Posts Tagged ‘Differentiation’
Branding: The Inside-Out Rule
Branding is one of those marketing terms that everyone uses but very few actually embrace. When companies try to brand themselves, they often suffer from the “can’t accurately describe the bottle from inside the bottle” reality. One of the other huge threats to a branding effort is when a company does not follow the inside out rule. Disregarding…
Read MoreThe Secret to Writing Killer Small Business Taglines
We devote a lot of space here presenting a wide range of marketing plans and sometimes they can be very involved and demand a lot of planning, careful execution, and even financial investment. However, when I reflect on my success, I have to give a lot of credit to four little words, my tagline: THE…
Read MoreBranding Your Business? 6 Tips to Make an Impact
Your business brand is the message you send to potential customers. People form an impression based on aspects such as your social media posts, the graphics you use in promotions, the ways in which you handle customer service, your product quality and even your company logo. Follow these six branding tips for making an impact…
Read MoreHow Brand Leaders Can Be Brand Losers
Conventional business wisdom touts that you have to be the biggest, the strongest, the richest and the best. All worthy goals that build a dynamic economy. Capturing the mind of your customers is the basis for brand building. Once they have taken you to their bosom, your brand blossoms and grows. To capture that embrace…
Read MoreStanding Out: How to Sustain Your Competitive Edge
Having a competitive advantage means that you bring something unique to the table that your competitors do not. Depending on the industry you’re in, this can come from a number of different sources. For some, they offer the best technology, whereas for others they market to the proper demographic. Companies that keep a competitive advantage…
Read MoreWhy Market Research is Essential
Whether you are just starting your business, planning to grow, expand into a new market or launch a new product or service, market research is absolutely essential. A great idea doesn’t instantly equate to success; in your day to day life you don’t blindly make decisions without any information about what you are doing, so…
Read MoreSeth Godin Was Wrong: The Trouble with “Remarkable”
Seth Godin is a pretty smart guy. He invented permission marketing, popularized tribes, and taught us how to become the linchpin of our professional environments. He also reinvented book publishing with the Domino Project. Among his many good ideas is the concept of the Purple Cow—the idea that being remarkable is the key to attracting attention and success. Well, I…
Read MoreGood, Cheap, Fast. Pick Any Two.
This one is attributed to Rod Adair, the famous oil and gas fire suppressing expert. And boy, does it apply to most of us and our offerings. “Quality” products and services should not be positioned as “cheap,” or your potential customers will question your message from the start, and will be more critical of the…
Read MoreFranchise Success Requires Differentiation
As you’re searching for the perfect franchise business operation, you might find yourself thinking, “Gyms are so popular—I should invest in a gym!” or “Look at all the coffee shops—I should open a coffee shop.” Herd thinking is one of the most natural thought patterns for human beings. It probably helped keep our distant ancestors…
Read MoreHow to Succeed in a Crowded Market
As entrepreneurs, we often look for an untapped market or “blue ocean” opportunity to make our mark. The path less traveled, right? But if your passion and experience direct you right into the middle of a crowded, top-heavy industry, do you pack it up and go home? Or do you jump feet first into an…
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