Know the top 6 tips for marketing your business in a saturated landscape. No matter your business type, you likely have some competition. When your niche is saturated, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. And fortunately, there are many ways to market your brand and reach new customers.
6 Tips to Marketing Your Business in a Saturated Landscape
How Do You Make Your Business Stand Out in a Saturated Market?
The Small Business Administration estimates there are 32.5 million small businesses in the United States, making up around 99.9% of all American businesses. The Great Resignation and following the COVID-19 pandemic adds to the number of people launching their own operations.
Even if competition isn’t fierce now, it may be in the near future. How can you stand out and not waste marketing dollars?
- 72% of small businesses have a website,
- 96 % of small businesses use social media,
- 80% of small businesses invest in SAAS
- 42 % of small businesses have mobile apps
1 – Improve the Customer Experience (CX)
If all other things are equal, you can gain loyal fans by providing the best CX possible. Ramp up your customer service, so customers walk away feeling valued. Make sure it’s simple to place an order. Reduce the number of steps involved. Make reordering a one-click process.
2 – Choose the Right Sign to Marketing Your Business in a Saturated Landscape
If you run a brick-and-mortar location, you need a sign for visibility and directional cues. Choosing the right type of sign can mean the difference between standing out from the competition and blending in.
Pay attention to the other signs in your vicinity. You are working to grab attention even if the store isn’t your direct competition. What colors do they use? What are the shapes? You want your signage to pop, so people notice it first. Also, think about the distance drivers, and passersby need to view the sign from and make it large enough to be readable.
3 – Participate in Local Charity
If you want to gain visibility locally, adopt a cause that your community cares about. For example, sponsor a little league team and ask for your name to be on tee shirts on banners at the ballpark. Donate to your local school by posting a newspaper ad, posting a yearbook, or doing other things to help your local children spread your name.
Another idea is to find a cause related to a passion of yours or something your brand does. One example might be a bottled water company investing in local water conservation efforts.
4 – Find a Unique Edge to Marketing Your Business in a Saturated Landscape
What makes your company different from others in your industry?
Perhaps you offer the best customer service, or maybe you have a fun attitude. Whatever makes you unique, play it up in your advertising.
Brands with a big voice become instantly recognizable to users. And think about some of the top brands out there. Burger King is known for flame-broiling their burgers. Chipotle is known for serving fresh food. So, Chick-fil-A is known for their excellent customer service.
5 – Ramp Up Content
In a recent survey, researchers found 88% of marketers feel the content is the most powerful way to enhance brand awareness. Creating amazing content doesn’t have to cost a lot of money but can result in much more traffic to your site and help your business seem more knowledgeable than others in your field.
Think about the type of questions you typically get when customers call for information. Can you answer that upfront without losing trade secrets? What problems do most of your clients face? Can you help with some of them and still retain business?
Content can include articles, videos, webinars, infographics, and more. Think about the best ways to distribute information and then create pieces that are far better than anything else you find in a Google search.
6 – Choose a Secondary Audience for Marketing Your Business in a Saturated Landscape
Another way to stand out in a crowded marketplace is to go after the audience segment your competitors ignore. For example, if you sell shoes and most people go after the 20 to 30 age range, look to people in their 40s, kids, or seniors. What can you offer that’s unique to them?
Every business has audience segments. Don’t be afraid to stretch and add new ones to what you already do.
Ask Users to Help You
User-generated content and word-of-mouth marketing can be your most effective tools for getting the word out about your offer. Ask your loyal customers to help you and tell others about your business. Try different tactics, ask for ideas and help, and soon you’ll have more new customers than you can handle–even in a saturated landscape.
Author: Eleanor is Editor-in-Chief of Designerly Magazine. She is also a freelance web designer with a focus on user experience. Eleanor lives in Philadelphia with her husband and their dog, Bear.