What Sets Your Business Apart? Sometimes, It’s How You Do It.
When someone asks what makes your business different, it can be a surprisingly hard question to answer. Maybe you offer the same services as several other businesses in your area. Maybe your products aren't something completely new. Maybe your competitors have similar experience, capabilities or even pricing.
That doesn't mean your business doesn't have something that sets it apart. Sometimes, what makes a business different isn't what it does. It's how it does it.
Your Approach Is Part of Your Brand
Think about two businesses offering the exact same service. On paper, they might look nearly identical, but actually working with them could be two completely different experiences. One might be known for taking the time to explain every step of the process, while another makes speed and convenience the priority. One might build relationships with customers that last for decades, while another creates an experience that's fresh, efficient and straightforward.
None of those approaches necessarily change the service being offered, but they absolutely change how people experience the business. And that's part of your brand.
Your brand isn't limited to your logo, colors or what your social media looks like. It's also the personality behind your business, the way you communicate, the things you prioritize and the experience people have when they work with you.
Your Marketing Doesn't Always Have to Be About What You Sell
When First National Bank came to Eberle Studios to create a marketing video, the obvious approach would have been to talk about banking. We could have highlighted loans, accounts, services and all the other things you might expect to see in a bank advertisement.
But that wasn't what FNB wanted the video to be about.
Instead, they wanted to tell a story centered around their customers and the things that matter to the communities they serve. The video focused on small-town living, local events, family farms and ranches, small businesses and the people building their lives in rural communities.
The video wasn't really about what FNB sells. It was about what FNB values.
By focusing on the people and places at the heart of their customer base, the video still communicated something important about the bank. It showed an organization that understands rural life, values the communities it serves and recognizes the people and businesses that keep those communities moving.
That's the kind of story that can't be told with a list of services.
You Don't Have to Market Like Everyone Else
It's easy to look around at what other businesses in your industry are doing and assume you should be doing the same thing. If they're posting a certain kind of content, maybe you should too. If their website says something a certain way, maybe yours should sound similar. If a trend seems to be working for everyone else, maybe you need to jump on it.
Looking to others for inspiration isn't necessarily a bad thing, but copying someone else's approach won't tell people what makes your business worth choosing. What works for another company might not fit your audience, your personality or your goals.
Your marketing should feel like an extension of your business—not a version of someone else's.
Pay Attention to What People Already Value About You
Finding what sets your business apart doesn't always require a brainstorming session or a completely new idea. Sometimes, the answer is already there. Think about the things your customers consistently mention. What do they thank you for? Why do they come back? Why do they refer their friends or family? What do you do as part of your everyday process that you don't even think twice about?
Maybe you're incredibly responsive. Maybe your team makes an intimidating process feel simple. Maybe customers know they'll always talk to a real person. Maybe you understand your community because you're part of it. Maybe you pay attention to details other people overlook.
Those things might feel ordinary to you because you do them every day, but to your customers, they may be exactly why they chose you.
Make It Part of Your Marketing
Once you understand what makes your approach different, don't keep it behind the scenes. Show it.
If relationships are important to your business, let people meet the people behind it. If education is a big part of your process, create content that answers questions and makes complicated topics easier to understand. If your work is highly customized, show the thought and process that goes into it. If being part of your community matters to you, tell those stories.
The same idea should carry through your website, social media, photography, video and the way you talk about what you do. That's when marketing starts to feel less like something you're supposed to be doing and more like an accurate reflection of the business you've already built.
Make It Your Own.
Standing out doesn't mean you need to reinvent your industry. You don't need a completely new service, a never-before-seen idea or a louder marketing strategy than everyone around you.
Sometimes, you just need to recognize what you already do differently.
Your approach, your people, your perspective and the experience you create are all part of what makes your business yours. Good marketing finds those things, brings them forward and gives people a reason to remember them.
Because what sets you apart might not be what you do... It might be the way you do it.
Comments