How to Make Your Business Stand Out in a Crowded Field
"If you build it, they will come" is a famous yet slightly misquoted line from the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams." But is it true? Will customers come once you have done the first step of creating a unique product or service?
In my experience, unless you are tremendously lucky and the existence of your products or services spreads like wildfire, it often takes a lot of effort to make your target customers aware of your offering's value proposition and what your brand stands for. Why? Because even if you had a unique product, your business would likely face competition from other, established companies with large marketing budgets, who are already successfully selling to the same customers a product that seems to meet their needs. As your products and services are likely to face a crowded field of competing offerings, your business must stand out.
So, how do you do it with a limited marketing budget?
Focus on building a long, mutually beneficial relationship with your customers by connecting with them through your brand. Such a relationship requires more than a unique product or a valuable service; it requires connecting with your customers. And that is what a strong brand helps you to do. Think of Apple as an example. Its brand evokes strong emotions of passion, hopes, dreams, and aspirations backed by Apple's innovative and fashionable products. I don't believe that Apple would be as successful as it is without its brand that resonates with existing and potential customers.
Of course, your business is not like Apple's, and you do not have their marketing budget. However, the steps you must take to build a strong brand are the same for a large company or a small business.
How Do You Want Your Business to Be Known? What Does It Stand For?
Suppose your business was a person; who would this person be? A unique product wouldn't be enough to answer this question. As more and more customers make buying decisions based on a brand's value, it is critical to have a clear idea of who your business is and what it stands for.
I have seen many entrepreneurs who do not seem to spend enough time trying to answer these questions and, consequently, struggle to articulate a brand promise that resonates with their customers and inspires long-term loyalty.
In a world where competitors are quick to copy great product ideas, you must increasingly rely on your brand to differentiate your business in the market and build long-term loyalty. "Who you are" becomes more important than "how many features your product has."
Tell Your Story Consistently Across All Media.
Suppose your product is great. It is even unique. But how will your potential customers know about it? Will you launch a social media campaign, organize in-person product presentations, or rely on your website for your sales? Whichever media you choose, you need to communicate effectively to stand out and be heard.
What does it mean to communicate effectively?
Effective communication uses a unique, confident, and authentic "voice" to express your brand promise. Your brand voice is the way you talk to your customers. It encompasses everything from the words and language you use to the personality and image you want to invoke in your audience.
For your brand voice to be perceived as authentic, it has to be genuine in the sense of real, sincere, and honest. Don't let your brand play an act or, worse, imitate another business's brand. Your customer may interpret this as a lack of authenticity.
Effective communication also uses your brand voice consistently across all media. Consistency means that your voice is the same whether you write a social media post, newsletter, text message, email, product description, or blog post on your website. Consistency is the glue that holds your communication strategy together. Without it, your brand voice can quickly become messy, confusing, even conflicting.
Once you communicate effectively with your customers, you will enter into an authentic dialogue that allows them to feel a genuine connection with your brand.
Building a successful brand is not a one-time event. It is a life-long journey. But a strong brand is what can make your business stand out in a crowded field and what can make your customers come.
