Five Ways to Promote Your Unique Business Identity
Where's the Beef?
These words became a national catch phrase in the mid 1980's and catapulted the Wendy's hamburger chain into the limelight as a major player in fast food sales.
Wendy's credits the "Where's the Beef" ad campaign with a 31% jump in sales and a 24% boost in year-end profits.
Not bad for a campaign built on a three-word ad slogan.
Granted, you may not have the budget to build a brand awareness campaign as Wendy's did, but you certainly should practice advertising strategies that are built around your own unique business identity.
Identify Your Uniqueness
If you haven't yet put a finger on the distinct quality that sets your business apart from your competition, then you need to get busy. You only need one quality. Just one.
This unique quality that sets you apart from the herd is your brand. It is the essence - the fabric - that runs through your operation. It speaks to consumers instantly about the nature of your service or product, your reputation, your commitment, your uniqueness.
Once identified, you must be able to clearly communicate your brand to consumers. There are two easily recognizable ways to do this: with your logo and tagline.
A branded business has a memorable logo. A straight-forward example is Ford's blue oval, while a more abstract example is the Nike checkmark. Your logo is the visual component of your brand.
The next component is a written or verbal one. It is referred to as your tagline, and it reflects the exact position you are assuming in relation to your customer, your product, and your competitors. Specifically, it clearly defines the quality which differentiates your business from competitors while extolling the benefit your customer will enjoy.
Coca Cola's statement of being 'The Real Thing' is a classic example of positioning in relation to a competitor. Clearly, if they're the real thing - the original - then the other guy isn't. But does this mean anything to consumers? The benefit to the customer is kind of murky.
For the small business owner it's better to go with a more narrowly defined tagline that clearly denotes uniqueness. The sandwich shop Quizno's exemplifies this with their tagline 'Oven Toasted Tastes Better'.
Five Ways to Promote Your Unique Identity
Your logo and tagline are valuable property. Make them a visible thread that runs through all your promotions. Here are five great ways to get your brand name out there in front of consumers:
1. Give Away Something People Will Expose To Others
Instead of just giving away a freebie that has a one-time use, provide a valuable service or product that will get used or seen by other people. I use this strategy by providing free newsletter templates. At the bottom of the templates you'll find my brand. It's great exposure and a wonderful traffic-generating tool.
Free eBooks, free email, free websites, free pens, free t- shirts, free baseball caps... all these are great examples of things people use and expose to others. Take a good look at your own products and services. What can you give away?
2. Encourage Interactivity
We are social creatures. Everyone likes to be included -to have the opportunity to put in their 2 cents worth. Encourage people to get involved with your business. Invite questions, ask for feedback, run a contest, sponsor teleclasses or chat sessions, or moderate a discussion board. For every person you make a connection with, you have created the opportunity to ignite a word-of-mouth campaign that stretches through everyone they know.
Take a peek at Pepsi.com for a look at brand marketing through interactivity. On their home page they are actively recruiting every carbonated beverage drinker on the planet to "make a difference" and become a Pepsi Advisor.
Strawberry/Kiwi Pepsi. What do you think? Pssst... tell your friends!
3. Brand Your Digital and Print Communications
If you type it, write it, or touch it... brand it. If you're within breathing distance of it - try to brand it. Leave evidence of your unique business identity everywhere you can. Your website, all your outgoing postal mail, and all electronic mail should include your business name or logo, your tagline, email address, website URL, phone number, and mailing address. And a handy supply of business cards is a must any time you leave the office.
4. Give Away Your Knowledge
Writing articles and making them available for reprint is an especially powerful method of spreading your name. Published articles often remain in the public eye for years. I have dozens of articles on numerous sites, all of them tirelessly promoting my business without any effort on my part. One article in particular that was published in Success Digest over 3 years ago still brings in traffic to this day.
5. Make it Easy For Others To Toot Your Horn
Word-of-mouth referrals are the best kind of exposure you can get. There's nothing more powerful than a personal endorsement from a satisfied customer. Make it easy for people to tell their friends and family about your product or service. Rarely a day goes by on my site that someone hasn't emailed a friend using my handy online referral form. This is a branding tool that every business should employ.
