To begin with, it must be said that giving your business a distinctive flavour is not an easy task. I will lay out the path to follow but theory must be separated from practice, so to speak executing your strategy will demand what Daniel Kahneman called “slow thinking“. In which his main contention was that where people should use slow thinking they use fast thinking.

Lay out your pieces

Networking.

-Hiring a good and effective team is key and should be prioritised by any business owner. Employees make up the body of your business. Not only does a good team drive growth, but seeking top talent expands your teams network, building on personal recommendations and reliable relationships. Stand out from the crowd as employees echo the name of your company onto a wider audience.

-With networking comes events, often overlooked they not only aim at target audiences but hunt for potential partners and sponsors; ultimately building on your businesses reputation. Intimate and engaging, events also leave a lasting impression and one that is more memorable than a passive viewing of a more traditional form of advertising.

-Alternatively, you may be distinguished from the crowd in creating a cause marketing effort. No matter the size or age of your business, overtly demonstrating social responsibility to your community offers another method to attract potential customers who are part of your target audience; charming current clients with a different more human face to your business.

Plan your moves – “The biggest mistake is failing to prepare”

Don’t set yourself up for failure, Marketing strategy and content plan must not be overlooked. Through effective implementation you will form a helpful blueprint permitting optimal utilisation of resources. (DANIEL ADD PARAGRAPH?)

For example, a content strategy that focuses on SEO (search engine optimization) will increase a websites visibility and drive traffic to your product/services. (DANIEL WISDOM??)

Analyse your opponent

Be attentive to the oppositions moves. It’s worth keeping in mind that your competitors likely have a similar product/service as yours thus your potential customers need to know what what sets you apart. Gap analysis and competitive differentiation strategies can help determine how to differentiate yourself from others. Startup companies may be swept up in the excitement and pressures of their ventures, forgetting the competition.

“Know your unique selling point”

Find your business’s unique point of difference

Find out about your unique differentiation to make your startup unique. Maybe your main asset is that your company has been established for many years. Or perhaps you have a unique brand voice that makes you stand out from your competitors. This unique selling point must be presented in such a way that is clear and is at the foreground of your enterprises already established marketing strategy.

Know your competitor’s point of difference

It is good to watch your competitors. Using competitive differentiation strategies can help determine how to seperate yourself from other competitors. Startup companies may be swept up in the excitement and pressures of their ventures, forgetting the competition. It might be from others creating similar solutions and from well-established businesses with a good start.

Branding is an important part of your point of difference

Invest in brand strategy and voice guide. A company with consistent images and messages across all marketing channels is likely to be more noticeable to the customers they serve. Investing in your first branding guides early on saves time and money in future for learning new employees and creating content. The distinguishable sound of “Google, Linkedin, Bloomberg” all form part of a company’s branding. It’s also possible to hear their distinctive voice throughout their content and ads. The site is aimed at helping people.

Make your move

“the n1 reason for success is people focus on things that have high potential consequences”

Provide excellent customer service

Big companies understand how important it is to provide customers with great customer service. So many businesses tend to be much further behind in this sector, hindering their competitive advantage. Small businesses tend to walk into this trap repelling new customers and discouraging potential clients.

Allow your company to distinguish itself by offering outstanding support. What factors affect customers’ satisfaction include:

1. Teams that go above and beyond in their quest for customer satisfaction and happiness can help make a business stand out from the crowd. A company with a likable approach and friendly team has an immediate advantage.

2. Customers want to feel heard and understood by the companies they support, and they might have taken a big gamble doing business with your startup. Therefore customer communication is key.

3. Find ways to make people successful using your product. This could be as simple as checking in with a personal phone call or email to ensure customers are happy with their plan and service. It’s also useful to increase your customer retention rate and encourage referrals from your subscribers.

4. The element of human connection is at the heart of your business growth; more simply it’s what makes your business unique. If you have terrible customer service and people walk away from you with a bad experience, you’ll also stand out eventually – but for all the wrong reasons.

Use Good Customer Reviews to Your Advantage

Exceptional customer service can not only make your customers come back, but it will also fuel further business growth through word of mouth.

Good reviews help you rank higher in search engines and makes it more likely for new customers to choose your brand over your competitors. An effective strategy is to highlight positive reviews on your website or across social media channels, to flaunt your reputation to potential clients. Dedicated team members are natural evangelists for your company and can provide support in terms of keeping an eye out for positive and negative feedback online, responding quickly and appropriately.

Creativity sets your business apart from your competition

There is no better website for branding and making a business more visible. In every thought leaders’ book, thousands of entrepreneurs have read it. A unique brand can make a difference if it’s your brand. It’s what makes us different than our rivals. Use a variety of influencers and online sites to gain audience. They can provide you with an avenue that could never be easily accessible. Make your social network fun.

Continue to focus on solving problems

“Marketing without market research is like driving with your eyes closed”

As the world changes issues arise, and the way in which you develop solutions will differentiate you from competitors. Does the market want new trends in their industry? Are there sufficient resources available to execute your strategy? Is this what customers want? You must always be innovative and offer solutions that are able to differentiate your company from competitors.

Historically, Dove has been known as a “beauty bar.” But in 2004, consumers were asked about definition of beauty and of the women surveyed believed beauty to be too narrowly defined. Dove had many options in interpreting this feedback. In time Dove revolutionised the advertising industry, successfully changing cultural perception with their “Campaign For Real Beauty.”