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The cold hard truth in most industries is that the competition is fierce. In many cases, some of those competitors may have been around for over 100 years and are owned by some of the largest multinational corporations in the world. Competing in this kind of environment may seem impossible, but it can still be done if you manage to find a way to make your products stand out. Below are some marketing tips for accomplishing that and making your business stand out this year and beyond.
Discover or Develop a Niche
Finding your own niche can also help to differentiate your product from your competitors. Think about the difference between a book store and a comic book store. Obviously, both carry the printed word. However, the products sold in either store will be very different. The clientele of each store will be very different as well. While there may be some overlap, it is doubtful that the readers of the current New York Times bestseller political thriller will be the same readers as those that buy Batman or Iron Man. The comic book business is a completely insular niche that developed its own customer base that is completely unique compared to the customer base that exists for other periodicals and publications. If you can find a niche in your own industry, you may be able to break away from your competitors in the same fashion.
Stand Out Via Original Advertising
How you advertise a product can also set it apart. A successful marketing campaign may be able to attract people’s attention when it would have otherwise went to your competitors as a default. Try to be inventive with your ads. They should be concise, attention grabbing and include some element of creative originality to set them apart from all the other ads for products in your industry. Also consider implementing marketing platforms your competitors may not be using. For example, if your competitors run print and radio ads, you may want to try a more digital based approach through web ads and SMS text messaging. You can use an excellent mass texting service to send out marketing messages via SMS to the phones of thousands of consumers simultaneously.
Address Unmet Demand
In other cases, there may be unmet demand for something that the market is currently not supplying to consumers. You may discover this fact through market research. If consumers keep saying the same things about products they wish existed or had certain properties, you may want to try to fill in that gap with your own product. Overall, there are many things you may discover in the data and information collected through market research. Don’t be afraid to adapt some of it to your products if the suggestions are feasible.
Experiment with Your Product
If you want to stand out in a crowded market, you’re going to need to find something about your product that sets it apart from your competitors. This can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. For example, hot dog buns seem to be rather similar no matter where you go. That’s true except for the Chicago style hot dog bun manufactured by S. Rosen’s bakeries that comes covered in poppy seeds. While this variation was developed in the 1920’s, it still sets itself apart from all other hot dog buns you can find on the grocery store shelf in the Midwest market. Consider a new twist you could add to your product that can help it stand out.
Obtain a Patent
Lastly, another strategy for completely standing out from your competition is developing a completely new idea for a product or service that can be protected via a patent. Many great fortunes have been made by entrepreneurs that obtained their own patents. Such products include everything from the telephone to MyPillow. If you have an original idea, act fast to protect it. If you don’t, it could be snatched up by your competitors through underhanded means. You don’t want someone else getting rich from your own idea while you are left with nothing. 388,900 patents were granted in 2020.
Conclusion to Make Your Business Stand Out
Your products having or not having the ability to stand out is what will determine your success when competing in a given industry. If you can’t stand out, your older and bigger competitors will likely prevail. Instead, try to find some kind of niche you can fit into or discover a demand that is not being met by the market. You may even want to go as far as patenting your new idea to prevent it from being stolen by your competitors.
