The internet's ability to connect people all over the world is often hailed as its greatest advantage for businesses, but it can also be a big problem. Suddenly business owners find themselves competing not only with the shop down the road, but also with companies small and large all over the globe, as well as mega-marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay.

Standing out to your consumers is more important than ever. Thankfully, with a little bit of creative thinking and the right approach, this is not too hard and can even be a lot of fun. If you're worried your business is drowning in a sea of competition, try some of these approaches to help you stand out from the crowd.

Embrace your passion

It is easy to respect a business that is clearly passionate about what they do, so don't miss a chance to show that your heart and soul are invested in your industry. For instance, if your business is health oriented, blog about all those healthy activities you get up to on the weekend and tweet your support for others who are doing the same.

Whether you stay up late at night fine-tuning your recipes or go to extreme lengths to test your products, make sure everyone knows just how passionate you are about what you do. Eco-friendly cosmetics company, Lush, has long funded campaigns against animal testing and even set up a prize worth £250 000 to help end it!

Provide amazing customer service

Exceeding expectations is always a good way to stand out from the crowd, so focus on providing the highest quality customer service possible. Apple provides a fantastic example, as while they may charge far more than their competitors for relatively similar products, their legendary customer service keeps people coming back.

Focus on building relationships rather than making sales, respond to customer enquiries promptly and if an issue arises, a generous response will often help to turn things around.

Get creative

Trying something different may mean taking a risk but it can also mean turning a few heads and creating a lucrative opportunity. Offer your services on a pay-what-you-can basis, crowdsource the name of your next product or join an online academy and teach others how to do what you do.

Many thought shoe company TOMS was crazy when it promised to donate a pair of shoes to a person in need for every pair sold, but this social aspect resonated with many, and TOMS have enjoyed huge success as a result.

Show some personality

Regardless of whether your target audience is musicians, gamers or stay at home mums, showing a little personality is essential, because in order to build trust you need to show that you are their type of business.

Old Spice used its hilarious campaigns to reach out to a hip, young audience, while VB has long associated itself with hardworking Australians via its working class slogans and commercials.

Branding your business as unique and the perfect fit for your customer base doesn't have to be difficult. Hopefully these starting points will help you target the customers you're after and make your company's star shine brightly.

Want More?

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Written by Jane Murray on Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Jane Murray is a freelance copywriter based in Sydney. Apart from writing up a storm for the DesignCrowd blog on anything from logo design to Michael Jackson's shoes, she enjoys reading literary science fiction and hanging out with most animals except wasps. Get in touch via LinkedIn.