Reaching The Masses: Obtaining And Maintaining Brand Awareness
Brand awareness and product relevancy are typical top concerns for business owners at every stage. With all of the online clutter and digital noise, how do you stay top of mind with clients and prospects? If you have ever wondered how to control your firm’s brand awareness, simply keep reading. There are many ways to gain brand exposure and we will go through a few of them here. However, before you work to secure or maintain brand awareness, you must first understand your brand. You must own your message. Have you honed-in on your brand promise? It’s what separates you from your competition.
Brand awareness also requires you to know your customers, clients, and followers. Who are they? Where are they? Why do they purchase your product, enlist your services, or do business with you? Knowing your brand gives you a firm grasp on its strengths; knowing your customers allows you to capitalize on those strengths. Leveraging these strengths increases your brand awareness.
Create a strategic plan to support increased brand awareness
A strategic communication and marketing plan will set you up for success in many ways. Instead of a frustrating string of hit-or-miss actions, give yourself the space to plan two or three strategies that work together to increase public awareness of your brand. Our series on strategic communication plans is a great tool for creating a customized plan that speaks to your brand and goals.
Harness the media and nurture brand awareness
The best way to reach the masses is through mass media! The Internet and other technologies have cultivated a lush landscape of options for reaching vast amounts of people at one time. Due diligence toward learning your customer will make it easy to decide which media are most appropriate for your brand. If that’s print, TV, or radio, learn how to pitch your brand and attract the attention of journalists and bloggers. If social media is a worthwhile route, create shareable content in line with your brand to lure people in, and engage with connections regularly. While you work on your business, be sure to hire someone experienced to tell your story and build brand awareness.
Get out there and build brand awareness!
If you build it and no one knows it’s there, they will not come. Go where your prospective customers and clients are! Take more opportunities to network and gain face-to-face brand exposure. Find the events your prospective partners, backers, clients and customers enjoy, and try to get your service or product seen. Put your best foot forward and show the world what it’s missing!
Seek partnerships with complementary businesses to expand brand awareness
What’s the spaghetti to your meatball? The beans to your rice? The cornbread to your greens? Consider teaming up with businesses, brands, and service providers who offer products or services that pair well with yours. Incentivize both sets of customers to check out both businesses. If you can, sweeten the deal for those who take advantage of the pairing. Make it a win-win-win situation and watch your brand awareness grow!
Create an easy referral system and activate your brand awareness
Current clients and customers are champions waiting to be mobilized. Encourage them to share your brand with others. A perks system can help. Simply asking current fans for referrals and reviews can go a long way toward drawing new customers.
It’s always the right time to build brand awareness. Be sure to assess your efforts to see what works and what doesn’t.
Keep growing,
Your Marketing Momma™
Cheryl McCants
