Standing Out in a Sea of Noisy Competitors
By: Lori Young
Tags: Standing Out, Competition, Marketing Strategies, Online Marketing

Success in business requires all of us to stand out from the crowd. And that is becoming increasingly difficult in the online marketplace. In a discovery session I had this week, a very open and honest coach posed a question to me that I thought was valid and worth exploring…

She said “It is a very crowded and noisy place online. Is it really worth it to market myself? Will it even do anything to grow my business?”

Have you ever asked yourself these questions? I know I have. This thought has crossed my mind. Do you know how many digital marketers are out there pitching their services, posting their valuable content, vying for every business owner’s attention? I try not to think about it.

It’s not much different in the coaching industry. According to recent statistics cited in LinkedIn, “the Coaching Industry is $15 billion in 2019 with a total of $7.5 billion worth market value in the US alone. I expect the market value to reach $20 billion by 2022 with a 6.7% average yearly growth rate from 2019 to 2022. Moreover, according to PwC, the Coaching Industry was the second fastest growing sector in the world.”

If you’re a coach, you might be tempted to crawl up in a ball and give up OR you might be jumping for joy because you are part of the $15 billion. However you are feeling about the current online space, I don’t want you to abandon your gifts because our world is counting on you for transformation.

So let’s look at some ways you can stand out, gain your rightful place in your market and still successfully grow your business…

Stand Out By Changing Your Mindset

You have to admit that our mindset creates the majority of all our business growth issues. What we perceive becomes our reality. If we believe that we can’t stand out from our competition, then we won’t. If we are convinced that the online space is too crowded and it’s not worth marketing, then nothing we do will matter. Staying stuck in fixed mindsets will do nothing but thwart our growth (and I’m also coaching myself).

You can stand out from the crowd merely by adopting a growth mindset and raising your vibrational energy. If the average person vibrates at a certain frequency, then by learning to change your belief systems, your thoughts, and your outlook, your energy can be magnetic. This magnetism will attract more clients to you.

Stand Out By Finding Your “One” Person

Whoa, hold your horses, Lori. I don’t just coach one person. I work with lots of different people. But hear me out for a moment. Let’s imagine you want to buy a beach property in sunny California. Who would you rather work with?

A real estate agency in San Diego A real estate agent that specializes in beachfront properties in California.

If you need heart surgery, are you going to contact an internal medicine doctor or a cardiologist?

Even if you can or will work with different individuals, you need to have a primary client avatar that you market to. Here are some examples of business owners who have nailed their client avatar:

Fuzzy and Birch — No Bullshit Etsy Advice that Works (her one person is Etsy sellers)

Sahara Rose — A leading spiritual voice with the millennial generation (her one person is millennial women)

The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to attract your “peeps.”

Stand Out By Identifying That One “Problem” Or “Desire” You Solve

If you’re really worried about setting yourself apart from the rest of the people in your space, then specialize. Find one particular problem you can solve, or provide a solution to one desire your person has.

Again, it doesn’t mean you can’t solve other problems or desires, but your flagship offer needs to be very specific and clear. This opens space for you to become the “go-to” expert when people have this problem or desire.

Let’s pretend for a moment that I just lost my mother and I’m struggling to deal with my pain. Who am I most likely to search for if I want help? Well, for me, I want someone who specializes in grief. Either a grief coach or counselor. I don’t want to work with a life coach that can help with life purpose, vision, grief, self-love, and more. I want a coach that deals with grief all day, every day. She is an expert in grief.

Here are a few examples of some individuals that solve one particular problem or desire.

Want help setting up or troubleshooting your ClickUp project management tool? Contact New Leaf Digital. She is a vetted ClickUp consultant.

Are you a mom that wants to learn how to grow fresh food for your family? I just met the perfect person today. Her name is Danielle and her business is Garden Like a Mother.

Can you see how specializing and narrowing your focus can help you not only eliminate your competition, but also establish you as an authority?

Stand Out By Sharing Your Personality

What makes you different from anyone else? It’s normally a combination of things that makes up your secret sauce. People love to do business with individuals they relate to. I remember connecting with my very first client. I knew before our meeting that he loved dogs. Through my research, I also learned that he was a gay man.

During our meeting, we not only discussed his business needs but we talked about things we had in common. I, too, had a small dog like him. And I was a gay woman that could completely relate to his lifestyle with his husband. Do you think that was important to him? You bet it was. It wasn’t the only thing that made him want to hire me. But if he were to choose between three different individuals with equal skill, what is going to take precedence? Personality and shared common interests.

So don’t be afraid to showcase what makes you unique. Display it on your website, in your marketing messages, through video and live events. Let your personality shine! I can guarantee there are people out there that want to do business with YOU!

Stand Out By Being Visible

This might seem rather obvious but there are still a lot of people that are afraid to be fully visible. There are so many great and talented business people that still do not show up in the online space. They resist social media. They hide behind their computer screens. And they haven’t gotten up to speed on online marketing methods.

I am not knocking these individuals at all. Many are doing a great job building their businesses through referrals and traditional networking methods. But I am a firm believer that eventually this pool will dry up. And if you want to increase your impact, it is necessary to gain visibility with online marketing strategies.

But I also firmly believe that you need to pick online marketing techniques that work for you and your personality. If you love to write, share content through blogging or social media. If being in front of people is your jam, try video marketing or social media lives. Love networking and meeting new people, podcasting could be a great fit for you.

Pick a platform where your person is hanging out and adopt an online marketing activity that feels natural for you. You may not get overnight success, but I promise, over time you will be more visible and eventually become known for your expertise.

So there you have it. Is it worth it to market yourself in this crowded and noisy online space? It is but the more strategic, consistent, and innovative you are, the more you will stand out. Don’t give up because it’s only going to get noisier. Instead, stand out!

Need some help standing out with online marketing strategies? We can help. Contact us today for a free consultation or visit our website at www.amazingobm.com for more information.