This week we’re covering a topic I know ALLLL of us deal with at any stage in having a business. I know I struggled with this when I was first getting started, then again when I was adding on other layers to my business, like this podcast. I know there are many of you out there who can get paralyzed by this fear.
We’re talking about HOW to Stand Out in an Already Saturated Market.
I know you might feeling like you have nothing unique to offer. That there are SO many other people doing exactly what you want to do – should you even both?
I want to stop you right there my friend and say YES YOU DO.
There is always room for more – the more you encourage yourself with abundance the more opportunities show up for you.
Today I am sharing my top 3 tips on how to do just that.
TIP 1: Choose a Niche Market
This is No.1 for a reason – because it is SO important! You know that feeling of being a tiny fish in a HUGE pond? Well helllloooo – let’s make that pond smaller!
Choosing to serve a smaller market of people does NOT cause you to lose out on opportunities – it creates more opportunities.
WHAT?! I know what you’re thinking – But there’s less people there! I still get this reaction often when people learn I only work with women. But the reality is when you’re trying to market yourself to everyone – you’re really marketing yourself to no one.
Your message is bound to be super vague and generic because you don’t really have anyone in particular you’re talking to. How can you possibly know what your ideal client is thinking/feeling if they could be anyone?
Let’s use my niche market for example…
Not only do I serve women – but I serve women who own or are creating a small online business. By small I don’t mean insignificant at ALL – I mean she’s probably a solopreneur. She might have a VA or some kind of help, but for the most part she is running the show on her own, similar to myself! She doesn’t have this big team behind her – yet – but they aspirations and dreams of growing the business in a big way.
She’s located in the United States (funny since I am living in Australia)
This allows me to make decisions on WHEN to post (imagine if I was trying to reach both the US and Australia – two completely different time zones!)
And she’s probably between 30-45 years old.
She’s most likely not still in college or in those early worklife years – and she’s not in the empty nester phase. She’s right in it – where the pressures of work and family life start to compete or are already in full force.
Now, do I have clients that fall outside this description? YES. I’ve had a few clients in Australia now and have had a few that might not be in that solopreneur role or within that specified age range. ALL still women though of course! I never let that requirement slide these days, sorry dudes.
That’s okay if business comes to you from a little outside your identified niche market, there will still be people who still connect with you outside of your niche – and that’s great!
The important thing is to always MARKET to your niche and tailor your messaging to that person you carefully selected as your ideal audience. You want to touch on topics they might be struggling with – how they’re feeling and what they are working so hard to achieve.
Choosing a smaller target audience also makes THEM connect with you WAY faster. They’re more likely to say “OMG she totally gets me”. Other people are much more likely to purchase from and invest in someone they know and trust – so they need to know you understand them.
TIP 2: Be Yourself – Seriously
Another way to stand out in an already saturated market is to just BE YOURSELF already! Stop looking around at whose out there and trying to emulate them. This also can keep us from going too far into the comparison game – which we ALL fall into at some point!
I remember when I was creating Girlboss Designer, I came across another brand designer who’d been in the business for a while. Her website was very feminine – all white, blush and gold. It was really beautiful, and immediately I wondered, should I be more like this? It made me completely question the look of my own website brand before I had even launched it.
This happened again fairly recently when I came across another designer on Instagram. Hey branding and work felt much more refined than mine – more sophisticated in a way – using more calligraphy and mainly sticking with neutral colors. Again I found myself going – wow this looks so good, should I be more like this?
And AGAIN I had to reel myself back in and shut those feelings down.
The reality is – I’m not super soft, girly or glamorous. My style is much more casual, beachy and bohemian compared to the women I was admiring. I love color and traveling, and I prefer a tank top and cut off shorts to a perfectly put together outfit any day. All of this is what makes me ME, and it’s what gives my brand it’s unique twist. I was on a consultation call a while back and she described my design style as approachable – and you know what, I like that.
But when it comes to your image, your messaging, and your BRAND – bringing more YOU into the business will make it stand out more than if you were trying to mimic what seems to be popular right now.
Copying will only to cause you to further blend in, instead of stand out. It’s okay to be aware of certain marketing strategies of those who you admire in your market – there is nothing wrong with implementing things that obvious work.
This also goes for your brand’s messaging. I know a lot of my clients are scared about the writing portion of creating their website. They often wish someone would just do it all for them – but I always encourage them to just Write How You Talk. You have your own unique voice, way of speaking and your own stories behind your messaging. Letting that come through in your writing is only going to make you stand out and be more yourself/
Be proud of your style, who you are and your story.
Don’t lose what makes you unique by trying to be like everyone else.
TIP 3: Delight your Clients/Customers
My last tip for standing out in a saturated marketing is to delight those amazing clients and customers of yours!
Again, people love to buy from someone they know and trust – and what better way of knowing you can trust someone than when your friend recommends them! Referrals can be a huge part of your business if you treat the client you DO have right.
Referrals were my #1 business driver when I first got started, and now they are my #2 behind Pinterest.
This seems like a no brainer right – but sometimes we need a little reminder of how important our clients are. Don’t think that just because they’ve signed on to work with you that all your hard work is done. Make sure their experience with you is enjoyable and feel free to go above and beyond for them!
I’ve had clients bring me other referrals before we were even done with their project, or literally when we were in the early stages. I’m not saying this in ANY way to brag – I just want you to know this can happen for you to when you treat your clients right.
Here are a few bonus tips on how to delight your clients/customers
- Be responsive! This one can be tough for me sometimes since I am on such a different time zone from my clients. But I make sure it’s very clear when I am typically checking email and working so they have an idea when they will be hearing from me
- Be friendly. Seems like no brainer right? Haha I shouldn’t have to tell you to be nice to your clients! But there is nothing better than when your client feels really comfortable with you – that they can confide in you and that you’re their friend there to support them along their journey
- Add a personal touch. Address them by their name – get to know them. Really consider THEM and who they are (their interests, likes dislikes) in the decisions you’re making throughout your time working together.
- Go above and beyond. Although I do have a contract in place outlining exactly what their project includes, once in a while I find myself doing little extra – maybe they ended up needing an extra page on their site, or want to talk through marketing questions on the phone or need help figuring something else out. I tend to not get to knit picky on every little thing and help as much as I can. Now there is a point where you will need to charge for extra work, but when it’s just little stuff or extra advise, I just roll with it.
Alright guys those are my main 3 tips on how YOU can stand out in a seemingly saturated market!
This exercise will take you through some guiding questions to help you along the way to identify WHO exactly you want to serve.
To grab that freebie just go to girlbossdesigner.com/standout.
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