Brand positioning can be a small business’s secret weapon
Written by Rowena Morais
When you’re asked what makes your business different and unique, the answer should come to you almost immediately. Sure, you may need some time to flesh out your response, but if you’re left wondering what that distinctive flavour is, then it may be time to hit pause.
Let’s say that you keep hearing a disturbing grinding sound in your car every time you drive.
This auto shop or that one?
You decide to visit a local auto shop to have the car checked out. The experience is fine – you have a neutral response about it. But knowing no other auto shops nearby, you make a mental note that you’ll probably return the next time your car needs servicing.
Why? Familiarity, reasonable price points, convenience, and a comfortable experience influenced your decision.
But what happens when, a week later, you accompany a friend to their auto shop for a scheduled service — and you’re blown away by the customer experience?
The difference was palpable.
You noticed how warmly your friend was greeted, how responsive the attendant was, and how they exceeded expectations in answering questions and addressing concerns. You thought to yourself, this person really sees my friend and her individual circumstances.
This was not your experience.
One of the biggest differences between these two businesses is that the second shop had spent significant time thinking about the customer experience they wanted to create. They were always working towards delivering a memorable experience.
The leaders of that business made sure the entire team was aligned when it came to customer engagement and satisfaction. This ensured a consistent customer experience no matter who the customer interacted with. So, while the first experience may have been pleasant, it didn’t stand out in comparison.
Let’s talk about brand positioning
Brand positioning is how a business differentiates itself from its competitors and stays top of mind with its customers. When we take time to position our brand, we’re aiming to create associations in our customers’ minds so they perceive our business in a specific way.
Excellent customer service and a solid product or service offering are important. But as human beings, we can be incredibly fickle and emotional about how we connect with businesses — and this is where brand positioning comes into play.
“As emotional beings, we need a connection with a brand.”
Brand positioning can be a small business’s secret weapon
Many small businesses fail to distinguish themselves, and when that happens, what’s to stop a customer from choosing one brand over another?
As emotional beings, we need a connection with a brand. Just look at how Gen Z looks for jobs that align with their values. They are willing to walk away from opportunities that don’t meet those criteria. Bold? Yes. But this is about connection and alignment.
As small business owners, we want to build a connection between our brand and the emotions we’d like to evoke in our customers, whether that’s trustworthiness, credibility, authority, expertise, comfort or assurance. This is why I feel your business’s brand can be your secret weapon.
We have to ask ourselves: How do we stand out in a sea of sameness, especially when there are many similar offerings?
If we’re a new business, it starts with our intent and goals. However, if we’ve been in business for a while, those intentions and goals can fade into the background amid the busyness of “business as usual”.
But it’s not just about self-reflection; we can also look to our customers to see things from their perspective. What keeps our customers coming back to us time and time again?
By focusing on what sets us apart, we can rely on both our internal understanding of what sets us apart and the external feedback from our customers.
Choosing how we compete
In supporting small businesses with their marketing and communication strategy, I’ve made it a point not to let price be the overriding factor.
While I don’t want to compete on price, I realise that at some point in a discussion, price will surface but it’s always much better to have that conversation later. I also understand that for some service-based businesses, price could indeed be an element that helps them stand apart.
For me, it’s exciting to approach my marketing with a clear understanding of my brand.
Each of us is distinctive — from our brand story to what we want to offer the market and the way in which we do so. Once you understand exactly what makes your business special, you can make sure this is clear in how you position and market your business.
The truth is, every small business owner who delivers services is inextricably linked to their brand. Often, the business and the business owner are one and the same.
In such situations, customers are buying from the individual, not just the business. This makes it incredibly important for small business owners offering services to identify what makes them distinct from their competitors. The generic must be avoided at all costs.
The takeaway
Small business owners should invest time and effort to identify and articulate not just what they do and the services they offer, but also what makes their business compelling.
As a brand positioning specialist, this is how I help small business owners. If you have questions, feel free to get in touch at hello@digitalconfluence.info.
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