How you market your company is the key to making it memorable and successful, but it’s vital to keep in mind that marketing is not “one size fits all”; what might be successful for one business will not necessarily work for yours. What sets an enterprise apart is a combination of brand, voice and what you deliver. When you differentiate yourself from your competitors in these ways, people will talk about and gravitate towards your product, which leads to more robust positioning in your niche. While it can be challenging to identify this unique marketing angle, these tips will help.

1. Know your consumer

It’s impossible to appeal to everyone, even if you want to. If you do not have a clear idea of the person you want to buy or use your product, marketing efforts will not speak to any specific consumer needs, making them feel confused or disconnected from your company. If identifying that target market is difficult, ask yourself who you envision benefitting and thriving from your service. Do your customers:

• Fall into a specific age group?

• Live in a specific area?

• Have a disability or other special need(s)?

• Work in specific industries?

These are the kinds of questions that will help better paint a picture of your ideal consumer, after which can be chosen marketing tactics that align with how they shop, communicate or find information. For instance, if that preferred customer base is teenagers, using flyers or newspaper ads will fail to catch its attention. Instead, short videos on social media platforms like TikTok might be the best choice. Or, if you’re a brand that claims to be inclusive yet doesn’t offer content in a variety of formats, you will likewise miss the mark, as well as that intended audience. (For example, if content is not variably accessible, rest assured that a disabled user will likely not be seeking your services.)

Once you know who your customers are and have found the right channel to promote your product, offer targeted and personalized advertising campaigns that will captivate… influence people to become raving fans.

Related: Determining Your Ideal Customer

2. Showcase differences

It can feel overwhelming to run a business if you are in a highly competitive industry. Keeping up with customers’ demands while differentiating your service from others is a balancing act, but it comes down to discovering the most effective and unique angle. To begin, pinpoint traits that uniquely define you.

Some possibilities:

• Are you a small business that only uses locally-sourced materials?

• Do your prices beat everyone else’s?

• Do you offer a broader range of product options than the competition?

• Do you offer superior customer service or impressive inventory availability?

The quality(ies) that makes your business different can be as simple as being family-owned-and-run or that you use cutting-edge technology in manufacturing, but whatever notable attribute(s) you have is what you should hone in on for marketing. When it’s made evident to customers through ads or social media posts that a company is specialized because of a specific characteristic, more people will be intrigued and inquire about its service. 

Related: How to Build a Team That Embodies the Voice and Mission of Your Company

3. Embrace personality

If a business lacks a focused mission statement or is unclear about its goals, people will not know what it stands for and will have difficulty connecting with or supporting it.

Think back to when you first had that “lightbulb” idea. Maybe you wanted to put a spin on an existing product, or perhaps pursue something entirely unique? When you built on that foundation, you created a business that embodied your leadership style and personality, and this is another way of identifying your unique marketing angle.

Perhaps you are restlessly creative and constantly researching ways to improve your product. It’s logical, then, that everyone on your team also has that same innovational sense and curiosity, and that the service you offer reflects it. Or, if you are passionate about philanthropy and donate a portion of profits to charitable causes, then your marketing angle should emphasize giving back — the power of being generous.

When marketing mirrors the values and traits of a business, its ad campaigns and promotions make your company shine with originality. By incorporating the voice and mission of your organization into promotional efforts, you create a distinct position in the minds of customers.

Related: Your Brand’s Personality is the Secret for Success, But You’re Probably Ignoring It

Finding your unique marketing angle can be daunting, but it will fuel the ability to lead in the long run. When you understand your ideal consumer, you can better focus on targeting potential buyers and creating loyal fans, and by pinpointing an aspect of your business that makes it special and marketing around that, you’ll draw a niche audience. Lastly, if you creatively convey your company’s voice and purpose in promotions, then you will become memorable in your industry.