In the end, the name of the game is repeatedly exposing consumers to your unique business identity - your brand. The above strategies are viral marketing tools in that they are far-reaching and long-lasting, and that's a great combination for long term business success.
How To Build Trust and Sell More Products?
If the headline is what gets them there, then it's the *proof* that keeps them there. Follow closely...
==> A powerful headline is 10% what you say and 90% what you prove.
==> Headlines can simultaneously create curiosity and skepticism.
==> Until proven otherwise, your headline is an empty promise.
It's important that you fully understand that the tidal wave of lies and deceit online have created a gap between you and your target market.
Bridge that gap with TRUST!
==> Build trust by quickly and immediately proving your headline.
==> Proof creates trust.
==> Trust eliminates skepticism.
==> Trust transforms the curious visitor into a customer for life.
The ultimate headline that can make you rich is the compelling headline supported by jury convicting undeniable proof that YOU yourself did what the headlines promises.
This proof can eliminate all reasonable doubt.
Draw your visitors in with your headline, blow their socks off with the proof.
Prove the headline to be actual, factual and true and watch your cash flow explode into a magnificent mushroom cloud of profits.
Slick words do not build trust, they fuel skepticism.
==> Proof makes your website read differently.
==> Same words, but a different frame of mind.
Instead of a fast talking slick internet pitchman, PROOF transforms your website and words into a copywriting masterpiece where the visitor feels that you know what you are talking about.
That feeling can more quickly and easily move customers to your order page resulting in higher sales for you and a satisfying purchase for your visitors.
Unique Selling Proposition
If you have competitors, then you should have at least one Unique Selling Proposition (USP). The more REAL ones you have, the better - for your Branding, your business recognition, and your sales!
We all have competitors, and the more you have, the more important it is that you have a Unique Selling Proposition (at least one).
Allow me to explain. Let's use a recent example of a company that sells laser toner cartridges... Do you think they have competition online? You bet they do, another category that is swamped with resellers. Sound like yours?
The task of coming up with a USP can sometimes be tough. But every company needs this, it sets you apart from your competitors. Let me stress this again, it is one or more reasons why prospects should work with you, or buy from you, or do business with you, instead of your competitors, period.
Let me narrow this a little further, it used to be if you had the best price, - you got the business. Although still a minor USP, price alone should not be the only consideration, it's not really that unique... Yes, you still need to be competitive, but I don't want to be the cheapest guy... we're in this to make a profit, right? So don't make price your 'only' USP. Combine it with more value, something your competition doesn't do, or doesn't offer.
O.K., back to our example. This company needed more than price, their product pricing is right inline with everyone else, so now what?
First of all, you need to know what your competitors do offer. This is not a new concept. You can't compete if you don't know what you're up against. So take a little time and check out what they have. Do some research, you'd be surprised what you might find - or not. Special offers, free shipping, a contest, great customer support?
Take a step back, imagine you are the customer and you do buy toner from someone a few times a year. If they do not get great service or it's just average, then chances are you can sway them your way. This references "customer loyalty" another chapter, but it follows first getting the customer. So, let's get the prospect as a customer first.
Now, what do we do to sway these prospects? We offer them what the competition doesn't. This can be discovered with your competitive research. Oh, and if you still haven't found a USP or a few - then Hyperformance Media can help you with this as well.
Write down every idea that you and your team come up with. Please don't worry about how silly they might seem (at the time), just brainstorm with the data you have gained. The reason I say to include the silly ones, and others is because sometimes those little ideas that you laughed at can actually be morphed to create your USP. No idea is too far fetched at this point, and usually the ideas you laughed at are, in fact, some things your competitors don't offer. That's where we go next.
On the toner company we came up with all kinds, some were already offered by competitors, some were not. The idea is to initially come up with as many as possible. Here are some of what we narrowed the field to (we started with about two dozen);
Price (of course)
Free Shipping (varied by quantity/price)
Great Customer Service (so everyone says)
A Contest / Promotion (a what?)
