With such an unbelievable amount of online businesses popping up every single day, it can be hard to stand out from the masses.
There’s only so much you can do to differentiate yourself in terms of actual content – conforming to a niche is mostly rehashing content made in the past by your competitors, with a few tweaks to make it more distinctive and better overall.
You’re providing mostly similar information, just presented differently.
But how differently? In what ways?
Ideally, all the bits that make your business a little bit different, your style, identity, values, and personality, align with your target audience. We call those things that set you apart the ‘brand of YOU.’ A strong brand identity, characterized by a unique logo, consistent visual identity, and memorable slogan, plays a crucial role in helping a company stand out in a crowded market. This is what makes your company stand out.
There may be thousands of businesses yelling over each other about the best way to design websites, but when someone’s scouring the interwebs for a design course, they’re looking for the one that matches their vibe; that they align with.
Your vibe might not be the perfect match for everyone, but as a general rule, the more you differentiate yourself by just BEING yourself, the more appealing your brand is to your true audience.
Someone who aligns with the very core values and personality of your company is far more likely to purchase from you anyway – so embrace the brand of YOU!
If you can set your brand’s character apart from everyone else’s, you give people a reason to choose you over even your statistically better-performing competitors.
Remember – at the end of the day, it’s the humans that make you money, not the numbers. 1000 devoted advocates are far more valuable than 10000 indifferent subscribers. 🙌
Believe it or not, your business’s greatest assets are available to you right outta the gate – no assembly required.
Your unique disposition, a culmination of the brand of YOU, encompasses your greatest strengths.
Only you, with your unique perspective and experiences, can tackle problems and interact with your audience the way you can.
Standing out is just a matter of implementing what you already represent into your business. Providing good customer service is crucial for business success, as each customer interaction can influence satisfaction and loyalty.
Absolutely everyone has something they are wayyyy better at than most people.
In a service-based business, showcasing your unique strengths is crucial. You might be really skilled at breaking down complex concepts into digestible information, or maybe you’re an exceptional storyteller.
Or, you have a knack for organizing and distilling chaos into something manageable. Maybe you have a big heart, and kindness, empathy, and compassion come easy to you – you always know exactly what someone needs to hear.
How you can incorporate your special skills into everything your business does?
We’re all a little weird: that’s nothing to be afraid of. Quite the contrary – being weird is interesting, and attracts attention.
That’s solid gold in the marketing world. All press is good press, right? (Said with good faith of course…)
Weird is distinct, and memorable. Standing out is all about being memorable.
Be funny, use weird (still understandable 😬) analogies, be casual, and silly, and curate a unique relationship with your audience.
People often ask how to stand out, and then get uncomfortable when you tell them to… well… stand out?
Don’t be afraid to be bold, and cement your brand in your audience’s minds. Be an icon ✊
What parts of you don’t conform to the status quo? How can you accentuate them in your business?
We stand out online, especially in such a crowded niche (web design), by leaning into being a little funky and letting everyone know right away we aren’t like most web design firms.
What skills or experience do only you have?
What unique, individual perspective do you have on the industry as a result of their overlap?
For example: You might be a data analyst with a background in novel writing. Combining data interpretation with narrative skills?
That overlap is your advantage and sets you apart from your competitors, so capitalize on it! A strong brand identity is crucial for establishing a successful business. Unique logos, consistent visual elements, and memorable slogans help you stand out from the competition and attract new customers.
How do your disposition, values, and content challenge or disrupt the status quo?
What are some of the common viewpoints in your niche that you don’t align with?
This isn’t to just be a contrarian; can you identify any opportunities to go in a different, possibly better direction when everyone else is blindly following the same path?
That’s how you create contrast with your peers! Having distinctive opinions attracts new customers who resonate with your point of view, and interests those who hadn’t previously considered it.
Where are you prepared to put that extra effort in and do what others in your field aren’t?
It doesn’t have to be anything crazy – most businesses miss out on the simple human things like:
Personalized, human-friendly customer interaction
Always meeting your promises (underpromise, overdeliver) and remaining transparent
A general atmosphere of consideration for your potential customers – make them feel cared for through direct support and user experience
Here’s a comprehensive list of all the ways you can improve on what your peers offer:
Deliver exceptional customer service:
Personalize customer experiences.
Maintain high standards of communication and transparency.
Share stories showcasing your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Use social media:
Engage with followers directly, and show that you care.
Create valuable content on multiple platforms, in multiple formats.
Develop a unique selling proposition (USP):
Identify what makes your company unique.
Highlight your strengths and create a memorable slogan to represent your mission.
Build up a strong brand identity:
Design a unique logo.
Maintain consistent colors, fonts, voice, character, etc.
Enhance your online presence:
Create an engaging, SEO-optimized website (SEO stands for search engine optimization.)
Post informative, valuable blog content.
Optimize your website for search engines to improve visibility in search results and attract a larger audience.
Reward customer loyalty:
Offer exclusive deals and discounts for long-term supporters.
Implement a loyalty program.
Target market with precision:
Tailor your marketing strategies to a specific target audience/niche.
Offer free trials or guarantees:
Provide free trials or transparent money-back guarantees.
Offer innovative products/services:
Develop unique offerings that fulfill customer needs/gaps in the market.
Community involvement:
Show support for local charities and organizations.
Curate a welcoming digital community
Invest in quality marketing materials:
Ensure simplicity and visual appeal.
Keep branding consistent.
Include contact information and design for social media sharing.
By integrating these strategies, you can differentiate your business and attract more customers!
When you offer something valuable, your loyal customers will spread the word naturally. Even in the social media era, word-of-mouth marketing and referrals remain really powerful!
Embrace what makes the brand of YOU unique, be bold, and reap the rewards. Stop following the crowd in your niche!
