Businesses sometimes struggle with this concept because they’ve never actually taken the time to look at what makes them different from the customer’s perspective. A lot of business owners are great at what they do – they know their service inside out – but they don’t necessarily think about how that translates to the buying experience.
Because they understand what makes them different in their own heads, they assume it’s obvious to others. But the reality is, if you don’t step back and ask yourself, “Am I actually communicating what makes us different?” then you’re probably not.
The key is not just saying you’re different but actually identifying what you do that truly sets you apart. If you can’t find a meaningful difference between what you offer and what a competitor does, that’s a problem. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes – why would they choose your product or service if there are alternatives that are the same or even cheaper?
What Mistakes Do Business Owners Make?
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when communicating their value is saying the same thing as everyone else. In a crowded marketplace, you need to offer or communicate something genuinely different – otherwise, you just blend in.
Another common mistake is making claims that sound great but can’t actually be backed up. It’s easy to get carried away with messaging that sounds impressive, but if it’s not the reality of what you offer, it will cause problems down the line – whether that’s unhappy customers, lower conversions, or a loss of trust.
Businesses also tend to overcomplicate things. Communicating value needs to be compelling, but it also has to be clear and easy to understand. If it’s too complex, potential customers won’t grasp what makes you different, and they’ll move on.
Furthermore, the value you communicate has to be relevant to your audience. Just because you think something is valuable doesn’t mean your target customers do. If your messaging isn’t aligned with what your audience actually cares about, then your product, message, and market fit will be off.
How To Find What Makes You Different?
To identify what makes a company different, you have to look at three key areas – but you can’t look at them in isolation. Each one needs to be considered in the context of the other two.
First, you need to analyse your own business. This includes your product or service, your marketing mix, and all the factors that contribute to how you position yourself.
Second, you need to study your competitors. A proper competitor analysis helps you understand what they offer, who they target, and where there might be gaps or opportunities in the market.
Third, you need to understand your audience – their wants, needs, and expectations.
When you bring all three of these together, you can take a systematic approach to defining what truly makes you different. A SWOT analysis is a great way to structure this process, breaking it down into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. And if you don’t yet have a clear point of difference, this gives you all the information you need to refine or adapt your offering to create something truly unique and valuable.
How To Communicate Your Point of Difference?
To communicate what makes you different in your marketing, you first need to align your messaging with your target audience. A great way to start is by assessing audience awareness. We often use an awareness ladder to determine what the audience already knows – are they completely unaware of the problem? Are they problem-aware but not yet looking for solutions? Do they know about potential solutions but need more convincing? Or are they already aware of us but need more evidence to choose us?
Once we know their level of awareness, we can shape our messaging accordingly. Other key audience factors also come into play, such as demographics (age, gender, location, occupation) and psychographics (beliefs, behaviours, pain points). If it’s B2B, their role within a company is also crucial.
This is where user personas come in. While personas are common in marketing, they’re not always used effectively. When done right, they help tailor messaging to specific audience segments, ensuring relevance. A business might have multiple personas for different subgroups, each requiring distinct messaging.
From there, we refine our messaging further based on when and where it will be used. A traditional marketing funnel helps guide this – are we raising awareness, nurturing leads, or driving conversions? If we’re at the awareness stage, our messaging might focus on curiosity and education. If we’re at the conversion stage, we’ll likely add more urgency. The key is making sure the message is not only tailored to the person but also to the specific goal within the marketing plan.
Next Steps
This is a process and takes time to understand. It’s also not static, so what might make you different today may chance tomorrow. If you’d like to learn more about how we work with clients to differentiate their products or services, or learn about our marketing services, please get in touch.