Something that can be quite difficult for new companies is creating brand awareness. It sounds simple enough but how do you compete with larger, more established companieswithout having an unlimited budget? How can you get your name out there, with people recognizing your brand when they see it? Before we discuss how to increase brand awareness, we will first have a look at why it is so important.
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Why is Brand Awareness Vital?
Brand awareness means that people know what your company is about and automatically associate your products or services with your brand. So, if you sell a particular type of hand cream for instance, your goal will be for customers to see the tub of cream and instantly know what the brand name is.
The reason brand awareness is important is because it means that customers know what your business is about. Not only will they recognize the product, service, or company logo, but they will also have a feel for what business offers. They might associate your brand with luxury or reliability and therefore choose it over other products that are less well-known or less expensive.
When customers are aware of your brand, they are likely to become loyal and give you their repeat business. This increases the value of your brand. Take companies like Apple and Coca Cola, for example. Their reputation precedes them, and people know what they are getting when they buy from them. Some brands’products are so recognizable that the brand name has replaced the product name in everyday language. Take Coke being used instead of general colas or Kleenex instead of tissue.
Building Brand Awareness
The folk at Full Tilt Direct say that companies using both digital and direct mail marketing campaigns can greatly increase their brand awareness. Customers want to know more about the company they are buying from and like to hear about the ethos of the people behind the business.
With social media campaigns and printed materials such as brochures and flyers, companies can get their message to the local and national market. Tell customers about the back story behind the company and the products or services as this helps to humanize your brand and will instantly make it more memorable.
Put your brand in front of your targeted audience by interacting on social media every day. Use a digital ad campaign that puts your ads on various social media sites. The more people see your products and services, the more brand awareness it will generate. It is worth paying for these campaigns to ensure that individuals start to recognize your company and what it sells.
Another way to generate awareness of your brand is to start a loyalty and referral program. There is no denying the power of word of mouth, and most people will organically tell others about products and services that they love. But there is no harm in incentivizing them to do so. Offer discounts to those who recommend your brand to others or give special prices for customers on their fifth or tenth order, for example. This will not only generate brand awareness but will encourage customer loyalty as well.
Think about doing guest posts for other people’s blogs. Guest posts have the power to increase your brand awareness by appearing in more places. If you are not great at writing content yourself, consider hiring a professional content writer to do this for you.
To conclude, brand awareness is particularly important for businesses. When customers can recognize your company name, products, or services, they are more likely to buy from you, particularly if they associate your brand with quality and reliability.
