With new businesses competing in an increasingly saturated marketplace, standing out from the crowd is tough. Social media has made it possible for every business to enter your space in the quest to gain an advantage.
Media guru Naomi Klein says marketing – when done well – can help a business find its soul. So how can one go about creating this soul? Can corporate consciousness really exist? Of course it can, and here’s how:
Define your niche
When identifying your niche, you need to focus on creating a unique selling point. Decide whether you want your business to be the top player in a small market, or aim for grabbing a large market share in your industry. Articulate your strengths and concentrate efforts on the market best served by them. Choose a name, logo and identity for your business that accurately reflects this and inject some much needed for personality.
Take a look at your crowd
Examine your crowd carefully and take a look at the competitors in your industry. Where is your company in relation to these? It’s crucial to assess what’s out there to identify ways in which you can standout.
Be creative
By looking at your competition, chances are you’ll see similarities in terms of branding and tonality. That’s your opportunity to be creative and different. It may feel risky at first, and your instinct might tell you to stick to the tried and tested branding formulae, but taking a risk and stepping away from the norm, might give your brand that all important edge.
Connect on a human level
Find ways to personalise your dealings with customers to enhance their experience of your business. Try adding interactive features and social networking options to your website and make sure your product or service is as user-friendly as possible. Make yourself accessible to potential clients and share your personal business story through newsletters or online platforms like blogging.
Put your passions first
What are your values? Why do you do what you do? When you know the answers to these questions, make it the essence of everything you do. Reinforce this identity at every opportunity to maximise brand awareness. Not just through every Facebook post or tweet but through every customer interaction, every phone call and every experience. Today, you don’t need TV adverts or expensive billboard posters to raise awareness of your company; all you need is the guts to be different.
Are you struggling for innovative and creative ways for your business to stand out in a crowded marketplace? We suggest getting in touch today, we can help.
