Having an inbound marketing plan and strategy is a must in order to stay competitive and succeed. Having an effective unique value proposition in which to position your company should be an integral part of your blueprint. The development of your unique value proposition should be well-thought and should reflect your company's brand and image.

What is a unique value proposition?

A unique value proposition is the answer to the question: Why should I buy from your company instead of all the alternatives available to me? Your unique value proposition should encompass your individuality. This is where you demonstrate to your current and future customers what you do, why you do it and how they can benefit from using your products or services. A unique value proposition shows why you are a leader in your field and is more than a tagline, but is essentially an "experience".

Why do you need a unique value proposition?

In today's world of content overload, a unique value proposition is what separates you from the crowd. Having a clearly-defined unique value proposition that is understood by everyone in your company helps create a culture of excellence. A unique value proposition:

1. gives you focus
2. keeps you productive
3. helps develop effective messaging
4. helps buyers understand how your products and services can help them
   

These are just a few reasons why this is an important part of your overall strategy and the impact it could make on your current and future success. 

What is effective inbound marketing?

Effective inbound marketing is integral to a company's success. This is when companies use a variety of sources to reach consumers, build an audience and win their loyalty. Every strategy should have the following:

1. An overall goal with objectives and benchmarks to meet.
2. A working blueprint which generates awareness, consumer interest, need and propels them to take action.
3. An effective call-to-action that fully incorporates the unique value proposition.
4. Content, keywords and engaging platforms that will drive traffic to your online platforms.
   

Incorporate your unique value proposition into digital marketing

Using social media and other inbound marketing tactics to reach your audience and add value is important to the longevity and worth of your brand. There are a few strategies that will work when incorporating your UVP into your digital marketing plan:

• Make statements that add value - Nothing speaks to the masses more than statements that are persuasive and add value to the customer's needs. This should be reflected in your website, blog and social media platforms and any online advertising methods you employ to reach your audience.

• Strategically craft your campaigns - You want to create campaigns that appeal to your message and customers simultaneously. Strong visuals and engaging efforts that reinforce your unique value proposition only enhances your efforts. These campaigns should be structured to reach an online audience, keeping in mind that your level of engagement is completely different than that of traditional marketing.

• Know your audience - Although using your unique value proposition to assist in creating a good digital marketing strategy is important, knowing your audience and what types of customers you are targeting is key. This is one of the main elements that should be considered when creating the overall UVP and the methods used. Responsive design, short, concise messaging and visual messaging is key in maximizing the effectiveness of online marketing.

• Determine which marketing tactics have previously worked well for your business or industry - If you are a business owner, you have had an opportunity to use a variety of marketing tactics to attract customers. Look at what has worked and capitalize on those efforts to complement an inbound marketing strategy. Using this technique will assist in alleviating time and efforts while avoiding instances of reinventing the wheel.

Taking the time to understand the message you are trying to convey with your unique value proposition will be a good starting point when selecting the tactics to use for your inbound marketing strategy. Developing a strong unique value proposition will give you a good foundation for success.