3 Tips to Build Differentiation into your Marketing
Company differentiation is key in your marketing.
But here’s the thing about differentiation.
Chances are, if you're in a well-worn industry, you probably have some competitors who do a lot of the same things as you do.
And there may be no getting around that. We see a lot of companies work really hard to maneuver their marketing message into a way that sounds very different from their competitors… but doesn’t accurately or clearly communicate what they do.
If you do have a lot of overlap with competitors, don't obsess over manufacturing a brand message that only focuses on what you do differently. Instead, focus on what you do, your core value proposition, and the ways in which you truly make customers’ lives better.
Here are our top three tips to lead you to more effective and differentiated marketing.
Number 1:
Build a brand story that effectively communicates what you do really really well.
Yes, you and your competitors might do the same thing. But if you can clearly explain to your customer what you do, you’ll already be ahead of the competition. Most consumers are looking for simplicity, and likely don’t have the level of knowledge you do about your product. Make sure your brand story is written for your customer, and is clear, concise, and simple.
Number 2:
Niche hard into your core competencies and value prop.
Make clear the ways in which you will solve your customers’ problems. What are you best at, and most importantly, how does that make your customers’ lives easier? Be specific about the kinds of success they’ll see from working with you, and the failures they may experience working elsewhere.
Number 3:
Focus your marketing on your strengths as a business and product, even if these overlap with competitors.
Even if you have features your competitors don’t have, you should focus on what you do best. Selling to your customers with random features that aren’t your strengths, will only set your customers up for frustration and less retention in the long run. If you focus on what you truly do best, your leads who are looking for that will be more likely to convert, and remain customers. Clarity around your strengths will set you ahead of the competition as well, who may be overwhelming your customers with too many features and lack of clarity around what they are best equipped to provide.
Takeaways:
Focusing on these three areas will set you up for marketing that is specific, differentiated, and more effective - even if your actual product overlaps with competitors. The biggest differentiator you can deploy in your marketing is clarity.
Clearly communicate what you do, clearly share your core value proposition, and clearly share how you will make your customers’ lives better.
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We help tech-focused companies implement the StoryBrand framework in simple, powerful marketing and retention.
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