How To Use Your Competitive Positioning In Content Marketing

Competitive positioning is the distillation of the 'How' and 'What' you do that creates value for your customer. It's the fundamental DNA of your business and process that makes you and your stuff unique and differentiates you in the marketplace.

Unique Positioning Creates Unique Content Perspective

Let's just say that you're 1 of 7 competitors in a crowded marketplace making widget gaskets. While everyone else is talking about their superior gasket via their sales department and advertising, you could be running a content marketing campaign. Why? To demonstrate to your target audience of prospects, leads and current customers that you and your gasket are the only choice when it comes to purchasing gaskets.

As you know, positioning defines the "what" it is you do in your customer's mind. They don't care "HOW" you do it, just care about "WHAT" they get. It satisfies the conditions of the customer's needs and wants. The primary benefits of competitive positioning are:

• gaining a selling advantage vs the competition (save money)
• gaining a premium pricing advantage vs the competition (make more money)
• attracting the ideal customer and shortening the sales cycle (save money)
• reducing customer churn (save money)
• increasing customer lifetime value (make more money)

Why Is So Little Content Tied To Positioning?

Your competitive positioning defines what you and your stuff can do and how you do it. It differentiates you in the marketplace and definitively presents a unique, specific value proposition to your target. Why is it that so little content marketing takes advantage of positioning and instead presents a bland, middle-of-the-road white paper or some other regular content element that the target is tired of? I think there's so little exciting content, and I include the B2C crowd in with the B2B people, so little exciting content because there are so few competitively positioned businesses.

It's just one crisis after another, fire after fire, that takes precedent over planning. This leads to a gradual dumbing down of the market and products, to the point where all the players look the same. I think this what distinguishes the large 'small' business and prevents them from growing; it's the 60 million dollar guys in Toledo, the 85 million dollar guys in Tampa, or the 27 million dollar guys in Texarkana who are struggling to get to the next level in revenue. When you don't have competitive positioning, you lack market dominance.

It's been pointed out that content only has a limited lifespan. Pretty much three (3) hours and your generic content is toast. The only way to keep your content alive and useful (read engaging) is to have a unique perspective for all your content. That's where your positioning comes into play. Your positioning gives you a specific perspective on everything, not just your industry. So Mr. Gasket man -- if you produce gaskets in the only plant to recycle 100% of your waste water, you've got the 'green' and 'sustainable' story perspective for all your content.

Putting Perspective In Your Content; The 101

Although having the power of positioning present in all your content marketing elements, there are two distinct times in the buy cycle when positioning plays the most important role. This is in attracting attention and interest from strangers unaware of you and your stuff. Positioning plays a huge role at the beginning of the buy cycle in creating awareness and attracting attention for your unique, specific problem solving approach. The second most important stage where positioning plays a pivotal role in the decision making process occurs at search and buy. Your distinctive content at this stage sets your stuff apart and demonstrates value and proof of value supported by the brand experience. If each stage of the buying journey has been propelled by deep content, you and your stuff will be perceived as the only choice for the buyer.

1) Know and comprehend your competitive positioning.

2) Know and understand your ideal customer. If you haven't already, download the free Ideal Client Checklist.

3) Research how your most profitable current customers use your stuff.

4) Ask Sales for their experiences and customer stories. Can sales success stories be combined with positioning to support the brand and present a unique experience to your target customer base?

5) Brainstorm the combination of what you stuff does vs what ideal customer needs and wants. How can this become the basis for a series of informative elements designed to attract interest and command attention?

6) Research exactly what the competition offers to the market, and their unique positioning and brand story.

7) Is there a content opportunity gap you can fill? Create one if you must.

8) Match your unique perspective, say green capability to each stage in the buying journey to create a very different road to problem solving then what any competitor is able to present.