It’s okay to admit that your business needs a competitive edge, a way to stand out from the competition. Every growing enterprise does.
Gaining that edge isn’t as difficult as one might imagine. Use these six simple steps to get started — and stick with them.
1. Attract and Promote Authentic, Positive User Reviews
Buyers care about what others think. Especially others like them, especially when those others have already purchased the same items or services they’re considering for themselves. Feature reviews on your website, Facebook page, and business listings like Google My Business.
2. Get Listed on High-Visibility Business Directories
Business directories serve two purposes for businesses that want to stand out: they confer natural credibility by their mere existence and they tend to rank well in search engines. Taken together, these benefits are impossible to ignore. Use the Crunchbase profile for Asiaciti Trust, an international trust and corporate services provider, as a template for your own business listings.
3. Tout Awards and Accolades
You’ve earned them and you deserve to talk about them. Create a separate website page to “house” the awards and accolades you’re most proud of, but be sure to mention them on LinkedIn and other high-visibility web properties (including some of the directories above) as well. If you’re still in the “awards gathering” stage, read up on how to earn business awards first.
4. Use “Owned Media” Properties for Content and Social Marketing
First, understand the differences between owned media, earned media, and paid media. Then, take an inventory of every owned media property that you believe would prove helpful to your marketing efforts.
This is likely to be most or all of your owned media properties, to be clear. In fact, you probably use most or all of your owned media properties to market your enterprise already: your Facebook page, your LinkedIn profile, your YouTube channel, your Twitter account, and more. You get the idea.
5. Use Social Media to Carry on Thoughtful Conversations About Your Business and Industry
Another thought on social media: For businesses aiming to separate themselves from the competition, social media is best used for two-way conversations rather than as a marketing megaphone. Use your Twitter handle, Facebook page, Instagram account, and any other popular social media properties you control to pose questions and seek commentary from your audience. As you gain engagement, you’ll stand out from competitors that haven’t figured this out yet.
6. Partner With Charities and Community Development Organizations
Be seen around your community and within the wider charity circuit as well while making sure to limit your donations and partnerships to organizations you actually support, whose missions reflect well on your enterprise, and whose work resonates with your audience. Don’t be afraid to mention these relationships on your website and social media accounts.
Take the First Step Today
Now that you know how to begin setting your business apart from the competition and sharpening that competitive edge you’ve always known you needed, you’re all out of excuses to get started. Take the first step today and look forward to a reality in which your company is no longer just a face in the crowd.
