The most valuable brands are generally the most recognizable.
No matter how good you are at sales or direct response marketing, branding is a key to long-term business success.
But what practical steps can you take to make more people aware of your brand?
This post gives you some bulletproof strategies to help you create buzz around your company.
1. Put Your Name Out There
You have to actively put your name out there in order to increase your company’s brand awareness. There are many ways to make your brand known. In the online world, start by being visible across all platforms and directory listings; this means being on GoogleMyBusiness, Yelp, and other industry-related directories.
For in-person businesses, you may want to incorporate your brand wherever you can. If you own the company, start by repping your brand everywhere you go. Have your sales team wear company swag such as custom pins, t-shirts, hats, and bags.
2. Invest In Public Relations
Public relations helps to positively influence how consumers perceive your brand. There’s no doubt that communications between your brand and the media should be in your arsenal for boosting brand awareness.
Start by pitching your brand and products to publications and journalists to see whether any will bite. You’ll want to share a compelling story worth reporting. Remember that public relations isn’t just limited to press releases.
You can publish industry topic ideas and write guest blog posts to specific publications to include your company website or product URL, driving more traffic over time.
3. Incentivize Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing since most people trust recommendations from their friends and family.
The easiest way to nudge people towards talking positively about your brand is to provide an exceptional customer experience. You must carefully consider your entire buying process to ensure your prospects and customers’ needs are met every step of the way.
Create an engaged community online, whether that’s creating community hashtags or providing loyalty programs.
4. Become a Sponsor
Even if you’re a small bootstrap startup, you should be setting aside a portion of your marketing budget towards becoming a sponsor, whether that’s events, podcasts, YouTube videos, or newsletters.
Think of where your target audience hangs out. If you target tech consumers, you could sponsor the next industry event. The key to effective sponsorship marketing is to align your product with the audience, meaning you should only take on sponsorship deals that make sense.
5. Crafting a Compelling Brand Story
In every successful brand’s heart lies a compelling narrative that resonates deeply with its audience. This story isn’t just words; it’s a potent tool for establishing an emotional connection between your business and its customers. Crafting a captivating brand story is the cornerstone of differentiation and customer loyalty in a competitive landscape.
Begin by exploring your company’s history and values to uncover its roots and motivations. Align your brand story with the needs and aspirations of your target audience, addressing how your products or services provide solutions. Forge emotional connections through storytelling that evokes empathy, inspiration, or nostalgia, giving your brand a relatable and human touch.
Authenticity is paramount. Transparently share your values, successes, and even failures. Highlight what makes your brand unique and showcase how you stand apart from competitors. Choose language that mirrors your brand’s personality and tone, maintaining consistency across all communication channels.
Create a structured narrative arc that introduces your brand’s origin, navigates through challenges, and concludes with how your offerings provide resolution. Visual elements such as images and videos can enhance the storytelling experience. Keep your brand story up-to-date by evolving it as your company grows and changes. Ultimately, a well-crafted brand story fosters a sense of community, driving customer engagement, brand recognition, and long-term loyalty.
6. Talk at Industry Events
Build awareness by positioning your brand as an industry titan. Elevate your status by cultivating thought leadership within your niche, a strategy that distinctively separates your brand from the competitive landscape. Establishing thought leadership involves becoming a recognized authority, someone that peers and customers alike look to for insightful perspectives and innovative ideas.
Speaking engagements offer a prime opportunity to showcase your expertise and knowledge. When you take the stage at industry conferences, webinars, or panels, you’re not just delivering a speech; you’re presenting your brand as a repository of valuable insights.
By sharing your expertise, you demonstrate your deep understanding of industry trends, challenges, and solutions, which not only imparts valuable information but also establishes you as a credible and trustworthy source within your field.
Wrapping It Up
Not everyone has the budgets of Fortune 500 companies who can spend millions on a super bowl ad or other expensive branding tactics.
If you’re on the come-up, don’t worry – there are many free ways to build brand equity. Putting in the hours of contacting publications and pitching creative content ideas is an easy way to get the word out.
Try a few of these methods and watch your brand awareness grow!
