Many Australian SMEs spend considerable time and effort defining their market positioning – understanding where they fit in the minds of their customers. But a brilliant positioning statement is useless if it doesn’t consistently translate across every interaction a customer has with your business. It’s about ensuring everyone in your organisation understands *how* you want to be perceived, and then delivers on that promise at every touchpoint.

Think of positioning as the core message you want to embed in the customer’s mind. It’s not just what you *say* about yourself, but what your actions communicate. A disconnect between the two erodes trust and dilutes your brand. So, how do we ensure consistency?

• Audit Your Customer Journey: Map out every interaction a customer might have with your business – from initial website visit, through social media engagement, sales calls, email marketing, customer service, and even invoicing. Identify where your positioning is currently communicated (or not) at each stage.
• Develop Positioning Guidelines: Create a simple document outlining your positioning statement, key messages, and the ‘tone of voice’ that reflects it. This isn’t a rigid rulebook, but a guide for anyone creating customer-facing content. For example, if you’re positioning as ‘premium and sophisticated’, your social media posts shouldn’t be overly casual or use slang.
• Empower Your Team: Ensure your team understands the ‘why’ behind your positioning. Training sessions can help everyone internalise the message and confidently represent the brand. This is particularly important for customer-facing staff.
• Content Consistency is Key: All content – website copy, blog posts, social media updates, advertising – should reinforce your positioning. Regularly review content to ensure it remains aligned. Consider a content calendar to plan and schedule messaging.

Don’t underestimate the power of seemingly small details. Even your email signature, the music played on hold, or the packaging your products arrive in contribute to the overall perception. As we look towards 2026 and beyond, customers will increasingly expect seamless and consistent experiences. A strong, consistently communicated positioning will be a major differentiator.

The next step is to start that customer journey audit. Identify three key touchpoints and honestly assess how well they currently reflect your desired positioning. This will give you a clear starting point for improvement and ensure your marketing efforts deliver the maximum return.