Using A USP In eLearning Marketing

Why Leveraging A Unique Selling Point Is Key To eLearning Marketing Success

Have you ever wondered if it would be better to focus on a strategy that promotes your eLearning product or service only to the right people and not everyone? After years in this business, I’ve become more and more a fan of having a unique selling point. It might ostracize some prospective customers, but it can give you such a competitive advantage that empowers you to avoid falling into the trap of trying to please everyone.

And with all these eLearning solutions out there, buyers are only getting more confused when looking to make a decision. For example, it’s likely that many prospective customers cannot decide which option in your industry best fits their needs. To make the purchase decision, they must choose the best eLearning tool or service that deserves their time, money, and trust. So, for most eLearning buyers, the selection process can be daunting. You see, many customers don’t have the experience to know what separates one competitor from another. Hence, you have to distinguish yourself from the competition and help the right buyers decide to get your product or service.

Now that you see my point, it’s time to get a bit deeper.

How To Find Your Unique Selling Proposition

First off, let’s start with answering the question, “What is a unique selling point?”

Per definition, a unique selling point (USP) is what makes your product or service better than your competitors. It is also called a unique selling proposition. Communicating your USP right from the start is very important in online marketing. Actually, it is one of the keys to getting potential customers to convert when visiting your eLearning website.

Differentiating your brand from the rest is one of the most strategic and tactical moves a company must constantly engage in. However, being remembered in a crowded marketplace is hard. So, it would be best if your business had a trait that’s worth remembering. Of course, I know you offer a superior product. And, people are already talking about your outstanding service by sharing raving reviews. But is that the only foundation for growing your company to go the distance? If you ask me, it’s not. There’s always an opportunity to use differentiation as a competitive advantage. So, grab it; it’s your ticket to stand out from the competition.

When trying to create a unique selling proposition that works, there’s no one-size-fits-all advice. So, there are several ways you can use to develop a unique point of difference for your eLearning business. Here are some of my favorite ways to help distinguish your brand.

1. Appeal To Your Ideal Customer

Narrowing focus can be such an effective strategy, so finding your ideal customer seems like a great option. My point here is that by identifying the perfect person to sell to, you have more chances to make them convert. Plus, it makes sense to appeal to your ideal customer through every aspect of your eLearning business. Best of all, the competition won’t be as much. Thus, by changing the rules of the game, you can reach the buyers that can benefit the most from your product or service. However, finding your ideal customer is often a bit of a challenge. Worry not, though.

Here’s some content to help you out:

2. Add Some Personality To Your Brand Image

Sometimes, the real secret to marketing success can be the simple embodiment of the person you want to sell to. If you’ve ever worked with buyer personas and content marketing, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Also, a strong personality can go a long way. It can also be your unique selling point. So, as long as it aligns with what is being sold, you can do miracles.

Do you have a CEO who is respected? Take advantage of that and empower him to be the voice of the company. There’s no harm in incorporating a strong personality into a company’s unique selling proposition. Just make sure that there is a plan and a solid strategy behind it. Also, focus on publishing content and sharing tips on how they can solve their pain points. Think like them and start talking like them. If they like your personality and brand voice, chances are they’ll become followers and maybe customers in the near future. That’s how you build up your tribe!

For more info, take a look at these:

3. Root Your USP In Your Business Values

A USP should not be just a slick slogan or catchy phrase you throw out to customers. For it to work, it has to be deep and meaningful. Let’s think about it for a minute. Every company was created for a reason. Which are your company values, and how do you stand behind them? For me, that’s the best way to figure out your USP. Also, try to go back in time and think of your mission and company vision.

What about your customers? Note their needs and see how all the above connect together. Can your USP communicate that you stand for X value that meets Y demand? Test it out and see if it gets the response it deserves. Always gather your team and go back to your USP each time you create something new, or even when you plan your next steps to scale the business. Keep testing your plan against your business values and your USP. By doing so, you’ll ensure consistency of messaging, and you’ll keep the focus on your customers.

Need some examples? Check out these:

Unique Selling Point Examples In eLearning

By now, you must have realized that identifying your strengths needs a bit of brainstorming. Honesty is key to first knowing your weak points; that’s what will lead you to your brand’s strengths. Ask yourself the question, “What do we do best?” The answer needs to be more specific than just being unique or offering high value. What you do best must be connected to your customers’ needs in some way.

To identify the strengths of your products and services, you always have to keep your customers’ needs in mind. Does your eLearning product or service solve a unique challenge for your customers? What about your attributes? It’s all about being customer-centric and what’s in it for them.

