Marketing Tips to Make Your Company Stand Out

Every company wants to stand out, especially against their competition. If your organization offers great products or has a unique company culture, you’ll want to communicate that loud and clear to your customers. Here are three tips to keep in mind when promoting your business.

1. Show Personality: I’m a firm believer in displaying character and this can easily be accomplished. If you have a charismatic and witty CEO, encourage them to write once a week on the company’s blog. When posting on Facebook, don’t be afraid to incorporate some humor. This is a great way to connect with your audience. Here are some examples on the Fallbrook Winery Facebook page. Yes, the overall goal is to sell wine, but you might as well lighten the mood while you’re at it.

a) “Looks like Rep. Anthony Weiner might need a bottle or two of Dalla Collina wine after a day like today.”

b) “Today’s National Visit Your Relatives Day! If you have relatives nearby, surprise them with a bottle of wine or another treat. If you don’t like your relatives, you might need the wine for yourself :)”

Have fun and uncover ways to diffuse the company’s personality into your marketing efforts. Adding some character is definitely going to make your company more memorable.

2. Deliver Quality Content: One of the biggest challenges with drafting content is making sure it doesn’t come across like a strong sell. Let’s take newsletters for example. Nobody wants to read something that is constantly attempting to push something in their face throughout. If I follow someone on social media or receive an e-newsletter from a company that is blatantly pitching me over and over again, I will most likely delete them. The goal should be to deliver content in a soft sell manner. For example, I wouldn’t recommend that a restaurant owner solely push specials on the menu, but rather share interesting stories about the establishment that consumers might not know. Include a recipe on the menu so customers can get a flavor of the cuisine. Sharing information like this will certainly make people more likely to open and read your newsletters.

3. Incorporate Video: I love video, but companies need to know how to use it effectively. Don’t just make a video to do it. A great recent example can be found with Cali Bamboo. The company recently wrapped up its Greenscape Challenge contest that encouraged individuals to submit their eco-friendly backyard and garden projects. Not sure what this might entail? To help provide ideas, short video clips were created that featured various examples for creating a sustainable backyard. The clips were short enough to keep the viewer’s attention, but they were also educational.

There are many strategies that companies can employ to stand out from the crowd. It just takes a bit of outside-the-box thinking and proper execution.

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The Buzz | On Obama’s 50th, share your milestone

President Obama, left, and Nick Reck, a Senate intern, right. If being 50 in Washington equates to wisdom, experience and stature, what does it mean to be a 20-something intern? Share your aging story below.
(CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES; DAYNA SMITH/POST)
It’s your first internship. Your first campaign romance. Your year to finally set down some roots. Your first chance to work on something truly meaningful to you. Your family expanding. Your words, in the newspaper or law brief or bill. Your mentorship. Your retirement.

Your birthday.

President Obama turns 50 on Thursday, Aug. 4. In Washington, that’s an age that means wisdom, experience and stature. But with each milestone birthday celebrated in the shadow of the Capitol, Washingtonians can celebrate what they gain, whether that’s measured in political victories, personal growth or professional development. So what makes a milestone birthday especially meaningful in Washington?

Tell us your story of turning 20, 30, 40 or more in D.C.: What you’d do differently, and what you’ve learned since.

And because birthdays aren’t always the happiest of celebrations, vote on which decade is the worst to spend in D.C. Will it be the 50s for Obama? We’ll find out in 2012.

Share your stories after the jump.

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