Alright, listen up.
If you don’t deeply understand your audience and how your competitors are positioning themselves, you will never stand out. Period.
Most companies just guess. They throw out some personas that are as useful as a horoscope and casually glance at their competitors’ websites like they’re skimming a menu.
Then they wonder why no one is buying, engaging, or giving a damn about their product.
Stop Guessing. Do the Damn Work.
Brand positioning that persuades isn’t built on gut feelings or random brainstorming sessions.
It’s built on hard, strategic research.
Step 1: Deeply Understand Your Audience (Like, Really Know Them)
Most People Get This Wrong. Here’s Why:
They think personas are just demographic checklists:
❌ “CTO, 45 years old, likes efficiency.” (Congrats, you just described every CTO ever.)
❌ “Marketing Manager, spends time on LinkedIn.” (Groundbreaking.)
This isn’t audience research. This is laziness.
Here’s How to Actually Get It Right:
1. Talk to Real Buyers.
Don’t assume you know what they care about. Get on calls. Interview them. Ask them:
- What’s their biggest pain?
- What solutions have they tried before?
- What words do they use to describe their frustrations? (This is GOLD for messaging.)
- What made them finally pull the trigger to buy?
2. Go Beyond Demographics—Focus on Emotional Triggers.
People don’t buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.
- What does your audience want to feel? Confidence? Security? Status? Ease?
- What are they afraid of? Looking stupid? Losing their job? Wasting money?
- What’s the real consequence of not solving their problem?
3. Stalk Your Audience in the Wild.
- Read LinkedIn comments, Reddit threads, Slack communities.
- Find the exact phrases people use when they rant about their problems.
- Analyze support tickets, chat logs, or customer reviews.
Pro Tip: Your best messaging won’t come from your own head—it comes from the exact words your customers are already using.
Step 2: Study Your Competitors Like a Freaking Detective
Most Companies Screw This Up. Here’s Why:
- They just glance at competitor websites and think, “Yeah, we’re different.”
- They assume their product is so obviously better that buyers will just figure it out.
- They fail to study positioning and end up sounding exactly like their competition.
Here’s How to Actually Get It Right:
1. Make a Competitor Battle Board.
- Look at 5–10 direct and indirect competitors.
- Document their taglines, messaging, product claims, pricing, and offers.
- Identify the themes they all use—then DON’T use them. If everyone says, “We’re AI-powered,” it means that’s not your differentiator.
2. Look at Their Weak Spots.
- Read their bad reviews and complaints. What pisses off their customers? (Use this against them.)
- Check G2, Trustpilot, Reddit—anywhere people talk openly.
- Find the gaps they aren’t addressing and own that space.
3. Experience Their Sales Process Firsthand.
- Sign up for their free trials.
- Get on their sales calls.
- See how they pitch themselves. Do they focus on product features? Business outcomes? Price? How are they positioning themselves in the customer’s mind?
Pro Tip: You can’t differentiate if you don’t know what you’re differentiating from.
Step 3: Make a Damn Choice
Positioning Requires Courage. Here’s Where Most People Wimp Out:
❌ They try to please everyone and end up standing for nothing.
❌ They copy what’s “safe” and blend into the background.
❌ They avoid bold claims because they don’t want to lose potential customers.
Here’s What You Need to Do Instead:
1. Plant Your Flag.
- What do you own that no one else does?
- What belief do you have that your competitors are too scared to say?
- What’s the one thing that, if removed, would make your product totally different?
2. Craft Your Core Positioning Statement.
Use this simple framework:
For [ideal customer], we [unique solution] that [biggest outcome]. Unlike [competitor], we [key differentiator].
Example:
For B2B marketers sick of outdated lead gen, we create demand-gen strategies that drive actual revenue. Unlike agencies stuck in 2010, we don’t just chase MQLs—we build pipeline.
3. Ruthlessly Cut the Fluff.
Your messaging should be:
✅ Sharp. (No buzzwords, no jargon.)
✅ Blunt. (Tell people exactly why you’re better.)
✅ Memorable. (If people forget your positioning in 10 seconds, you failed.)
Want to Win? Get Off Your A** and Do It Right.
Strong positioning doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens because you did the work your competitors are too lazy to do.
So stop guessing. Stop being vague.Go deep into what your customers actually care about.
Analyze what your competitors are really saying.
Make a bold, clear choice about what you stand for.
Do this, and your marketing, sales, and brand will hit harder than ever before.
Or don’t—and keep wondering why your messaging isn’t working.
Your call.
Written by: Andy Halko, CEO & Founder
I started Insivia in 2002 and for over 22 years I have had the chance to work directly with hundreds of companies and founders to redefine or reinvent their businesses.