You and your team have worked hard at creating a brand. From time to money to efforts, you have given all that you have for brand creation. People are loving you and competitors are keenly awaiting your next move.

How, then, do you keep this momentum going? How do you increase your customer base? How do you stand out from the crowd?

The answer to all these questions is – by creating a niche for your brand.

In a different league

By creating a niche, you will give your brand a differentiator – something that you have, but your competitors don’t. Your brand will have a recall value and your customers will never lose interest in you.

Here are 5 ways in which you can be the apple among oranges:

1. Be unique and distinctive: Dare to be different in how you position yourself in the market. It could be by way of your logo, your tagline or your communication. Try and test out-of-the-box ideas. There are chances things may not work at times, but that doesn’t mean you follow the herd. Chart your own path and before you realize it, others will be following you.
2. Invest in people: The biggest brands fail once they stop investing in people.Talk to your customers, be open to feedbacks and most importantly, learn to act on them.It is these very people who’ve helped you reach a pinnacle and you cannot afford to ignore them.
3. Humanize your brand: Who likes to interact with faceless and voiceless entities? None of us do. So infuse your brand with as many human elements as you can. Give it a distinct personality and a voice of its own. Let your patrons know you care. Only then can you sustain relationships over a period of time.
4. Observe, evolve. Repeat: If you wish to stay relevant and competitive through changing times, you must observe the world around you and evolve accordingly. Ensure that this becomes an iterative process. Getting caught in a time warp will only be an invitation to doom. If you are convinced that your logo needs to change, go ahead and do so. Have a feeling that your tagline doesn’t reflect your brand’s current personality? Come up with a new one. After all, who knows your brand better than you do.
5. Innovation is key: Apart from evolving, also innovate. Who doesn’t like new things? Surprise your customers with your ability to break the mould. Inspire your employees to take the path less traveled and encourage them to come up with unique ideas. Consistent innovation means zero stagnation and that your brand will always be on the path to progress.

In the age of instant likes, retweets and 6-second vines, carving a niche for your product will only do you a great deal of good. People will not only remember you, but also appreciate and respect you. So go ahead and find your own spot in this huge marketplace and plant a sign that reads ‘One of a kind’!