A Painter’s USP and his banner ad
For those of you that don’t know what a USP is.. It’s a very common marketing term and is short for “unique selling proposition”. Generally it’s a one or two sentence statement which says what your business does and why someone should hire you as opposed to hiring another painter.
Your USP should convey what makes your business unique and sets you apart from your competitors. Basically it distinguishes you from the competition and lets your prospective customers know what your business stands for.
Entrepreneur magazine online has a very good definition and explanation of what makes a good USP in their Small Business Encyclopedia – I highly recommend checking it out if you aren’t familiar with the concept.
Why Do You Need a USP?
If you’re doing any kind of online advertising you need a USP to let your prospective customers know what sets you apart from all the other painters who are also competing for their business.
Since we’re in the online ad business, we’ll use banner ads as an example. You don’t have a lot of space to write about all the things that your business does well. You really need a one or two sentence statement that says what you do well concisely and with conviction.
You want your prospective customers to see your banner ad and immediately take action because your USP resonates with their particular need.
What Are Some Examples of a Strong USP?
Here are some examples of good unique selling propositions used by painting contractors with a strong online presence:
“You can expect the best and know that your project is safe in our hands.” – Amazing Painting Services
“Protect what matters most to you. The Atlanta Painting Company knows it is more than just paint on the walls, it’s your home.” – The Atlanta Painting Company
“Professional Commercial and Residential Painting Services; one job at a time.” – Two Dudes Painting Company
As you can see, they don’t have to be elaborate. They just have to make you stand apart.
How to Create Your USP
If you don’t already have a USP there are quite a few helpful articles you can look at which will give you some guidance on the best way to formulate your own unique statement.
‘The Balance’, a website for small business owners, has a useful article titled “How to Write a Unique Selling Proposition“. This article uses a simple 4 step method to help you to identify what makes your business unique.
‘Sitepoint’ also has a simple 6 step process to creating a USP in their article titled “6 Steps to Creating a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)”
How Do You Use Your USP in a Banner Ad?
Now that you’ve created your USP you’ll want to start using it to attract new customers. One of the best ways, in my (admittedly biased) opinion, is to use banner advertising. Using AreaEcho For Painting Contractors to place a banner ad on high traffic websites is probably the most cost effective way of putting your message in front of targeted prospective customers.
When we create banner ads for clients, if we’re given a USP, we make sure the font is easy to read and large enough to catch the reader’s attention. Using the right color is important too. For instance, you always use white on dark backgrounds as it stands out while still giving a clean and professional look.
Just as important as the USP is the call-to-action. We always recommend a CTA even if it is as simple as “Call today for a free quote”. There’s no point in having an attractive banner ad which conveys your USP without telling your prospective customers what you’d like them to do.
