There are only so many ways to make your business distinctive, so you’ve got to take full advantage of the opportunities you have, explains the Harvard Business Review blog post “Do You Know What Makes Your Company Distinctive?” You hear the term differentiation thrown around all the time in discussions about business and marketing, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. Especially in a crowded marketplace, there are a limited number of ways that you can fully differentiate your business from the competition. Focus on the following:

Your differentiator must be difficult to replicate. If your mark of differentiation is successful, but not hard to copy, your competitors will be doing the same thing before you know it. Then, all you’ll have done is make their jobs easier.

Your customers determine your differentiator. Your “leadership” or “culture” cannot be a differentiator, but the impact that said culture has on the customer experience can. If you think your business culture is what defines your brand, think about how that translates directly to clients. That’s where you’ll find your unique value.

You can’t catch your competition. Rather than trying to beat the market leader at its own game, find a different angle that makes the most of your strengths and their weaknesses.

Cascade your differentiator to the lowest levels of your organization. Once your differentiation strategy is defined, you need everyone in the company to buy in and play their role in maximizing the distinction.

Click here to read the blog post from Harvard Business Review.