Importance of a Unique Selling Point – Media Outreach
Media outreach is a simple marketing and public relations tactic, in theory. You build relationships with targeted media representatives. They cover your company. You grow your business. Easy, right? Yet capturing the media’s attention, and building that necessary relationship, is often more difficult than you might imagine.
Go Back to the Beginning
There are some identifiable steps in any media outreach strategy and plan. One of the first is to identify the media reps that you want to target. It’s the research phase, and it’s generally where most media outreach plans begin. However, if you’ve done your research and you know with 99% certainty that you’re targeting the right folks, then it’s time to take a bigger step backward. It’s time to evaluate your USP.
Is Your USP Working for You?
Your USP, or Unique Selling Point, is one of the cornerstones of your marketing strategy. It can be a difficult concept for some to fully grasp. I like this explanation from Kissmetrics, USP “is what your business stands for. It’s what sets your business apart from others because of what your business makes a stand about. Instead of attempting to be known for everything, businesses with a unique selling proposition stand for something specific, and it becomes what you’re known for.”
It’s part of your brand, it’s what makes you different from your competition, and it’s why someone will buy from you instead of another company.
A few examples…
Avis – We’re number two, we work harder.
Dominos – We deliver fresh hot pizza in under 30 minutes or it’s free.
Everlane Apparel – “Know your factories. Know your costs. Always ask why.”
Why Is Your USP Important for Your Media Outreach?
It’s what differentiates you from everyone else. It’s what makes you interesting to write about. Keep in mind that every media representative has an audience to create content for. They have to appeal to that audience. And honestly, if your USP isn’t strong enough, if you blend in with the other companies they might cover, then you’re going to be easy to ignore.
Creating Your USP
One of the best pieces of advice when exploring ideas and options for your unique selling point, or proposition, is to answer the question, “What stops people from buying my product or service?”
Is it price? Is it simplicity? Is it a guarantee? Where is their uncertainty? What can you do that connects with your audience (and the media) personally?
The Next Steps
If you evaluate your USP and believe it to be strong and representative of who you are, then check your consistency. Are you consistently communicating that USP to the media and to your audience? If your media outreach isn’t getting you the results you wanted, or expected, it’s time to explore why. It’s time to look at your USP.
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