Top tips that will help your brand stand out

Having a hard time standing out in a sea of same-same competitors? No matter if you are selling a product or if you have a service-based business, and no matter how good you are at what you do, it can be hard to get noticed by your ideal client and make your brand truly shine.

In May this year (2023), Sweet Orange celebrates 10 years in business and I’m super proud of that. The reasons why we are still going strong after a full decade is that we always keep learning, always put our customers first, and because we know how to pivot when the time is right.

As we are always happy to share what we know, one way to mark our 10th anniversary is this new blog post in which we uncover a few powerful tips on how you can stand out from your competition and help you increase sales and engagement.

Let’s dive in!

 

 1. Know who your competitors are

Everything starts with research. Never underestimate the learnings you’ll gain from researching your direct and indirect competitors. The more you know about your competition in the market, the better. This is not just advice for start-ups. Even if you have been in business for a while and have an established network and client/customer base, you should still keep a close eye on your competition. That knowledge will help you to position yourself in the best possible way and you will see your business grow.

You’ll need to work out who you’re competing against, and on what, so investigate:

• What your main competitors are offering
• How similar their product or service is to yours
• What are their points of difference?
• What is their price point?
• Who are their customers?
• What sales channels do they use?
• What is their online presence like?
• Do they have reviews and what are they like?
• How does the quality of their product or service compare to yours?

You can start with this handy competitor analysis tool from myNZTE.

2. Focus on your USP

Your unique selling point (USP), also called a unique selling proposition, is the essence of what makes your product or service better than your competitor’s offerings. Every business needs one clearly defined, unique quality to connect with customers that shows what sets your brand apart. That USP is what should drive your marketing message.

A USP has five basic components:

• Benefits
• Emotive
• Key selling points
• Key difference
• Competitive advantage

Now of course your question is… how do you write a Unique Selling Proposition? Just follow these steps and keep in mind that an ideal USP should be no longer than one or two sentences. Keep it short and sweet and don’t beat around the bush (no fluff, please!).

Step 1: Identify your target audience.

Step 2: Define the problem your product or service solves.

Step 3: List what benefits you deliver and what sets you apart.

Step 4: Clearly define your promise.

Step 5: Combine all this in one paragraph then shorten it to one strong sentence.

For the record, our USP is Influence and inspire with creative copy.

 

3. Nail your tone of voice

When you find the tone of voice for your brand, you will communicate efficiently and effectively with your audience, share your personality, and stand out from competitors.

Like any human being, every brand has a voice. That voice should be consistent in all your marketing efforts, from web copy to Instagram posts and from brochures to reels. It applies to all channels and touchpoints.

To nail your tone of voice, you must first define your core values. Once you have determined the “why” behind your brand, you can begin to craft a unique tone of voice.

Think about what makes your business unique and what your brand truly stands for.

1. Create a concise brand mission statement that shows who you are, what you care about, and what your brand does to achieve its goals.
2. Determine your brand messaging in a way that it aligns your brand’s overall communication and brand values across all your content.

Start with asking yourself, if your brand was a person, how would you describe its personality? You can also use the Nielsen Norman Group’s four dimensions of tone of voice to map where your brand sits.

Each piece of copy we write for our clients is unique and full of personality. If you choose to use AI, you’ll miss that vital piece of originality. I’m not saying that it is bad, AI is quite brilliant, but the content it produces will be generic.

To stand out from your competition, you want anything but standard text. You want copy that jumps off the page. An experienced copywriter knows how to let your personality shine. Ask us how!

4. Meet your audience with solutions

People only want to deal with you and your business if you can help them with something, or solve their problem. Understanding the key audience and knowing how to find solutions for their challenges is at the core of any brand’s growth. To build a great reputation and get referrals and repeat business, you will need to find out how to best serve your audience.

In most cases, they will have the option to buy elsewhere. That’s why you should do everything you can to always be their number one choice. The best way to do that is to always prioritise customer service. Always look for ways to improve. If you go over and beyond for your customers, it will get noticed.

A few tips:

• Be responsive, communicate well, and add value where you can.
• Make it as easy as possible for customers to make a purchase or get in touch.
• Reward their loyalty. Consumers love feeling special and everyone appreciates a good deal.
• Offer customers the opportunity to provide feedback and make sure you reply.
• Keep in touch! Make good use of your database and keep your customers informed.
• Keep your social media presence active. Out of sight means out of mind.

 

5. Be visible and look the best

The last point of the list of tips above was to keep your social media presence active. But that’s not all! You also need a great website. People will look you up online if they are interested in what you have to offer so you’d want to look the best.

Take my word on this one, please. Unless you know plenty about SEO, web design (UX and UI), do not skimp on it and try to DIY it. It takes less than a second for people to form an opinion about your website, and you just never get a second chance to make that first impression.

To look the best (and be visible) online, you need a website and social media presence that:

1. Is brand consistent
2. Strengthens your brand voice
3. Is professionally designed
4. Is optimised for search
5. Does not go stale

Whether you’re a startup or an established business, your website should have these 10 elements:

• A clear purpose
• Strong branding
• Uncluttered design
• Clear navigation
• Compelling content
• Clear calls to action
• Multi-device optimisation
• Outstanding UX and UI
• High security
• Your contact information

Regularly update the copy and images on your site, and I also recommend a website design refresh every 3-5 years. As this website is about 3 years old, a new one is in the making.

If you need a great new website, talk to us today. We work with some great developers and web designers and there is a solution for every budget. Contact us

 

6. Highlight positive feedback and reviews

Online reviews are powerful. Before you visit a restaurant or choose accommodation for your trip away, don’t you check TripAdvisor? Of course you do!

Research shows that only 3% of people would consider using a business with an average star rating of two or fewer stars. That same research also shows that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. If your customers are happy with your product or service, tell the world!

Positive reviews are important for a few different reasons. They show that a business is reputable and reliable and that can help them stand out from the competition and earn trust from consumers. Another key outcome of positive reviews is that they can help a business rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and who doesn’t want that?

A good review can help you increase your bottom line, so don’t hesitate to ask for them when you’ve done a great job or have delivered awesome customer service. In saying that, if you have worked with us and are happy with our service, please let us know and take a minute to leave us a Google review. Here’s the link. Thank you!

Nobody is perfect, and it is possible to get feedback that’s not so great from time to time. A negative review can happen regardless of the quality of your work or how many people love your business. No matter how much it sucks, if you get a bad online review, make sure to address it.

Whatever you do, do not get defensive or make excuses. It is important to take responsibility if something didn’t go right. Acknowledge the issue and apologise if your service did not satisfy this person’s expectations. If necessary, you can explain the situation further for the readers of the reviews. Always make sure that the client feels that their complaint was heard.

7. Give excellent customer service, always!

Customer service should be your priority.

By offering the best possible customer service and going the extra mile, you are strengthening your reputation in the marketplace. It shows that you genuinely care about the people who purchase your product or service. That in itself sets you apart from your competition.

That’s how we did it and how we can help you do it, too. Contact us anytime if you want to influence and inspire your audience with creative copy. We can’t wait to work with you!

~ Martine Pierhagen, founder of Sweet Orange Copywriting & PR

 

 

~ With huge thanks to the amazing photographers from around the world that generously upload their work for free sharing on unsplash.com