We live in a world where there’s so much competition. No matter what it is what you do, there’s always somebody else out there that’s doing the same thing you are doing. Differentiating your brand is a necessity for your business to survive. One of the ways to differentiate yourself that sometimes tends to be overlooked by companies it through specialization or expertise. When you laser focus what you do and become an expert on your field, you begin to be seen as the best possible option. When people have the need to hire the service that you provide, they will have you at the top of mind and be more keen to look specifically for your services.

1. DEFINE EXPERTISE: Define ExpertiseWhat do you do?It all begins with understanding what you will be differentiating yourself in. You can’t simply make up that you’re an expert in a field, you have to understand the subject and be capable of providing information that backs up your claims. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need decades of experience and titles to name yourself an expert, but you do need to have certain knowledge or understanding in order to leverage it to your advantage. Maybe you are an expert in a certain industry, or are excellent in solving a specific type of problem with a variety of offerings.
2. DETERMINE IF IT’S RELEVANT: Okay, so you now know that you’re an expert or are great at solving a specific problem. Now what? Now you have to determine and understand whether your audience can really benefit from what you know. If what you’re using to differentiate with your audience isn’t something that matters to them, then it won’t really be as effective in getting you more clients.
3. CLEAN UP: Once you have defined what your area of expertise is, I would say it’s important to clear out things that aren’t essential to your business. One of the things I have learned is that keeping services that don’t really add value to my customers was costing me money and time and was also not being effective in separating me as an expert. If you claim you’re an expert in solving a particular problem, it doesn’t make sense to have dozens of other things you offer in your services.
4. BRANDING: Now it’s time to build your brand. Make sure you’re clear of what your values are and how they align with your audience. How will you use your expertise as your Unique Selling Proposition? It’s important to be clear of what your brand is all about. Once you have determined that, it’s vital to have a design system set up that reflects exactly who you are. Your logo has to be on point and your website must be capable of communicating effectively what your expertise is and how you are able to solve problems for your customers. Without building your brand, you will be lost in the crowd.
5. VISIBILITY: Once your brand has been built and your offer and expertise determined, you have to make sure you’re visible. It all begins with delivering content and being capable of telling a story that sells your expertise. Share knowledge through articles, posts, feedback, and reaching out to people that may benefit from you. Make sure you are able to put yourself out there, actually literally being visible by attending networking and industry events.