This post is contributed by Jason Dirkham.
A good brand reputation can influence consumers to choose your company even if other alternatives exist. However, they need to have a great experience with your business before it can earn that reputation of being customers’ go-to brand. Increasing awareness is necessary to grow the business, but with so many competitors, you must find smart strategies to stand out. Here are nineteen strategies you can leverage for the best results.
Tell a great story
Studies show that consistently showcasing a brand across several platforms can boost revenue by 23%. Determine the most exciting story that can sell your brand and the impact you want it to make. It should be compelling and consistent; you must share the narrative in experiential settings, so keep this in mind.
Grow your social media presence
Nowadays, many consumers use social media, so not increasing your business visibility on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok is probably a bad idea. Social networks create opportunities for businesses to connect with potential customers personally, promoting brand awareness and establishing a strong online community. Consider revamping your company’s presence on digital channels and leverage them to share your brand story and find new customers. Here are some great tips to enhance social media exposure: post viral content regularly and engage with your followers. You can also add popular hashtags to reach a large audience and offer giveaways on social media contests.
Sponsor events
Consider sponsoring relevant programs to get your brand name out there. For instance, opt to donate to charity or offer a discount in return for promo. Or better still, you can solely sponsor an event. Try to be concise with your ultimate goal for the sponsorship so other parties know your expectations. Let your logo feature prominently in the event, and express gratitude to your partners in press releases or social media content. This campaign style will build positive associations with your business in the eyes of would-be buyers, so feel free to consider this.
Invest in video content marketing
You will want to leverage video content to get the most out of your digital marketing campaigns. Combining video content with email newsletters, blog posts, and targeted ads can reach a wider audience. It’s also worth noting that partnering with a video production company is advisable, especially if you want visually appealing content. These professionals can use their expertise to design creative video content that will capture your customers’ attention.
Design a powerful logo
Compelling logos and branding elements play important roles in brand awareness creation. Therefore, design your brand logo well, making it unique, memorable, and consistent across your marketing materials. Creating a strong logo with branding elements will increase audiences’ familiarity with your products or services. Proudly display your brand logo on your website, business cards, and product packaging for the best results.
Equip workers to speak about the brand authentically
Employees can assist you with brand awareness campaigns, so enable them to talk about the business authentically. Workers speaking positively about your company will improve the brand image. You must create an enabling environment where employees feel motivated to proactively market the business to achieve this goal.
Don’t overlook social proof
It helps to collect as many testimonials as you can. Consumers prefer doing business with a company they can trust, and social proof is one thing that can help you make a good impression. Therefore, show them reviews they can trust and successful ways you have delivered results for other customers. Likewise, publishing testimonials is a proven way to expand brand awareness, so feel free to consider this.
Create a buzz with new products and resources
Brand awareness building can be challenging for small businesses, and more often than not, you need to be flexible. Adjust your services to match the eruption of new technologies and trends. With so many entrepreneurs launching brands daily, you must position your business as a market leader to become a go-to brand of choice. Launching innovative products and services is one smart way to keep people talking about your business.
Work with brand ambassadors or influencers
Experts also recommend partnering with brand ambassadors or influencers to advertise your business. Once you know your target group, you can find the right influencers, including celebrities, to build awareness. This may seem costly, but you will benefit from the deal if they have a large follower base.
Launch referral programs
Many buyers will readily sound the good name of your business when they know they will benefit from added perks. Dropbox is a key example of how crucial referral programs are for marketing. The platform freely gives existing users 500MB of additional storage for each new consumer they introduce. Smart referral programs like this can do wonders for your brand awareness, resulting in massive new sign-ups.
Use infographics
Infographics can easily generate thousands of social media shares if your design is informative and valuable. They are a colorful way to convey interesting marketing data and statistics. Use infographics as a content marketing hack to build a solid brand and establish leadership.
Incorporate car wraps
Another reliable trick to increase brand awareness is to invest in car wraps. Make customized designs and have local drivers design their automobiles with your brand images. Compelling car wraps are hard to ignore; these can attract many curious people, ensuring they are familiar with your business. To improve awareness, you may wrap a company car or your vehicle with brand marketing materials.
LinkedIn publishing is effective
LinkedIn now allows users to create posts using the publishing tool. Your post could end up landing in the homestream of users if you optimize it to drive attention. Attaching informative and engaging posts to your LinkedIn account will establish you as a go-to thought leader. It would be best to set up your business blog for posting and sharing published posts on other platforms.
Start a podcast
Create your own podcast and consider interviewing industry luminaries; this is an effective way to build brand authority and develop personal relationships with experts in the game. Popular niches like marketing are overly competitive, making it hard for beginners to break through. However, if you are fortunate to be in a narrow sector, you can easily make a household name for your business with little podcasting effort.
Boost customer satisfaction
A single bad customer experience can significantly dent your brand image. Many unhappy consumers often decide never to transact with a business that offers them a terrible experience. In the worst-case scenario, disgruntled consumers will tell friends about their ordeal, which can drive even more buyers away. The best way to avoid this circumstance is to render excellent service. Good customer experience will tell a positive story about your business’s ethical codes. When you mistakenly offer subpar customer service, redeem your brand image by replacing the product, offering a refund, or giving a discount. Not solving issues with unsatisfied customers will only hurt your reviews. Unfortunately, a bad reputation spreads like wildfire. So, delight the hearts of buyers, and they will gladly recommend your brand, helping increase its awareness.
Use the right channels for advertisement
Different advertising platforms may have diverse audiences. So, strive to choose the appropriate channels for your adverts. Some social platforms may contain younger audiences than others. So, it would be best to find out where your target consumers are concentrated and advertise accordingly. This way, your strategies will make the greatest impact, even when they are multi-channel campaigns. You can partner with a branding agency; they will use the right tools to determine the best channels to run your advertisements, so feel free to consider this.
Hand out freebies
It helps not to shy away from freebies when seeking brand awareness increase. Don’t wrongly assume that giveaways can devalue your business. Experts say the contrary is true. Many people appreciate free stuff, so your customers will see your freebies as a token of generosity. You will gain extra points if you do this frequently. For the best results, stamp your business logo on whatever you give out.
Engage in collaborative alliances and joint-venture partnerships
While many often overlook this, embracing collaborative alliances and joint ventures is a surefire tip to promote brand awareness. When two or more non-competing companies join forces, they can increase brand visibility, especially if they share identical audiences. Moreover, it becomes easier to co-create new products or services and promote and collectively promote your business through partnerships.
Keep in touch with followers
In other words, interact directly with your clients and followers. Maximizing your social media engagement will support your brand awareness since it increases trust and integrity. 77% of X (Twitter) users appreciate when brands reply to their tweets. That means acknowledging your clients is a smart idea.
Your business can only succeed when your target market patronizes and stays loyal. However, winning them over is the first step; your brand awareness can make this possible. Fortunately, these tactics will help you achieve the desired outcome.