Free Gifts (vary)
Referral Savings (with parameters)
Reminders? (to buy)
The next step is again to nail down our list, get creative, really think here. This alone still makes us more competitive (once implemented), even if others use the same approach. Why? Because before we did this, there was a ton of competition, and as we add these USP's we now narrow the list of our 'real' competitors. We are now more competitive within our industry, because we now offer things that (most) of our competitors do not! We are getting more competitive immediately by implementing some simple offerings.
Let's take each one in this example and see how we can use it or discard it to our advantage.
Price - Still very important in any market, but very tied to customer value (or perceived value). If your product or service is not competing here - it does not necessarily rule you out, more on this later. However, this is usually where a shopper starts (because it's easy), and you want to be considered with this group. In this example, we agreed that (based on our research) we were in the market on price. So our price is competitive and that's great, but not unique enough to get the business.
Free Shipping - In our research, we found that most of the company's who were offering this service were just a couple dollars higher in price (covering their "free" offer). So while it may have some perceived value, it was not enough for this company to offer that, so we discarded this one. If however, your costs are such that you can ship for free and still be competitive and profitable, this is a worthwhile USP.
Great Customer Service - This is stated everywhere, making it tough for the consumer to know what is reality. It is hard to judge until you are a customer. It would be more valuable to offer testimonials of Great Customer Satisfaction. Not Customer Service, but Customer Satisfaction. There is a big difference here. So we DO want to take some of our really satisfied customers and put together, or request their testimonials. This is much more powerful than the words or promise of "Great Customer Service". So we will use this, but focusing on satisfaction with testimonials in our advertising pieces and website, etc.
A Contest/Promotion - This covers a broad area, but can be extremely successful when implemented and marketed properly, so be creative and if possible, develop one for your business, product or service. After our discussions, and research, we have begun developing this idea. Example: Every time you buy from us, you get another chance at winning "Free Toner for a Year". I know you're saying... free toner for a year - what are you crazy? Bear with me on this... first of all, most of their customers use 4 to 6 toners in normal use in one year (In our contest, we can actually cap that in our rules, i.e., "Not to exceed 6 cartridges". So we associate our costs to that, which does not make this a cost prohibitive program at all, depending upon the program success. Again, the mileage and customers we gain from our contest is potentially huge, and if it works well, we continue it... at a maximum cost of 6 toners per year for a Grand Prize.
Free Gifts - Don't discount this one, many people grab hold of these 'offers' to feel like they are making out. All else being the same, the customer does get something for nothing. Now, if the item truly has no value, then the customer has little to no interest. And, it actually 'cheapens' the image of your firm (be careful). We decided with our products and business customer profile, this would not work for this business. But it could work for you or your products.
Referral Programs - Another potential attraction (savings) for your customer. I say potential because this type of referral program, like price, should not be the only USP. When used in conjunction with others, this can steadily grow your business (sales) as well. You need to develop a program that somehow rewards referrals. For example, it can be something simple like "Refer a customer to our business and when we ship their order you will receive or accrue credits, dollars, points, or 5% off your next order". Get the idea? The key is to make it of value, and still keep it cost effective.
Reminders - This was it! The big one, it was unique, it has value to the customer, and it reinforces our Customer Satisfaction! This was also laughed at when first mentioned. So? What was the plan? We acquire a software program (our recommendation Mailloop Software) that can be set to automatically e-mail each customer based on their own usage when their toner and supplies were potentially running low (i.e., 30 or 90 days or any date we choose. Once set-up it is all automated (cost effective)! It also gave us their e-mail address (important anytime) and with our reminders we could include any special or seasonal offers that might further attract more sales.
So, what did this company find? In a nutshell - Their products are priced well to compete. In this case, we discarded free shipping as not really cost effective. We stressed Satisfied Customers in all of our marketing materials with testimonials and real-life examples. We are also developing a contest to further set us apart from our competitors. We could not find a free gift we thought would add any value to the customer (but continue to look). They are considering a Referral Program as well.
The real USP in combination with the others was our unique E-mail Reminder System. At that time, no other competitor was offering anything like this! This IS a Unique Selling Proposition and was perfect for our example. Put all these together, and this company has numerous 'edges' on their competition. Once customers are aware of these differences that set you apart from all the rest - growth is almost certain! That company is in a much better position to 'own' their market online, or at a minimum increase their market share. The more you get the word out, the more you're sure to benefit from these type ideas.
