When your customers seem to have infinite options of where to buy, here's how to promote your product right off the shelves.
A. Develop a Unique Value Proposition
It's important that you develop a unique value that you can communicate and fulfill to customers. Find what is most important to prospective customers (i.e. value, quality, etc.) and develop communication strategies with those claims in mind. Then, deploy promotions in areas where people show their highest intent (i.e. search ads for someone specifically seeking out your type of product). - Justin Moodley, LASANAN
A. Create Amazing Branding and Packaging
Whether you're a food company trying to stand out on the shelf or a consulting company in a city of consultants, having great branding and packaging (if applicable) will make all the difference. - Lisa Curtis, Kuli Kuli
A. Promote Your Brand With Sweat Equity
Get out and promote your brand with some sweat equity. If that means going to a baseball game or to the farmer's market, get out there and do it yourself. It costs you your own time, and you care more about your brand or product that anyone else. People will be able to tell the difference between your own excitement and the exuberance of someone you pay to mindlessly hand out flyers or schwag. -Ben Walker, Transcription Outsourcing, LLC
A. Use Virtual Assistants
In a crowded market, I would highly suggest using virtual assistants. These assistants are able to contact people directly, based on demographics and market. They are also able to pretend to be real endorsements so you don't have to solely rely on advertising. - Ajmal Saleem, Private Tutoring Houston
A. Engage Your Audience
If you're in a crowded market, one way to promote your brand/product is to engage and grow your audience. This means keeping in constant contact with your social followers, responding to their comments immediately and providing excellent service. Engaging your audience will build a relationship with your followers and should give you an edge over the competition. - Bryan Driscoll, Think Big Marketing, LLC
A. Listen to Your Customer
Focus on customer experience at every touch point. At AlignedSigns.com we like to engage with our members by finding offering contests and quizzes. It's an opportunity for people to get engaged with our brand, spread the word about who we are with friends, and give valuable feedback to make improvements. It's a fun and positive way to hear your customers' voice. - Jessica Baker, Aligned Signs
A. Find Out What Makes You Different
You have to figure out what is it that makes your brand or product stand out from the rest. If your product is similar to others out there but your company strives to have great one-on-one customer service, focus on that. If your product is 100 percent made in the U.S. and you know others are not, that could be a great selling point. - Michael Rheaume, SnapKnot Inc.
These answers are provided by members of FounderSociety, an invitation-only organization comprised of ambitious startup founders and business owners.