When starting up a business you will hear over and over that you need to be unique in your marketing. You want to get the consumer's attention. There is a lot of competition out there, so being unique is essential. What you must do is distinguish your product or services from the competition. Some businesses offer products or services that are already unique. Others must find the unique niche in their business. By being unique in your marketing message, you will attract the notice of more soon-to-be customers.
Is it worth the effort? Definitely. Being different in your marketing can make your business:
- memorable,
- competitive, and
- special to your target audience.
But how different should you be? Can you go too far? Sometimes you can be so unique that you turn off consumers. Or depending you miss the target with your marketing. Not all businesses have large ads in the Yellow Pages for the simple reason that they do not get results. So do not be different and take out an ad in the Yellow Pages.
Remember, the basics of marketing are tried and true. They provide results. You can be unique in your message and some of your methods. But do not get so far out of the box that you completely miss your target audience. Some businesses are so unique that they have a problem providing a marketing message. For example, you might offer a totally new service for the business to business community. However, it is unlike anything else out there – and that seems to be all you keep saying. This makes it a little too much of an unknown. You have to be able to provide some comparators in order for customers to understand what your product or service offers to them. If they can not compare it to something, they probably will not see how they need it.
When looking at unique marketing you need to keep in mind your target audience. You have to have a target audience. You can not appeal that your product is so unique that it targets no set audience. There is to be someone that you want to market to. You have to be able to identify the consumers you want to reach out to. You have to know how to communicate what need your service or product fulfills.
Look for a unique way to communicate the benefits you offer, but make sure that it relates to your services or product. It is okay to be creative, but do not spend too much money on marketing that will not tie your product to the message. Use the existing marketing strategies that work well and use them. This will save you a lot of money and time.
You want to be distinct in the marketplace. However, if you are too far out in the left field, no one will really remember you. Be unique in your message, be solid in your marketing plan.
