Time to shake up your market and stand out!

Oh-so-vanilla marketing messages and customer experiences are oh-so-yesterday.
To create a lasting impression with your customers and to stand out in your field, you’re gonna need to push yourself – just a little.

By adding a little twist, flair and personality to your content PLUS planning for exposure (the good kind) AND just being your pretty *hooman* self, you will go a long way towards making your ideal customer sit up and pay attention.

Here are five ways you can shake up your market and stand out to your ideal customers:

1.    Embrace Corporate Social Responsibility

These days, a good chunk of the human population not only expects — but implores — biz owners to play a role in social and environmental change.

In fact, more and more buyer decisions are based on whether or not a business is focused on the greater good of the planet. And 76 percent would donate to a charity supported by a company they trust!

Committing to sustainable practices, high ethical stands and giving back to your local and global community will not only have a positive impact on the Earth, but establish goodwill and boost your reputation. Chances are you are committed to some pretty awesome, benevolent charities and causes already, you may just not have communicated that to your customers. Take a page from a boss like Marie Forleo who showcases the charities she supports in an exceptional way online.  

So, benevolent biz boss. How will you flex your philanthropic muscle?

Here are some ideas:

Support a relevant cause that’s close to your heart (and make it part of your content plan).
Align your biz with a like-minded charity (and don’t be afraid to support their events and charity drives socially).
Opt for environmentally friendly and sustainable products, packaging and practices where you can (and communicate to your customers this is your goal).

2. Make headlines baby 

For all the right reasons, that is.

When your brand appears in “the media” it naturally raises your profile and puts you front and center of your industry.

That’s why good old-fashioned Public Relations should definitely have a home in your visibility strategy.

At its core, PR empowers you as biz owner to proactively cultivate a newsworthy story that portrays your reputation, product, accomplishment or idea in a positive light.

The free publicity also trumps paid advertising! Especially if a trade publication or other esteemed platform mentions who you are, what you do, why you are awesome and where people can find you!

Credibility for the win.

Traditionally, a media release would be pitched to the local newspaper, radio or television station. These days you have a smorgasbord of websites, blogs, social media profiles, podcasts and YouTube channels to pitch to.

Target the ones where you know your ideal customer is actively listening, scrolling, watching and reading!

Every brand has a valuable, timely and newsworthy story to tell.

What’s yours?

Are you about to launch a new offering?

Have you won an award?

Do you have some thoughts to share on current industry trends and topics?

Let’s broadcast it!

Pro tip: work with a PR Agency if you really want to up the ante. Local agencies are usually best as they have well developed relationships with local media. They can help you track the ROI from the PR spend – which is super important.

3. Position yourself as a leader in your niche and all round awesome person (in a nice way)

In an impressive line up of creatives, coaches, freelancers and small biz owners, it’s the one who positions herself as an informed expert and go-to person that will command attention.

Shake up your industry and stand out to your ideal customer by becoming a micro-influencer or leader in your niche. This is a marketing and PR weapon for boss babes who need to differentiate their sweet selves from the rest of the arena.

Speaking at niche industry events is one opportunity to take centre stage and move an entire (targeted) audience with innovative ideas.

Guest posts and opinion pieces are another way you can reach your ideal customer. They can help you to position yourself as an authority figure, comment on trends, address pain points and challenge people’s thinking.

This strategy not only puts you and your biz on a pedestal, it helps you inspire a whole new audience with the backing of third-party endorsement.

via GIPHY

 

4. Set up a referral program

Spread the love!

Referral programs help you to create a lasting impression PLUS incentivise and reward your existing customers.

Whether it involves a bonus product, a free consultation, first dibs on a new offering or a discount for a service, a tantalising referral program will help you stand out and showcase your astounding goods.

Another pleasant by-product of an immaculately delivered referral program is the boost in sales once their friends come a-knockin!

If you’re just getting started and don’t yet have any happy customers on the books, ask your besties, colleagues, friends list and family for their support.

Gather testimonials that offer a narrative of the customer experience and your expertise.

 

5. Just be human, ya dig?

The truth is showing your face can really surprise and delight an audience! We *as in us humans* are pre-programmed to respond to human faces and voices on an emotional level; so you are allowing your customers to connect with you emotionally by showing that pretty face. 

That’s right – to shake things up and stand out to your ideal customers just be yourself! For many brands, consumers are led through their customer journey without any real connection to a living, breathing human.

There are so many opportunities to get out from behind the screen and reveal yourself to your tribe. Phone calls, emails, in-person meetings and social media provide opportunities for moments of profound connection.

Create a relatable persona through the brand ‘voice’ that is woven through your content.

Take your audience behind the scenes in Facebook live streams and Instagram Stories.

Hold customer discovery sessions in an actual café (iced latte with an extra shot, please and thank you).

People don’t buy from a business. They buy from a person. So the more you can stop acting like a robot and get real, raw and honest the better off.

We could honestly sit here all day and brainstorm both traditional and out-of-the-box strategies to shake things up and stand out.

We really hope these five activities are an extraordinary head start for you!

This is the kind of work that really lights us up here at Bohemia HQ and we’d love to expand on what we’ve shared here. If you’re keen to develop your customer love strategy and explore more opportunities to magnify your visibility – don’t be afraid, we’re here to help, work with us for a one-on-one strategy session.