f you’re looking for an edge on your competition, you’ll want to pay attention to access-based positioning. This powerful marketing strategy can help you beat the competition and attract more customers. So, what is access-based positioning, and how can you use it to your advantage? Keep reading to find out!
What is Access-Based Positioning?
Access-based positioning is a marketing strategy that involves making your product or service available to potential customers in a way that is convenient and easy for them. This could mean providing free shipping, offering a subscription service, or having a brick-and-mortar location in a popular area. Essentially, you want to make it as easy as possible for potential customers to find and purchase your product or service.
A strategic position is important for any business, but it is especially crucial for small businesses. With a limited budget and resources, you must ensure that your marketing efforts are focused in the right place. By using access-based positioning, you can ensure that your product or service is available to those who are most likely to buy it.
Access-based positioning example: Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. In 1988, Nike launched its now-famous “Just Do It” campaign with the tagline, “There is no finish line.” The campaign was designed to appeal to people looking for a challenge and who wanted to push themselves to be their best. Nike positioned itself as the brand for athletes and active people, and the “Just Do It” campaign helped them solidify that position.
What Are the Other Types of Positioning?
There are four main types of positioning: product, price and promotion.
Product positioning
This is when you focus on the features and benefits of your product or service. You want to highlight what makes your offering unique and why it is better than the competition.
When Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, they positioned it as a revolutionary product that would change how people communicate. The iPhone was different than any other phone on the market at the time because it combined the features of a cell phone, a media player, and a web browser into one device. Apple positioned the iPhone as a must-have device for anyone who wanted to stay connected and access the latest technology. Product positioning is critical if your competitive strategy is to be the first-to-market or the market leader.
Price positioning
This is when you focus on the price of your product or service. You want to be the most affordable option or the best value for the price. When Walmart entered the retail market, it positioned itself as the low-cost leader. Walmart’s strategy was to offer everyday low prices. This is a type of price skimming because they were still making a profit, just not as much as their competitors. Unlike variety-based positioning, price based positioning is not about being the first to market. You can enter the market at any time and still be successful.
Promotion positioning
When you hear “positioning,” you might think of geographic positioning (like GPS) or physical placement. But in marketing, positioning has a different meaning. It’s the process of designing your marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion) to occupy a clear, unique, and desirable position compared to competing products in the minds of your target market. The operational effectiveness of your positioning strategy depends on how well you execute the four Ps. That are product, price, place, and promotion.
A unique and valuable position is the key to success in any business, and there are a few different ways you can find it. The most important thing is to be clear about what makes your product or service different and why that matters to your target customer.
Once you have your position, you must ensure your entire team is on board. Your positioning should be reflected in your marketing materials, website, and sales and customer service interactions. Consistency is key to maintaining a strong position in the market.
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What Are the Benefits of Access-Based Positioning?
There are a few key benefits to using access-based positioning in your marketing mix:
Help you stand out from the competition
If you can offer something that no one else does better than anyone else, you’ll be in a great position to attract and retain customers. When everyone is fighting for the same customers, having a point of difference is essential. For a sustainable competitive advantage, that difference must be based on something other than price. Usually, the competitive advantage is based on the quality of the product or service. Still, it could also be based on the company’s reputation, speed of delivery, or any other differentiating factors.
Increase customer loyalty
Customers who have easy and convenient access to your product or service are more likely to stay loyal. If they have to jump through hoops to get what they need from you, they’ll be more likely to look elsewhere next time they need something. Suppose, for example, you’re a clothing retailer, and your customer can only shop online. If they have to wait a week or more for their purchase to arrive, they may decide to buy from a competitor who can get the item to them faster. On the other hand, if you offer in-store pick-up or same-day delivery, they’re much more likely to stick with you. The customer scale measures customer loyalty on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible score.
Make your marketing more efficient
By targeting your marketing efforts to customers who are most likely to convert, you’ll get the most bang for your buck. You can also use access-based positioning to upsell and cross-sell to existing customers – making your marketing even more efficient. For example, if you know that a customer regularly buys shampoo from you, you could target them with ads for conditioner or other hair care products.
The internal coordination required to make this happen can be challenging, but the payoff can be significant. According to a Harvard business review study, “personalized” messages are 26% more likely to be read than “generic” messages. If the customer geography is large, consider using regional marketing campaigns focusing on areas where you have the most success. Like any marketing strategy, access-based positioning should be tested and tweaked regularly to ensure that it’s as effective as possible.
