How do I write a positioning statement for my business?
A positioning statement is an internal description of the audience, the relevant alternative, the benefit you offer and the reason to believe you. Start with: “For [audience facing a situation], our [type of offer] helps achieve [outcome], unlike [alternative], because [evidence].” Treat this as a working sentence, not a compulsory public slogan.
A fictional bookkeeping service might focus on independent shop owners who struggle to understand monthly cash movements. Its difference could be a regular explanation of the numbers, supported by an agreed reporting process. If the sentence could describe several competitors unchanged, sharpen the audience, the situation or the proof before shortening the wording.
A practical example
For a fictional bookkeeping practice, a useful working statement could be: “For independent shop owners who need to understand monthly cash movements, our bookkeeping service combines reporting with a scheduled explanation of the figures, rather than sending accounts without discussion.” Before using it, check that the reporting process and review session genuinely exist. The sentence can be plain and slightly long; its first job is to guide choices, not win attention in an advert.
How to apply this
- Describe a buying situation, not only an age group.
- Choose the alternative you need to be understood against.
- State one outcome and the evidence supporting it.
- Check the statement against your offer, price and delivery.
What to watch for
Do not publish the working template automatically as a headline. Translate the decision into language appropriate to the touchpoint. If your team cannot explain what work falls outside the statement, the positioning may still be too broad. Revisit it when the audience or the offer changes, rather than rewriting it for every campaign.
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