product_differentiation

In order to sell your product you really need to stand out from your competitors.  You can differentiate your product based on price, quality, durability or reliability. The essence of all these differentiation methods will be to establish your product as unique and desirable in the minds of the prospective consumer.

The most powerful (and often overlooked) way of differentiating your product in the modern day is based on Trust. If you can convince your clients to trust your company and philosophy then they will definitely be brand loyal.

So how do we go about building trust in the minds of the consumer? Three tried and tested ways of building trust are through Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Awareness and Relevant Communication.

With SEO techniques you can ensure that your website occurs on the first page of an organic search by your prospective buyers. So, for example, if a person types “reliable plumber based in New Jersey” and your company’s name pops up right on top, then the user is more likely to trust your brand. If this happens repeatedly over time and in related searches then the trust gets consolidated and engrained in the minds of the buyer. To gauge whether your SEO techniques are actually generating sales you can use call tracking reports which tell you exactly how many of your leads converted. You can also compare the lead generation from different media channels and campaigns.

So with call tracking you know exactly where your sales are coming from. If you find that Social Media Channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn generate huge conversions, then you really need to focus your attention on these. Intervening in social media groups at the right time means that you solve a customer’s real problem by showing her how your product can help in her situation. Highlight how your product is just right for her, for example, through being user-friendly.  Offer after sale support if needed and try to build a meaningful, sincere relationship. A satisfied social media user is the best means of electronic word of mouth publicity.

If your company policies are in line with the ethical trends of the day, then you need to communicate and market this to your clients. For example, if you manufacture environment friendly toys then you need to instill this in the minds of the people who share your passion for preserving the environment.

All in all, building trust is a challenging task but following certain basic ground rules helps. Once you build trust you are guaranteed repeat purchases and brand loyal clients.

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