Best of all, when you focus on your strengths, it’s easier to determine the distinctive characteristics of your business values, products, and services.

Here are some examples that can differentiate your brand from the rest in the crowded eLearning market.

a) Use-Case Expertise

Smart marketers know the importance of use cases in product marketing. At the same time, positioning yourself in contrast to your competitors is vital. For example, when it comes to choosing an LMS, buyers read reviews, eLearning solution top lists, case studies, etc. The key here is that they are not looking for just an LMS, but for an LMS tool that can better solve their pain points. Have you found a way to let them know that your product is the fit for their specific need? Promoting your unique selling point is important.

Let’s say an LMS user is looking for the best blended learning LMS. If your LMS is a better fit for blended learning than other tools, you have a competitive advantage. And you should communicate that to your ideal audience. Every time, you must clearly articulate your USP to customers explaining how you will better meet their needs compared to your competition.

b) Ideal Buyer Persona

Believe it or not, your ideal buyer persona is not a unicorn. There are ways to find the right target buyers in eLearning, and it’s a must if you want the right people to come to your landing pages and get your product or services. For instance, maybe you’ve got excellent eLearning service and content for people who need to create employee onboarding programs for their new hires. Based on that, your promotional campaigns as well as your website should clearly communicate your unique selling point. Or maybe you’ve got one of the best compliance training software in the market. That’s not a small feat, since plenty of organizations need an LMS just to cope with compliance training and certifications. Being an expert or offering the right tools and features for that is certainly something that your ideal buyer is looking for.

c) Specific Industry

For example, maybe your tool is the best LMS for telecommunication and IT companies. How would your target audience know if you don’t talk about it enough? Since you’re interested in a specific industry, chances are you’ll get better results if you focus your content marketing on reaching your target buyers. Sometimes, going more niche can bring you better results than trying to convince everyone to get your product. Another example could be if your company is one of the best leadership training companies. When organizations look for ways to cultivate new leaders or improve leadership skills for their workforce, they can land on your website if you take advantage of your unique selling point.

Strategies To Market Your USP

Let’s face it. Your USP will be the key differentiator and the actual reason your customers will buy from you. If you’re interested in attracting new customers, your unique selling point has to play an essential part in your marketing strategy.

Successful business owners have a crystal clear idea of how to communicate who their business is for. Similarly, the marketing team at your company should also be aware of what drives your eLearning brand to offer the services you offer. Most importantly, you must decide how you want to make an extraordinary impact in the eLearning world. The good thing is that established companies can eventually leverage their USP and make it synonymous with their brand.

Thankfully, there are various ways to communicate your unique selling point to your ideal buyers. Here are only a few commonly employed methods to reach eLearning customers and prospects:

Using brand marketing campaigns and traditional media advertising is a great way to get your brand in front of the right target audience, especially for new businesses. Also, it’s a very effective way of communicating your USP.

• Content Marketing And Search Marketing

Talking about how and why your company is different from the competition, not only can it be an excellent way to communicate USPs, but it can also help create interesting or viral content. To get even more value from this, it’s an excellent idea to strengthen and improve your website’s SEO rankings. You can do so for key terms in search engines such as Google. SEO and content writing, when done correctly, can be a good way for an eLearning company to generate visibility and communicate their USPs. Finally, it can improve your targeted lead generation.

Social media is yet another significant driver of brand awareness for many eLearning companies. You need to have a strong presence on social networks to increase your chances of getting your message out there. Also, it might be a good idea to start working with social media influencers and eLearning trailblazers. They can be an additional channel that promotes and communicates your USP to an already built audience.

Key Takeaway

It is an eLearning marketer’s job to assist customers in making the right purchase decision. It’s a win-win for them and your business. What you need to do is make your unique selling proposition clear. What you offer against the competition must be evident and memorable enough. As you can understand, clear copy in your content, messaging, and CTAs will aid customers in seeing exactly what your eLearning business offers. And most importantly, they’ll understand what differentiates you from the rest.

Be it traditional advertising, brand marketing, social media, SEO, or content marketing, your highlight attributes should be distinct. Trust me, that’s how you’ll land the ideal clients—clients that need your product or service for a specific use case or industry. It’s key to match your USP with your target buyer’s needs and wants.

So, what is your unique selling point? If you already know what it is, you’ll love reading this article. It’s all about creating a strategic marketing plan to promote your unique selling point!