It is harder than ever to stand out in today’s global and competitive marketplace, but that just means you need to get a little more creative when thinking of new ways to market your business. So how can you get a jump on your competitors – here are three inventive ways to get ahead.
Become a thought leader in your sector
You may offer the best products or services in the world, but if no-one knows who you are it can be near impossible to get your foot in the door. People like to think that they are working with the leading lights in their respective industries, and so the best way to open those doors is to raise your personal brand profile by becoming a “thought leader”.
To become a thought leader you need to get your name out there and this means volunteering to write articles for magazines and websites related to your field, attending any and every related meetup in your town or city, and joining any forums or Facebook groups where people in your industry have discussions. If you write well and have some valuable insights to share, then people will soon start to recognise your name and you will be asked on panel discussions, radio interviews, and more, which all feeds back into the idea that you are “the man” in your field and if a company wants to work with a company in that sector then they will immediately looking to see where you are employed.
Print your own newspaper
The newspaper industry may be dying, but that does not mean that printing your own branded newspaper cannot be a boon to your business. If potential customers are already looking to you as a thought leader, then why not expand upon that value and pull together a number of top names in your industry and start niche newspaper printing, highlighting all the latest developments and ideas from your industry – both from your company and your competitors.
There are thousands of people that have turned this news aggregation idea into a business with the current hype for niche email newsletters, but physical copies gives your brand an added air of quality. Of course there is nothing wrong with also offering an email newsletter to subscribers, but a high quality printed magazine or newspaper that covers your industry will really make your brand stand out.
Live streaming
Not just for gamers, live streaming offers a new and intimate way that customers can interact with your business. Every business website these days includes numerous case studies on how they have helped past clients find success, but live streaming now means you can show potential clients both the finished success stories but also how you work.
You will need to be careful not to share proprietary information or client secrets on the stream, but if you have a client sitting on the fence, then showing them exactly how you work should give them the confidence to take the plunge.
Photograph by Gerd Altmann