Making Sure Your Small Business Stands Out

Image via Pexels – CC0 Licence

 

In a crowded global marketplace, every new business is hoping to be able to make an impact. The mission to stand out can sometimes feel pretty hopeless, especially on the limited budget that a new launch generally has. Convincing customers to take the leap and try something new is one battle – but that only begins when you have actually made them aware of you in the first place. Trying to gain a share of voice is one of the hardest challenges that most new launches face – but it’s not impossible. There are still ways to differentiate who you are, what you do and how you communicate – you just need a good strategy in place. 

 

Become A Source Of Knowledge

 

The internet revolution has led to a society full of information seekers. People are very used to only being one click away from informative content, so if you can make your site the one to provide it then your business stands to benefit. Start by developing some informational content, using keyword research to determine which topics are of interest to your audience. These pillar articles can become a big draw to your website. Plan a schedule to periodically update them all, and work on other pieces of content to link to them. Setting yourself up as a thought leader works well to establish a reputation. You can build this by authoring white papers, submitting blog posts to LinkedIn Groups and ensuring a brand presence at appropriate conferences and events. 

 

Become More Social

 

Businesses that learn to successfully leverage the power of social media are businesses which succeed in the modern world. You don’t need lots of advertising budget if you’re clever about identifying exactly who your audience are, finding where they are on social networks and connecting with them. A social media strategy has seen many small brands become global with minimal cost – some notable examples include Spectrum Cosmetics and online clothing retailer Nasty Gal who all grew huge audiences using little more than Instagram. The key lies in using these powerful channels effectively – to engage, do market research, join in debates and discussions and contribute knowledge. If you go in there purely seeing it as a sales channel, you won’t get very far. It’s about building relationships and raising awareness, but if done right, it will translate to sales further down the line. Small snippets of humanization go a very long way in making a difference here.

 

Develop Your Brand Identity

 

Being very specific about who you are and the vision and values that your business stands for is also incredibly important. People are drawn to authenticity, so if you can evidence that what you’re doing is in alignment with a set of beliefs, your brand will stand out. It’s not a new idea, but thinking of a point of difference, and gearing everything around this is still the way to draw attention. Perhaps you have a different process, a more personal service or a better policy than others – shout about it. This will form the basis for everything you do and make sure you can really connect with people.

 

Jeremy

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *