Competition among brands can quickly feel overwhelming. You know how important it is to be distinctive from similar businesses, particularly if you want to get noticed in a busy environment. Differentiating yourself, especially when you may have a comparable target audience to other local companies, can feel like an ongoing challenge.

With these strategies, however, you can stand out from your competitors and help potential customers take notice of everything your brand has to offer. 

1. Create Confident Branding

High-quality, consistent branding will help you emerge from the crowd of other businesses in your community. It will also establish who you are and what sets you apart. Your brand’s personality makes you unique--and creating confident branding can go a long way towards marketing efforts. Colors that pop, specific fonts, and tone assist in making your business memorable. Make sure that your choices are different from your competitors, from your color scheme to the fonts you choose, so that consumers can recognize you from a distance.  

Ideally, you want your branding to be consistent across all mediums. You want your customers to quickly recognize your company and know your marketing materials connect to your brand, and not to your competitors.

2. Be Unquestionably Authentic 

Authenticity goes a long way with your audience. Customers want a genuine brand they can trust and rely on. For too many brands, marketing is an effort to make their options stand out rather than a comprehensive program dedicated to sharing information with consumers. Simply offering honesty and authenticity can go a long way toward making your brand stand out. 

Offer transparency in your products, services, prices, and guarantees. Be candid about what you can provide and why you’re trustworthy. Create content that showcases that reliability. You will build an immense amount of customer trust simply by offering them information they can count on.     

3. Find Your Unparalleled Uniqueness  

What about your business is different from the rest? Is it your culture? Your team? Your background? Do you offer special services that others simply do not provide?  

As you're considering what makes you unique, take a careful look at your local competitors. How does your target audience differ from theirs? Use your one-of-a-kind qualities to stand out--and make sure you market those extraordinary traits to set your brand apart.  

If there isn't anything rare or incomparable about your business, it's time to develop ideas that will let you shine. Reinvent your brand to differentiate yourself, if necessary. You don't want your company to be a cookie-cutter of everyone else in your industry. Instead, offer something that makes you new and fresh.  

Look for promotions that help you stand apart or that will draw in a unique target audience. Connect with something that matters to members of your local community, whether it's fun themes or family-focused opportunities. That special something could make all the difference as consumers consider which brand they want to use for their next purchase.

4. Do Good in the Community 

Businesses that embrace a mission or charity or help out their communities get attention from customers who appreciate their values. Today's consumers vote with their wallets. They want to give their money to organizations they see doing good things, particularly when compared to similar brands that aren't giving back.  

Try cause marketing to benefit a mission and your brand at the same time. Look for a cause that reflects your values or that connects with your business. Effective cause marketing will endorse more visibility within your local community and allow your customers to put a face on your business. You'll notice that consumers are more likely to choose you when they connect your brand with the causes that matter most to them. 

It's a great time to improve your business, stand out from your competitors, and encourage consumers to choose you when they're looking for a service in your industry. Don't be just another face in the crowd! Instead, choose these strategies, from giving back to your local community to developing an unrivaled brand to stand out in your local industry.