One of the first challenges that small business owners tend to face when they open for business is the overwhelming realization that they have a lot of competition. This could come from other small enterprises like store across the street or even mega-giants such as Amazon. Both might be selling an exact replica of your product. Nevertheless, there is still hope. The following list details some of the best ways to stand out among the competition.
Social Media
BiznessApps shares that having a social media presence is one of the most important things for a small company to spread the word about your unique product. Often the problem for a business owner is not their products or service but their lack of exposure. With a small budget, advertising on radio or television is certainly out of the question. Social media provides you with a basically free medium to showcase your services to the world. Since your company is not well-known yet, most consumers will first research your business within an app that they are probably using already. If they don’t find you on any social media platform, you might seem out of touch or even dubious.
Focus on the Visuals
When it comes to showcasing your products, you do have the upper hand on the mega-companies. Those large companies are so complex that most products are often photographed and placed behind a white background through a photo editing process. This provides customers with no real way of seeing the texture of the product or how it would even fit in their lifestyle. Essentially, they sell because of their established name and trust, not because of their incredible Photoshop skills. If you’re selling a visual product such as jewelry, you’ll find it difficult to get much traction without good custom photos, according to High Level Thinkers. Therefore, one of the best ways to stand out with your jewelry marketing is to produce photos that demonstrate real people using your product on a daily basis.
Throw In-Store Events
Another advantage that you have over the big guys is the ability to host your own in-store events, reports Repsly. Set up little games for the kids, areas of product demonstration and even offer bonuses such as a 10% discount for those who attend. In-store events are often the best way to market your company as people begin to form a bond with you. Even if they don’t purchase right away, word of mouth is very powerful.
In today’s world of business, it can seem very difficult to stand out from the competition. However, it is not impossible. There are many small companies who’ve quickly risen the ranks using these types of techniques. Take some notes from the list above to determine which course of action is right for you.