I understand this was a pretty broad example but you should get the idea. You won't always come up with an idea that no competitor has or offers, but if only 3-6 competitors offer that same USP, you are still in the top tier of your competition instead of lost somewhere un-noticed while buyers continue to purchase through your competition. You decide.
Narrow Your Focus and Broaden Your Sales
If your web-based business solves a specific problem, then your chances of online success are good. This is not a facetious statement because you'd be surprised to know how many businesses go online with no clear objective whatsoever. But in order to increase those chances, an immensely important step in marketing effectively online is required -- targeting.
This is where many marketers fail, for they are trying to be "all things to all people." Their web site may offer a product that solves a specific problem. And unquestionably, the marketplace -- and the potential -- on the Internet is huge. But it is also for this very reason that general offers either get easily drowned in this boundless electronic ocean or fail to capture the netizen's attention due to the vagueness of the offering's nature.
Since the marketplace is so vast, attention span so short and competition so enormous, there is no better place for market targeting than on the Internet. Today's rapidly changing, technology-driven marketplace mandates a sharper marketing aim. If your business doesn't have one, you're going to either have a really tough time or require a huge marketing budget.
Therefore, try to discover the demographics as well as the psychographics of your niche -- your niche being your core, largest or most profitable market. If you don't have a narrowly defined market, then identify it or isolate one. And once you've defined it, it will then be easier for you to market your offer in front of an audience that will most likely be genuinely interested in it. Otherwise, without one you'll be merely shooting blanks.
Demographics are the basic qualities and characteristics of your market. They include age, gender, culture, employment, industry, income level, marital status, location and so on. For example, does your product cater uniquely to women? Is it more appealing to a specific industry? Does your product complement another type of product? Is your market mostly made up of French Canadians? In other words, who buys from you specifically?
If you were to answer that last question with "everyone," then you are falling in the "all things to all people" trap mentioned earlier. Avoid it as much as you can. But if you do cater to a diverse market, then the trick is to find out who buys from you the most or the most often. Above all, ask yourself this all-important question: Who is my perfect customer?
On the other hand, psychographics consist of the emotional and behavioral qualities of your target market. They include emotions, rationales, buying histories, psychology and thought processes behind the decision to buy your product. For example, they include your customers' interests, associations to which they belong, previous purchases they've made, other similar or related products they've consumed, activities in which they're engaged, the length of time they remained with a particular company in the past, and so on.
Stated differently, demographics define the qualities of those people who may *need* your product, while psychographics are the qualities of those who may not only need but also *want* your product. Before you target your market, profile your customer -- your perfect customer. You can start by conducting some marketing research among your current client base, potential clients and clients of other similar products or companies. But never underestimate the gold mine that can be found in your own backyard -- your clients.
In order to illustrate the difference between demographics and psychographics, let's look at cosmetic surgeons and particularly hair transplant doctors. Hair restoration caters typically to men who have experienced hair loss and are able to afford such an operation. In other words, men and bald men specifically are potential patients because they may need more hair.
But psychographics on the other hand go a little further. In this example, they are comprised of men who not only need more hair but also want more hair. This is important since not all of them do -- it's a matter of personal priorities, just as the type of clothing one chooses to wear. If you think about it, would you consider all bald men as potential clients? Hopefully not.
Therefore, in order to target this specific market as precisely as possible and thus generate higher quality leads, doctors must take their patients' psychographic profile into account. Elements include their lifestyle, their interests, the type of industry in which they work (since certain industries are more image-related) as well as their previous buying habits (such as men who have already invested in other forms of hair replacement solutions).
Once done, they can easily find places on the web where this perfect customer hangs out. They fish where the fish swim. For example, there are web sites and even "vortals," which are niche-based portals, catering to bald men seeking a hair loss solution (like regrowth.com). There are even discussion lists and ezines whose subscribers consist of people suffering from thinning hair. And of course, the list goes on.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that less is more. Narrow your focus to a specific niche and, paradoxically, you will broaden your sales. Arm yourself with as much information as possible about your perfect customer, and then target *that* customer more than any other. While you can't be everything to everyone, you shouldn't be targeting everyone for everything.
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