How to Stand Out in a Sea of Sameness

Do you ever feel like your product is just one of many?

Well, it is. There is nothing new (usually) under the sun. Find a great lipstick and you might not be able to find that exact shade or formula but there are others that come really close. And, frankly, because make-up lines are constantly "improving" your pick might be discontinued and you'll have to make-do with the others.

But your mother thinks you're amazing and that anything you create is ONE OF A KIND!

True, right? For most of us, we have some person (or if we're lucky many persons) who think whatever we do is the "next big thing." I'm not saying it isn't, but sometimes it's tough to get it seen and tried by enough people to have anyone realize how awesome it really is.

I get it.

In the late 90s - early 00s I was an administrator on a beauty board. We had over 10,000 unique hits a month. We, and our readers, would review items and if they were good, they were bought by practically everyone who read about them. They would also buy them for everyone they knew. And then, they all bought back-ups. But there were many great products that never took off the same way.

We called ourselves lemmings (hence the video).

We all owned at least 3 #WnW 666 pencils (even if we didn't really like orangey lip color), repeatedly re-purchased #OPI "I'm Not Really a Waitress", had at least one #Essie "Ballet Slippers" in our repertoire and, if we wore blush (I didn't and don't), we discovered #Nars "Orgasm" was our "holy grail." I could go on and on with the list because that is how UNFORGETTABLE each product became.

Word of mouth is an impressive power.

When you go into a restaurant, do you ever ask the server "what's good?" Or if you take a friend with you, that might not have been there before, do you say "Oh, I'd get the steak but avoid the xxx?" Do you get the same thing over and over because you know it's always great? If you're buying a product online, chances are you read the reviews BEFORE PURCHASING and if they are a 3 star or below, you probably won't buy that product or from that seller. Have you ever gone onto your social media page and asked "Can anyone recommend a company that does xyz?" or "Looking for X, any recs?"

Over 74% of purchases today were made from word of mouth recommendations. 92% of consumers trust a friend or family member's recommendation over any other type of marketing. 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

How to harness the power of word of mouth.

1. Use an influencer that appeals to your ideal customer
2. Ask customers for reviews
3. Have clear hashtags so when consumers leave reviews, others can find them

Influencer Marketing has a $9 ROI for every $1 spent

If you aren't using Influencer Marketing (aka Influencer Outreach) you are missing out on one of the most lucrative ways to advertise today. You want to set up the BEST influencers (sometimes called KOLs -Key Opinion Leaders), platforms, and delivery. Some influencers will require a fee, and some won't. The campaign must be set up to reach the maximum number of people and the number one goal is to ensure your product is being seen continuously across the web.

Go where people are, because they are not coming to you

I'm sorry if this is a shock but no matter how lovely your site (or how much money you spent on it) most consumers are not googling your brand specifically. However, if people they follow, admire or trust, are talking about your brand, it will get seen. 70% or more of consumers trust consumer opinions and 71% are more likely to purchase with a social media recommendation. And because you KNOW your product is a good, nay a GREAT one, it will be purchased again.

Advertising is always a bit of a gamble.

However, study after study after study shows that inbound marketing is the best way to retain customers, and the lowest cost way to acquire new customers. If you want to be the one picking up the cash instead of passing it across the table, do it well.

If you don't know how - I can do it for you.

I'd love to make your brand your customer's favorite. Let's set up a strategy session and get your product in front of as many as people as possible.