How do you set yourself apart from the competition? A better product? A better customer success team? Or is it via Marketing?
In the grand scheme of things, a lot of products are similar; it’s the inevitable. Some of the most successful brands that you use on a daily or weekly basis have products that are nearly identical, but you might not ever hear about them. So what sets them apart? Why are you grabbing for your name-brand beverage instead of a knock off, and why do you head to that boutique bakery that’s 2 miles further down the street instead of the hole-in-the-wall next to your work that has similar items?
It all comes down to marketing.
A well-marketed brand and product are what separates the best-sellers from items that just survive, or die out quickly.
We are sold to all day long, every day – from TV commercials to bus stop ads, to entire ads online disguised as informational websites. Although we know we’re being sold to, what is it that makes you stop and purchase something? And how can you apply that to your own company?
One of the first ways that come to mind is to use online marketing effectively. Know where your ideal customers are; if they are a younger crowd, here’s a tip: they aren’t using Facebook as much as your older ideal customers. Good marketing is all about researching first, then testing after. Research which online options would reach your ideal client. Maybe it’s Google Ads, or maybe it’s boosted Instagram posts. And what’s on these posts? Recognizable marketed content. Your entire Instagram should support and be in line with that boosted post.
A huge reason that brands fail is because they are not recognizable. Some of the most successful brands, like Nike and Adidas, you would likely recognize just by a glance at their simple logo. While a smaller brand wouldn’t be able to just get away with a logo, the more you expose someone to your branding, the more comfortable they are going to become with it. Custom Product Packaging is one way to successfully introduce people to your branding.
Imagine this: you order two different pairs of identical socks online. They use the same shipping speed, and cost about the same amount. When you open the socks from Company A, you get a printed white receipt and the socks. It’s packaged in a generic plastic-bubble envelope. However, when you receive socks from Company B on the same day, it’s in a branded box, and when you open it, the socks are wrapped in printed tissue paper. Your receipt is printed on brown paper, with what looks to be a hand-written “Thank you for buying from Company B!” on the bottom.
Which one is more memorable? I think we both know that you’d throw out the packaging from Company A immediately, but the packaging, or marketing in this case, from Company B would at least make you smile.
Marketing is the easiest way to sell your product repeatedly. Take the time to understand where your customers are coming from, and what they are looking for when searching out a company. You won’t become Nike overnight, but you can start with branding today.
