In last week’s blog post, I discussed how branding can be used to command higher profits and grow your business. In today’s article, I’m going to show you 5 practical ways you can use branding to increase your own margins, regardless of the size of your business.

1. Focus on an industry

Specialization—positions your company to set it apart from competitors by becoming the expert in the eyes of a particular segment of customers. Clients will pay more for industry-specific knowledge and solutions built just for them. They’re also willing to go beyond the borders of their town to find an expert, allowing your business to expand nationally and globally. You can use specialization to sail out of the sea of sameness, especially in a saturated industry.

2. Solve the customer’s pain better than anybody else

Create services, products and solutions so extraordinary that customers simply can’t resist them. Unique, high-value solutions to customer’s pain will command much more value than another “me-too” experience.

3. Thought leadership

Blogging, social media, white papers, case studies, etc. Becoming the expert in your prospective customer’s eyes from day one increases your value in their eyes.

4. Disruption

Break free of the industry by turning it upside down. Create a product or service that completely flies in the face of an existing industry and forces the market to re-evaluate the existing providers.

5. Pricing

Here’s a chicken and egg scenario for you. Although branding can be used to justify higher pricing, sometimes higher pricing is part of the branding strategy.

Pricing is one of the most powerful tools your company can use to position your company in the marketplace, because it speaks the loudest to customers. In some cases, simply raising prices can increase the perception of quality and value associated with your product. However, you must be careful with this, and thoroughly understand the target market you’re going after before doing it.

And if youre unsure what customers you want to target, figure that out before messing with pricing.