Positioning, branding and messaging are different jobs
Positioning decides: who you serve and what you stand for. Messaging puts that decision into words. Branding gives it a visible form, such as a name, a look and a website. They happen in that order, and a website built before the decision usually has to be rebuilt.
Four questions that define it
You have a position when you can answer these in one sentence each.
- Who exactly do you serve?
- What situation are they in when they need you?
- What do you do about it that others in your field do not?
- Why should they believe you?
What it looks like for an expert
A position narrows the audience on purpose. The narrower version feels riskier and works better, because the right reader recognises themselves at once.
Before: I coach leaders to reach their potential.
After: I coach leaders in their first year in a new role, on the conversations that decide whether the team follows them.
The second sentence excludes people, and that is why it works.
Signs that positioning is missing
These patterns usually point to it.
- People describe what you do differently each time.
- You compete mostly on price.
- Your website could belong to ten other people in your field.
- You say yes to every enquiry, including the ones that drain you.
How to test it
Say the sentence to three people in your target group and ask them what you do. Then read five websites of people in your field and swap in your name: if nothing breaks, you do not have a position yet. Neither test needs data, only honest listening.
How positioning is done at brand.app
Positioning is the first step of every project. We work out who you help, the moment they need you and why your judgement is worth paying for, and you approve it before any design work starts.
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