How to make your business stand out | Part 2

Recently I went over 5 different things you can do to make your business stand out. You see, it’s tough out there for business because, since we live in a world with no limits or boundaries, that means we’re facing global competition. However, it’s OKAY! You can still have crazy amounts of competition and be SUPER successful in business. In part 1 of this series, I talked about some things you can do in order to differentiate your brand. However, those 5 things I mentioned aren’t enough. There are so many more we can cover and I go over 5 more things that you can do in order to make your business stand out. You can do 1 of them or all 10. What’s really important is that you start doing at least one of them if you are really looking to differentiate your business. I’m also giving you a guide with 10 different strategies you can apply RIGHT now that will help you in making your business stand out! These are all strategies that I have applied on my own business and have actually helped me increase my income by 1011% in under 6 months!

Of all the different strategies you can use in order to differentiate your business, this one if probably the most effective one of all. I learned this one the hard way. You see, when I began in business, I used to focus my communication in saying that I’m a graphic designer that designs logos and websites. That was it.

What I realized eventually is that people didn’t care so much about what I did. You see, what people really care about is what you can do for them. Basically, everyone has a problem. The problem might be super dumb and small or something really big and impactful. What people really care about is if you’re capable of solving the problem for them. So, when I was focusing on talking about my services and what I did instead of mentioning what I was doing for others, I was losing a big chunk of my audience.
So, I went out and changed the way I communicated. I stopped focusing on what I do and started talking about what I do for others. This was a total game changer. So, instead of talking about my services I shifted my focus to say that I’m a branding specialist and designer that helps entrepreneurs create brands that showcase what makes them remarkable while attracting clients and making their businesses grow. Do you see the difference between those 2 statements? When you focus on the solutions that you’re bringing to your clients, you are able to connect directly with their needs. Creating an experience of transformation means focusing on the changes your client/audience will go through once they work with you and how their lives will be so much better once they hire you.

One amazing way to helping your business stand out is taking advantage of the different emotions that are associated with your brand. In order for this to truly work out, it’s essential that you really define who your target audience is and what moves them.

An incredible example of this is the Honest Company. Have you heard of them? They make “safe” and natural products for the whole family and are targeted at mothers mainly. They understood that one of the emotions that drives moms most is protection. This instinct of keeping their families safe. So, what they did was target their whole brand based on this idea that what they produce will keep their babies safe. After all, if they’re The Honest Company, that means that everybody else ISN’T honest, right? So, in other words, you can trust the Honest Company because they’re telling you the truth, they’re transparent about what they put in their products. Does that make sense?
Differentiating your brand by focusing on emotions is a very powerful tool and will enable your business to have a leg up on the competition for sure.

Of course, as a designer I’m ALWAYS going to tell you that having beautiful design really makes an impact for differentiating your business. But, hear me out for a second. Unfortunately, the truth is that people DO judge a book by its cover. You might have THE most amazing product or service in the world, but if it doesn’t look and feel amazing how would anybody know it’s great? You can never underestimate the power of GOOD design, specially when that design is made with a purpose behind it. When your business is designed to showcase what makes you remarkable, it has a lot more power than simply designed to make it look nice.

It’s like when you are trying on a dress or suit that might be beautiful, but is not suitable for your body. It might make you look terrible! When you try something on that is made specifically to show your best traits, it will make you look amazing. That’s what design with a purpose is all about. When your brand’s look fits who you are, it will become an unstoppable force. Plus, when you’re consistent with your look, using your logo everywhere, maintaining a color palette and fonts or patterns in every touch point, you will build recognition and your audience is more capable of remembering you. This will eventually translate into having them trust you more and BUYING from you even more! Makes sense, right? Check out this guide that explains what specifically you can do in terms of design (and more) to differentiate YOUR business.

Building a community is one those things that is super effective in creating a direct relationship with your clients. It’s all about having a tribe that listens to you, but most importantly, a group of people who YOU can listen to as well. Creating a community is an incredible way to make your audience feel like they are special. Listen, in the end, it’s always about making a connection. I always tell the story of how one of the biggest lessons I learned in living in places like Brazil, Spain, USA, India and Venezuela is that, no matter where people are from, regardless of their cultures and language, what’s most important to everyone is to feel like the belong. People want to feel like they’re not alone in their struggles and successes, like they can have a group of people they can share their experiences with. Building a community around your brand is a great place to start. It will bring you closer to your audience and will make a difference in how you do business because it will show you care. Have a community has made a big impact for my business as well. I actually have 2 online communities. One of them is in English and the other is in Spanish. Everyday I’m sharing content and information on both of them. Each Thursday I do Facebook Lives talking about different subjects related to branding, marketing, business and design. These are all things that bring me closer to my audience and shows them I care about them as well!

Finally (but certainly not the least important), it’s about finding ways in which you can give MORE value to your clients. This is something that also made a very big impact in my business. You see, I realized that THE MORE value I gave my clients, the happier they were with the work I do for them. So, I made it a personal mission to be a lot more than simply a graphic designer. I give my clients a lot of great tools that helps them in building their own businesses as well. Not only that, but I also began giving free value through my website and online community. All of these things have been fundamental in my business. They are the details that differentiate me from everyone else out there. So, you really want to think about the different things that you can do in terms of delivering more value that will make you THE BEST option for your potential clients. What can you give them so that they become absolutely loyal to your business? It could be a small detail such as a thank you note or a free guide that will enable them to get even more for what they paid when they work with you. Whatever it is, DO IT. It will make a huge impact in making your business stand out.

All of these strategies (plus the ones I mentioned in Part 1 of How to Make Your Business Stand Out) alone can do wonders for your business. However, when you apply more than one, or, if you’re brave enough, ALL of them; then brace yourself for what’s coming! I can tell you right now on a personal note that I have done everything I mention here and it has transformed my business completely. Now, I don’t EVER worry about my competition. I’m doing the best work I have ever had, focusing on building incredible relationships with my clients and giving them more value.

It shouldn’t scare you either. Once you start applying these strategies and the ones outlined in the guide + checklist below, you will never again have to worry about making your business stand out. Piece of cake.