Regardless of the industry that you’re in, it’s inevitable that you’ll have competitors. In fact, you’ll probably have a lot of competitors. Each of these businesses will be just as eager to get customers as you are. To ensure that you get your fair share, it’s imperative that you find ways to stand out from the crowd. This mindset should form part of all stages of the customer journey, from marketing through to gathering feedback and beyond. Do that, and you should find that your customers stick by your side, even when new competition comes along. Below, we’ll run through just some of the tried-and-tested ways to set yourself apart from the rest.
You can see why young companies look to replicate what more established businesses have done. After all, if the tactics they used worked for them, then maybe they’ll work for you, too. However, keep in mind that if you’re doing the same thing as another business, then customers will have no reason to come to you. Why would they, when they already have the exact same experience elsewhere? You can get inspiration from other businesses, but make sure that you’re well and truly doing things your way — it’s the only path that’ll lead to long-term success.
Stamping your individuality on all aspects of your business will help to present an original, memorable image in the eyes of your customers. There’s no shortage of ways to stand out, from having a unique slogan and robust branding to using a custom hang tag on your products. Even the packaging you use to send your items provides an opportunity to do things your way — for instance, rather than shipping a plain brown box, you could send your items in a branded box. All of these things help to elevate the customer’s experience in subtle ways and show that you’re happy to do more than what’s required.
People want — or perhaps even need — to know that they’re giving their money to a company that knows what it’s talking about. One way to set yourself apart from the crowd is to show your expertise. For instance, you could publish blog posts related to your products, host informative how-to guides, create YouTube tutorial videos, and comment on your industry/sector on social media. All of these help to create the image that you’re an expert in your field, and that can make all the difference when a customer is deciding which business to work with.
Take a look at the most successful businesses, and you’ll see that they all took risks from time to time. While it’s important not to be reckless, your business should be bold — if not, then you’ll run the risk of getting lost in the background. Ultimately, you won’t just be another business, and that alone can help to expand your market reach. Of course, you shouldn’t be bold just for the sake of it — it should be in line with what your brand stands for.