2 Ways To Set Yourself Apart From The Competition {Part 3 of 4}

This is Part 3 in this a series by this month’s Special Guest Blogger – Meagan Visser. You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here.

You know you need to be different from other businesses that are similar to you.

Some how. Some way.

The problem is that you’ve looked at your competition, studied them even, & yet you’re still stuck. You’re at a loss as to how to make your business stand out in the crowd.

At this point you probably feel a bit hopeless when it comes to really being eye catching & giving your potential customers a good reason to notice you.

Today I’m going to share 2 things that you can do to evaluate your competition & do things differently from them.

Something’s Missing

When studying your competitors, there are two things you need to look at that can help you stand out from them.

1. Things that they are doing that you aren’t
2. Things that they aren’t doing that they should

Let’s look at each of these things & talk a bit more about how you can use them to discover your P.O.D. {point of difference}.

You’re Missing The Mark

When you’re looking at your competitors, it’s a given that you’re going to notice things they’re doing that you aren’t. Things that you like. Things that you really, really like. Things that you wish you’d thought of first. Things that you think you should do in your business.

Remember the example from my last post? The one about the fabric swatches?

Here’s what you need to do.

Check out your competitor & write down the things they’re doing that you’d like to do as well on a piece of paper. Make sure to do the same thing for all the competitors you’re studying.

Once you have your list, take a look at it again. Is there anything that you see repeating itself among your competition? Is everyone using Google + but you? Do they all post on their blog 3 x a week? Do they all do craft shows?

If you see something repeating itself among these “role model” competitors, take heed. It’s probably because they’re getting results from it & you can too.

Now, here’s the deal when it comes to doing something similar to your competition.

Make it your own.

Simply put… don’t copy them. Put your own spin on it. Inject your personality. Make it work for your brand. Most likely, they’ve gotten the idea from a competitor of theirs at some point & if you think it’s an original idea… brainstorm & come up with your own original way of doing something that makes you unique & one-of-a-kind!

Let’s have an example.

Let’s say Competitor #1 posts on her blog 3 x a week & one of the things she talks about are business tips. You like that because a lot of peers follow your blog & you’ve had a good amount of people ask you for business advice so you decide that this is something you think you’d like to do on your blog. But, you don’t want to copy them. Your businesses are very similar & a lot of the people who follow you probably follow this business too since they’re bigger, more well-known & more established. You need a way to make your business posts stand out from theirs. Here are some suggestions.

• Start a blog series specific to business posts. Ask other businesses to come share their expertise on business topics. Once you finish, take all the posts & turn them into an e-book to give away to those who want it.
• Create fun graphics that fit your brand & showcase your own business tips in the graphics themselves instead of through writing a lengthy blog post.
• Utilize the power of video & share your tips with your audience face-to-face… well, sort of!
• Share your experiences through your own business. What’s worked, what hasn’t, what you’re doing now, your struggles, & your triumphs.

If you do see things that your competition is doing that you really think you need to try out for your business too, always, always try to do it differently than they are doing it. Remember, if you don’t give people a reason to choose you, they won’t.

They’re Missing The Mark

This is a tough one to figure out. It’s easier to look at a competitor & see what they’re doing right, but it’s totally different to look at a competitor & see what they’re missing out on.

The second thing that you need to take note of when checking out your competition is the things that they aren’t doing in their business that they should be.

So let’s say you notice that they don’t respond to blog comments or Facebook fan comments on their page. That’s something that’s really important because it creates engagement & a sense of community with fans. It’s obvious to you that it’s something they should be doing. Now you’ve just found one thing you can do that they aren’t. Engaging & be available to your readers will help set you apart from that business & you’ll appear friendly & approachable.

In Conclusion

The main point is that no matter what you find your competition doing, whether it’s something you’d like to do too or something they been missing out on, you need to do it in your own way. People get used to seeing the same old thing all the time & they eventually stop noticing it, but once you pop out there with something new, you bet they’ll notice you. They’ll notice you & so will the competition & that alone will put you in a whole new playing field.

What is the main thing you want people to see in your business? How can you incorporate that into differentiating your business from your competition? Share your thoughts & questions with me in the comments below!

***

Want more Epheriell-y goodness? Subscribe to Epheriell Designs! Also, you can follow me on  Twitter!