When was the last time that you thought about what it is that makes the product or service that you offer through your home-based business unique? Perhaps you have thought about that recently, but maybe you have not. Taking time to reflect on how your offerings differ from those of your competitors can help you to better market your product or service.
If you know what the distinguishing features of your products and services are, you can create a marketing message that emphasizes them. Potential customers are always looking for products and services that stand out from the pack, so it is worth your while to sit down and think about what makes your products and services stand out. It may be helpful to take a piece of paper and jot down whatever comes to mind, regardless of whether you think that it is an “important” feature. Perhaps you are a stickler for deadlines and you have never submitted a freelance writing project late. Maybe you use environmentally friendly cleaning products for your housekeeping service or non-toxic lawn care products for your landscaping business. You may have a unique pricing structure that provides excellent value. Are customers constantly praising your customer service? All of these things could be the deciding factor that causes a potential customer to select your product or service instead of your competitor’s.
Once you have listed all of the things that you think make your product or service unique, it is time to choose which of those you would like to convert into marketing messages. You may wish to have different marketing messages for different target audiences. For example, you may wish to emphasize that you use non-toxic cleaners when you craft an advertising email for people that you know have children or pets living in their homes. An advertisement in a local green products guide would be a great place to focus on your natural lawn care techniques. There are many options out there for advertising your products and services. Many of us with home-based businesses are unable to spend much on our advertising so it is essential that we get the most effective advertising that we can for the money that we do spend. Knowing what is unique about your products and services and turning those characteristics into marketing messages is one way to make sure that the advertising that you do is as effective as it can be.