Out-teach your competition

You can advertise. You can hire salespeople. You can sponsor events. But your

competitors are doing the same things. How does that help you stand out?

Instead of trying to outspend, outsell, or outsponsor competitors, try to outteach them. Teaching probably isn't something your competitors are even

thinking about. Most businesses focus on selling or servicing, but teaching never

even occurs to them.

The Hoefler Type Foundry teaches designers about type at Typography.com.

Etsy, an online store for things handmade, holds entrepreneurial workshops that

explain "best practices" and promotional ideas to people who sell at the site.

Gary Vaynerchuk, who owns a large wine shop, teaches people about wine

online at Wine Library TV, and tens of thousands of people watch every day.

Teach and you'll form a bond you just don't get from traditional marketing

tactics. Buying people's attention with a magazine or online banner ad is one

thing. Earning their loyalty by teaching them forms a whole different connection.

They'll trust you more. They'll respect you more. Even if they don't use your

product, they can still be your fans.

Teaching is something individuals and small companies can do that bigger

competitors can't. Big companies can afford a Super Bowl ad; you can't. But you

can afford to teach, and that's something they'll never do, because big companies

are obsessed with secrecy. Everything at those places has to get filtered through

a lawyer and go through layers of red tape. Teaching is your chance to

outmaneuver them.