Every entrepreneur knows that a USP (unique selling point) is integral to the success of any business. The marketplace is crowded, and your company needs to set itself apart from the competitors in its industry. But if you’re struggling to make an impact on the market then you might be failing to sell your brand to potential customers in a unique way. You don’t have to reinvent the products or services you’re offering, necessarily. There are other ways in wihch you could stand out from the crowd. But what is going to differentiate your business from its rivals?
Using your existing customers to spread the word.
You need to start by using your existing customers to spread the word about your business. If you’re going to stand out then it’s all about advertising, and people are always more like to take a business recommendation from a happy customer than a recommendation directly from the brand itself. You need to give your customers a reason to promote your company. Maybe you could offer rewards to clients who refer their friends to your business (e.g. redeemable points in store or freebies). In fact, you could even gift your clients with the tools they need to spread brand awareness for you; you could give out free merchandise. Just make it more exciting than the standard pens or T-shirts businesses give out. Maybe you could give out branded boomerangs. That’d be a fun way to spread brand awareness through merch that people will actually want to use.
Conducting frequent market research.
And, as mentioned in the introduction, your business needs a USP in order to differentiate itself from its rivals. The way to find the thing that’ll make your company unique is to conduct frequent market research. There’s no point in being individual for the sake of individuality; your business needs to find a niche that’s actually in demand from the market. Otherwise, you’ll become irrelevant. If you talk to customers on social media and get them to fill in surveys then you could use this feedback to create a more effective business. You might be able to find solutions to problems that your rivals have yet to solve. This would definitely help you to stand out from the crowd.
Your brand message.
At the end of the day, it’s your brand that differentiates you from the competition. And we’re talking about more than a stylish logo or a catchy slogan. The things we’ve already discussed in this article will help you to create a more appealing brand in the eyes of your target market, but you can go beyond word-of-mouth marketing and consumer research. You need to focus on the message you present to the market. Your goal is to make a real connection with both current and potential clients. That’s how you’ll turn heads. For example, your small business might sell the exact same things as its competitors, but you could stand out by running your operations in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. That might encourage consumers to choose your business instead of bigger and more damaging corporations. An ethical message can really help you to connect with people on a human level.
