 1.1 million books. There are four basic elements or components to a positioning statement: Proofreading Your Brand Positioning Statement. Creating a brand positioning statement might feel like slowing down a little when you're ready to jump in on the more visible aspects of your brand, like building a website or creating a course. This persuasive one-line statement is internal-facing, designed to guide the business forward in a purposeful way. The examples show how the positioning statement sets the business and its offering apart from others. 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