Improve your customer service
Many businesses make the mistake of thinking that customer service is only about solving problems. But good customer service starts before there’s even a problem. You can head off many potential issues before they even arise by making it easy for customers to access your product or service. And when problems do arise, you’ll be in a much better position to solve them quickly and efficiently. Suppose, for example, that you run a website. If your site is easy to navigate and customer-friendly, people can find what they’re looking for without trouble. But if your site is confusing or difficult to use, you’re likely to get a lot of frustrated customers who will take their business elsewhere. Different strategic positions will work better for different businesses, so it’s important to experiment to find what works best for you. But if you want to stay ahead of the competition, access-based positioning is a great place to start.
Build a better brand
When you make it easy for people to do business with you, they’ll have a positive impression of your company. And that positive impression will lead to better brand recognition and more word-of-mouth marketing – which is always good. Unlike the needs-based positioning, which focuses on the needs of the customer, access-based positioning focuses on making it easy for the customer to do business with you. In other words, it’s all about convenience. Even if your strategic positioning is based on something else, such as quality or price, you can still use access-based positioning to make your brand more visible and accessible to potential customers.
How to Use Access-Based Positioning in Your Marketing Strategy
Now that you know what access-based positioning is and why it’s so important, it’s time to put it into practice. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Make sure your website is customer-friendly
Your website is often the first point of contact between you and your customers, so it’s important to ensure it is user-friendly and informative. Include clear calls to action, easy to navigate menus, and helpful product information. Like you may want to offer a live chat option to answer any questions they may have. Even if a customer doesn’t purchase from you immediately, a positive experience on your website will keep them coming back.
Gain an edge over your competitors by maximizing access-based positioning!
Use customer segmentation
Customer segmentation is key to success with access-based positioning. You can better target your marketing efforts by understanding your different customer segments and their needs. While some customers may be interested in your products or services, others may need more education on what you have to offer. By segmenting your customers, you can create custom marketing campaigns that address their specific needs and increase the chances of conversion.
Create targeted content
Once you know your target customers, you can create content that appeals directly to them. This could be in the form of blog posts, infographics, eBooks, or even just helpful how-to guides. By creating content relevant to your different customer segments, you’ll be able to engage them better and encourage them to take action.
Utilize social media
Social media is a powerful tool to help you reach a wider audience and build relationships with potential and existing customers. Use social media to share your content, engage with customers, and answer any questions they may have. You can also use social media to run targeted ads that reach your different customer segments. In the case of corporate strategy, social media can also be used for employer branding. Glassdoor, for example, uses social media to engage with potential and current employees.
Invest in SEO
SEO is a long-term strategy that can help you attract more website visitors from search engines. Optimizing your website for relevant keywords can improve your visibility in search results and get in front of potential customers looking for what you have to offer. While it takes time and effort to see results with SEO, it’s a worthwhile investment that can pay off in the long run. Even if you’re not an SEO expert, plenty of resources are available to help you get started.
Leverage customer reviews
Customer reviews are a great way to build trust and credibility with potential customers. If you have happy customers, ask them to leave a review on your website or social media. These reviews can help to convince skeptical customers that they’re making the right decision by doing business with you.
By following these tips, you can start to leverage access-based positioning in your marketing strategy and see better results. Remember, building a successful marketing campaign takes time and effort, but it’s worth it when you see the results.
Final Words on Access-Based Positioning
Access-based positioning is a powerful marketing strategy that can help you reach new customers and grow your business. By understanding your customer segments and creating targeted content, you can better engage your audience and encourage them to take action. While building a successful marketing campaign takes time and effort, the rewards are worth it.
At last, we would like to say that don’t forget the initial steps of access-based positioning, which are customer segmentation and creating targeted content. These two points are key to success with this marketing strategy. Thanks for reading!
Growth Hackers is an award-winning digital marketing and growth hacking agency helping businesses from all over the world grow. There is no fluff with Growth Hackers. We help entrepreneurs and business owners leverage access-based positioning, increase their productivity, generate qualified leads, optimize their conversion rate, gather and analyze data analytics, acquire and retain users and increase sales. We go further than brand awareness and exposure. We make sure that the strategies we implement move the needle so your business grow, strive and succeed. If you too want your business to reach new heights, contact Growth Hackers today so we can discuss about your brand and create a custom growth plan for you. You’re just one click away to skyrocket your business.
