Many business owners and executives equate success with being the biggest or best in their industry, and tailor their marketing approach to this end. But is that really the only measure of success?
No, it’s not. You can have a successful and thriving business even without the claim to fame of being the “biggest”. Here are some excellent ways to get there:
Dare to Compare
Some customers automatically dislike big brands, seeing them as cold, impersonal, and representatives of the establishment. Instead, they frequent smaller independent or up-and-coming businesses, preferring the “home-y” or “intimate” feel of their services.
While you can’t always count on these types of customers for a steadily growing income (nor should you), you can still take advantage of the negative reaction people have to big-name brands. Having bigger operations usually means more problems slipping through the cracks—bad customer service, substandard materials, or bland/generic products. You can freely compare yourself to these big brands and tout your attention to detail and commitment to quality.
Just make sure those claims are true.
Specialized Products
When you’re building your business from the ground up, you may not have the resources or knowledge to build or compete against five separate lines of products like those fielded by the big, international brand up the street. But then, why try?
Instead, try focusing on your core offerings, and see if you can develop a product or brand that focuses on a particular need that the big name products don’t cover. Remember: no product can be everything to a consumer. You have to find the gap and determine if it is big enough to be able to support your business.
Niche Markets
If your product is not remarkably different from that of bigger brands, then perhaps what you need to do is change who you’re selling to.
Customers come in all shapes, sizes, genders, tastes, beliefs, and preferences. There are many customers out there that are shoehorned into a general marketing demographic instead of being treated as people—and they know it.
Being the best brand to your best customers may mean focusing your energy on that particular section of society. It is that kind of personal service and attention that keeps customers coming back for more. Then, once you’ve established a good reputation and solid customer base, you’ll be able to expand your brand to other markets—or create another one entirely.
Unique Brand Personality
Are your competitors’ brand identities so similar they almost seem generic? This can happen in industries whose customers carry certain expectations. The banking and finance industries, for example, require their banks to be consummate professionals. They’ll be handling your money, after all, and who wants to hand their investments over to a clown?
But that doesn’t mean that your marketing has to be direct from the same playbook. After all, if that happens, how will you be able to differentiate yourself from your competitors?
If your industry has certain conventions, see how you can toe the line and set your company apart from the rest in terms of behavior and the tone of company communications. In the banking example, for instance, banks can be humorous and lively without being casual and unprofessional. It’s not an either-or question.
Do you have any ideas on how to make your brand different? Share them with us below!
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