“The world accommodates you for fitting in, but only rewards you for standing out.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
We are often scared to try out new things. We seek comfort following everywhere the crowd goes and that’s why we fear to stand out. Mimicking what your competitors are doing may sound like a good plan but it is not. It is important to not follow the crowd for it limits your business’s capabilities and holds you back from succeeding. Whereas creating a mark of difference helps you get noticed.
Your business needs to announce to the world about all the great things it does because nobody else will.
1) Deliver On Your Promises
Promise the Moon and deliver along with it the Stars. By this, we simply mean – Underpromise and overdeliver. It is always welcomingly loved by customers. By promise, you don’t have to do more on the product or service you offer. It can be time or quality too. Promise 10 days and deliver within 7. Or create guarantee packages in a way there are no hidden charges.
Even if at times, you can’t do more than what you promised, that’s alright but just refrain from under-delivering. Customers jump businesses like buses. If they are the least bit disappointed with you, they easily move on to find another one. Stand out and keep your word and your customers will keep coming back to you. Ultimately, this will benefit your brand loyalty and business growth.
2) Build a Recognizable Online Presence
The age of phonebooks and yellow page directories have passed. If anybody wants to find a business or get a contact number, it is the Internet they turn to. According to Google, 97% of consumers first find local businesses online.
In today’s standards, weak or no online presence means you don’t exist. But then again, there are tons of businesses on the Internet and to stand out among them is burdensome. There are a few things you and your business can do instead. Become memorable. The Internet is a gift of opportunities and you can use it to become striking and notable.
For instance, use social media to interact with your existing customers. List your business down on online directories so new customers can reach you. Be active in anyplace related to your business and anywhere you think your potential customers will find you. When you are found or seen frequently in all the right places online, your business becomes prominent and stands out.
3) Establish Renowned Customer Service
Every business promises a good customer experience but how many of them actually have a customer service that stands out by itself? Even if your business doesn’t belong in the service sector, your customers expect great customer service. They don’t like listening to automated voices and hate waiting endlessly to talk to actual customer service representatives.
76% of customers state that they consider customer service to be a true test of a company. When your customers’ issues are respected and resolved, they feel like royalty. When you treat your customers like royalty, you stand out because very few companies actually do that.
4) Adopt Corporate Social Responsibility
Business owners often tend only to investors and customers. While they do so, they forget about their social responsibilities. Becoming socially responsible may send a ruffle through your business model but it surely wins the hearts of your customers and leaves a much needed positive impact on the society.
Microsoft is doing exceedingly well in the field. The news media constantly covers their CSR activities which for its part improves goodwill and ensures customers remember the good they are doing. Through this, the business stands out and customers are automatically drawn to them.
Adopting CSR doesn’t have to be a huge step. It can be a simple partnership with a local NGO or a plantation drive by your business employees one Sunday a month or valuing sustainable sourcing for your product manufacturing.
5) Enlighten Through Consistent Blogs
Staying active online is painstaking when you don’t have enough content. One form of creating content is blogging. Writing quality blogs is an indication that you and your business know what you are doing and are willing to share your expertise. The benefits of blogging are such that any business should not go past it.
When your business puts out blogs often, it must purely be informational rather than promotional. Promotional content will be overlooked whereas informative content provides value to your readers.
You can draft quick blogs yourself or your employees can take turns writing what they think your customers should know. You can also hire external content writers or content editors to ensure what goes out is high qualified and useful to your readers. When you deliver value, your customers value you. You stand out from the crowd among your competitors.
As time goes by and more businesses begin, it becomes hard to stand out among competitors. Our team will help create a stand out digital presence for your business and empower your stand in your industry. Accept that your business needs to stand out rather than fit in. Start with one of the above-mentioned ways and you’ll discover that sky is your limit.
