Being different from your competitors is something that all businesses, no matter what size or how well established they may be, need to work on. It is this that will grow your business, boost your profits, and make you more well-known in general. Being the same as everyone else will only make you disappear, and you won’t reach the potential that you otherwise could. Read the following ideas on how to differentiate yourself, and you will have all the knowledge you need to be the best.
Find Your USP
Before you can start to differentiate yourself, you need to know what it is exactly that makes you so different. This is your USP, which means ‘unique selling point.’ It can be hard to find out what this is, but it is also all-important in making your business stand out in what can be a hugely crowded marketplace. Your USP is what you and your business can do, offer, or provide that no one else can. What do you do that is different? It could be the products you sell, or how you sell them. Perhaps you are particularly environmentally friendly and use electric vehicles to deliver items, for example. Your customer service and how good you are with people might be the thing that brings you attention. Think carefully, and you’ll discover what your USP is. Once you know, use it in all your advertising and in everything you do.
Look After Your Brand
You will have worked hard to make your brand a good one, taking the time to understand your target market and working on advertising campaigns that match the spirit in which you work. Branding is all about sticking to one style and ensuring that everything you do matches that style, so that people instantly connect it with you, helping them to remember you more easily and to know what you do straight away. You need to look after that brand and make sure that its reputation is not damaged. You can spend the time keeping up with how your branding and products are used online, or you can engage a professional company that offers MAP monitoring services to do it for you.
Be Innovative
Sticking with the same tried and tested products and services will bring you some business, but over time, that business will dwindle because people are always looking for something new and exciting to catch their interest. Therefore, to stand out and be different, it is important to add new products and services to your line. This does not have to be a weekly or monthly action; take your time to find exactly the right product because if you are adding items to your stock simply so that you have something new to sell, you might be making a mistake. Whatever you choose to sell, you need to have a reason for choosing it; how does it compliment your business and the rest of your product range? It needs to fit in but still be different enough for people to want it.
