6 Ways YOU can differentiate yourself from the competition

Today I prepared a more practical article that relates to the majority of us and it is 6 ways that could help you to differentiate yourself/ your company from the competition.

Introduction

Although there is a multitude of search engines, only the term "google it" has become established around the globe. Nobody bings or yahoos. Whoever has managed to be so present in people's minds has done everything right in terms of advertising. There are numerous ways to make your company stand out from the competition and ensure the highest possible recognition value. These are very helpful not only for large corporations but also for small and medium-sized companies.

Market gaps and market extensions

When the twentieth bakery opens in a region, it is nothing special. But if this bakery is the only one to offer gluten-free products or wholemeal bread in elephant shape, then it has a unique selling point that sets it apart from the competition and makes it interesting for customers.

For centuries, shoes were sold until someone came up with the idea of simply attaching wheels underneath. And then this new product had taken the world by storm and everyone wanted a pair. The iPhone was not a new invention but it combined the functions of existing devices and a touchscreen (and a host of other features) in one unit. The idea is to offer a product that is not available in this form from other companies. This does not necessarily mean reinventing the wheel. Those who manage to expand a product or provide it with unique selling points will also survive the battle of market share with the competition.

Get in your target audience's head (relevancy)

When a customer makes a purchase today, the relationship with a company is far from complete. On the contrary, it is all about staying in contact with the buyers for as long as possible. This can be achieved, for example, by getting them to follow the company in social networks. It is also possible to make individual offers via a newsletter and thus to remind people who have already bought from the company about it. Here, however, it is important not to make flat/uninteresting advertising that ends up in the spam folder. Instead, such letters must be individual, interesting, and unobtrusive. So, in order not to deter the customer, classic design mistakes should be avoided. Apart from the choice of color and font size, the font is an important aspect. The choice of font can decide on success or failure, so it can either deter the reader or encourage him to read.

Of course, one would like to avoid the former and instead force the latter. Depending on the advertising message, a suitable font should, therefore, be selected.

Make your name stand out and associate it with positive emotions

 It is particularly important that the potential target group not only knows the company name but also associates it directly with positive emotions. Popstar Madonna, for example, has achieved this; her stage name was a wonderful provocation at the time, and it easily made the headlines. It is also short, catchy, and easy to pronounce. All advantages that have massively increased her popularity and recognition value. So if you want to survive as a company, you need a name that is directly in your head and has as positive a connotation as possible.

Be customer-centric and focus on giving the best-in-class service experience

Customers want to feel comfortable with a company and to be accepted as they are. This can be achieved through excellent service. Personal contacts are not only in demand in the local branches but are also better received in the online world than bots. But it is not the only sympathy that determines success or failure.

No matter how nice craftsmen and women can be, if they have two left hands, it doesn't help much. That's why people are always looking for professionalism and experience in addition to friendly service. It is therefore important for companies to present themselves both as professionals and as the best in their field, while at the same time appearing modest, unobtrusive, and likable. The best way to do this is to show the positive experiences that others have made with their offers and to offer individual solutions for all those interested.

Continuously expanding the product range

One of the biggest mistakes companies can make is to stop their research and development efforts after initial success. Those who have won many customers are currently successful. But if you want to remain successful in the long term, you have to invest continuously in good customer relations. This means, for example, keeping social media channels up to date and not offering outdated information. But it also means constantly developing and improving existing products. Even established companies must retain their innovative spirit and their desire to develop. Only then will they always stay in touch with the wishes and demands of their target group and be able to fulfill them in a targeted manner. It is therefore a matter of constantly updating their own offers and keeping them modern, fresh, and appealing.

Conclusion: Find, make and market something unique

Products with unique features that are not available in this form from the competition have the highest recognition value. Therefore, the focus should always be on product optimization first. The best marketing is ineffective if the articles and services offered do not bring people any added value. Even in established industries, it is possible to find and fill a gap in the market. As soon as that which makes one's own business unique has been found, marketing strategies, services, and a creative name can be used to ensure that it becomes and remains known.

I hope that you found today's article interesting and that it gave you some ideas as to how you could be more successful with your company.

This article was inspired by marketing.ch (source)