How to Use CSR to Make Your Business Stand Out from the Crowd

This blog is in celebration of Responsible Business week!

In today’s crowded market place, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. You’ve got a website; you share your advice and expertise in your blog and on Twitter; you keep in touch with your contacts through your newsletter and LinkedIn; you even meet new contacts at networking events.

But is it enough? Can people tell what’s different about your business, when they compare you to your competitors? Will they remember you for the right things? Perhaps it’s time to look for a new way to really stand out from the crowd.

Recently I bumped into someone at a networking meeting, who I hadn’t seen for over five years. He looked at my name badge and said “You’re the one who raises money for donkeys in India!” He’s not wrong! While my business has nothing to do with that – I actually run a Marketing company – he remembered me for something else that I’m passionate about. Since 2004 I’ve been supporting a charity called The Brooke that helps people in the Third World to work themselves out of poverty. In that time I’ve done a number of mad fundraising activities, including sponsored rides in India, networking dinners, prize draws for business contacts, half marathons with my dog and the London Marathon in 2013!

So how does this help my business to stand out from the crowd? Because we combine my passion for the charity with our marketing. You can do the same.

• Writing – When I’ve got an event coming up, I write blogs about it. Click here to read why running a marathon is like promoting a business.
• Speaking – I’ve used the running-marketing analogy for a number of talks I’ve given at networking meetings. Rather than just talking about my business, adding in the personal story helps me make more connections with members of the audience.
• Inspiring – If your life is about more than just running your business and making money, you need to let people know. Inspire them with your goals and your passions.

You don’t need to run marathons in order to inspire other people and stand out from the crowd. Just think about some of the things you do outside your business – it could be volunteering for a local charity or caring for rescued animals. Whatever it is, think about how you can write about it, speak about it and inspire others, in order to help them remember your business for the right reasons.

Want to find out more about how you can use your passions to stand out from the crowd? There’s a great assessment you can take, to show how much you’re already doing and what else you can do. Have a look at http://3pcsr.com or get in touch to find out more. We’ve just renewed our membership for a second year and retaken the assessment. We scored a bit better than last year, so have lots of work to do to improve this year. I’ll update you on our progress throughout the year on this blog.