Positioning Statement

Positioning is a decision; the positioning statement is where that decision is written down. It is a working tool rather than marketing copy. Once agreed, it sets the direction for the headline on a profile, the opening line of a speaker introduction and the angle of a media pitch, so that everything a person publishes points the same way.

What a Good One Includes

• The audience: a specific group of people, described well enough that you could find them.
• The need: the problem or goal that group has, in their own words.
• The offer: what the person does about it, stated plainly.
• The difference: why this person, rather than the alternatives the audience already has.
• The proof: the evidence that makes the difference believable.

A common template reads: for [audience] who [need], [name] is the [category] who [benefit], because [proof]. The template is only a starting point. The real test is whether the finished statement could describe one person and nobody else.

How It Differs From a Tagline or Bio

A tagline is a short public phrase meant to be remembered. A bio is a published account of a person's background. A positioning statement sits behind both: it is the strategic decision they express. A practice that hands over a polished tagline without a positioning statement behind it has skipped the hard part.

Questions to Ask

• Ask whether the statement would still be true if a competitor's name replaced yours. If it would, it is too general.
• Ask what research or interviews the statement is based on.
• Ask how it will be used to rewrite your profiles, bios and pitches.
• Ask how often it will be revisited as your career moves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a positioning statement?

A short internal statement of who you serve, what you help them achieve, and why you are a better choice than the alternatives. It guides the public words you use everywhere else.

What is the difference between a positioning statement and a value proposition?

A value proposition states the benefit you deliver. A positioning statement places that benefit in context: who it is for, what else they could choose, and why they should choose you.

Should I publish my positioning statement?

Usually not word for word. It is an internal guide, and its public versions are your headline, bio and tagline.

How long should a positioning statement be?

One to three sentences. If it needs more, the decision behind it is probably not finished.

Related: Positioning, Value Proposition, Niche, Differentiation, Brand Narrative · In the Wiki: Positioning Your Personal Branding Practice, What a Personal Brand Audit Includes