Getting word of a new business out, selling a new product, or even promoting yourself as a thought leader in a field where you’re relatively unknown can be difficult.

That’s because creating a “brand” or a unique identity that sets you apart from everyone else is a delicate art form. Brand awareness is the level of recognition people have for your product or service. It is also understanding what your business, product, or service is.

If you look at some of the world’s best brands, like Coca-Cola, Apple, Nike, and McDonald’s for example, you’ll see that many elements went into building their brand’s well-known identities.

 

You might say that your business or product isn’t backed by global staff or a marketing budget numbering into the hundreds of millions. You should know what the brands that stick with you have learned. Budget and effort only make up part of a successful brand. Smaller concerns can certainly build brand awareness among their targeted demographics by being smart about which strategies they use. Here are 8 that you can get you noticed.

1.Have a compelling story

Simon Sinek has often said you must know why. That will help you create great products and services. But did you know your “why” also makes the best story to tell your audience?

Why do you offer the goods or services that you do? Is it because it was a part of your childhood and you wanted to share the experience with the world? Was your product needed and its absence affected a loved one negatively? People are going to be interested in hearing about that. Tell them.

2. Develop a strong brand voice

Having a compelling story is only part of the equation. Telling that story in a way that is indelibly you is going to level up your brand awareness game.

People pay attention to what’s different. If it aligns with your brand, humor is often a good way to catch people’s attention. Or maybe you want your brand aligned with particular social causes. Taking a stance, whether it be on the environment or racism can help people remember your brand. Just be aware that the controversy that surrounds hot-button social issues can also have a negative impact on your brand if you’re not careful. If you feel uncomfortable creating a brand voice, there are agencies like Alfred London that can help. Not every business owner is immediately aware of the sound of their brand’s unique voice and sometimes they need assistance bringing it out.

It may be better to get outside help at times than to tinker with your brand and damage its equity. We’ve all seen companies that had social media posts go viral for the wrong reasons.

3. Get on social media

Gone are the days when companies had to rely on legacy media to build their brand. The “mass” communication approach often meant you were never sure the right audiences were being introduced to your brand.

Social media is different in that it allows you to target your messaging to very specific groups of people. You also don’t have to target every social media platform, just the ones your customers are likely to be using. You will want to communicate with them using the brand voice spoken about in the above point. Be consistent with your brand voice and eventually consumers will come to recognize it as yours.

4. Produce quality content

Of course, what will you post on social media once you get there? Many businesses tend to be confused about this, but it’s actually quite simple. Your customer base wants content that is relevant to them and that they can use on a day-to-day basis.

They want content that educates them and entertains them. They want content that gives them some kind of edge in their business or industry. Align your content to their wants and needs. Blogs, podcasts, and videos are all forms of content, which, if they are well-produced, result in increased sales as well as brand awareness.

5. Create a great customer service experience

Nothing gets people talking about a brand like having a positive experience. Business owners always work on the externals when coming to increasing brand awareness without realizing how powerful good word of mouth is. If you want people to spread the word about your business, give them something to talk about by offering them stellar customer service. You won’t have to spend millions getting advertisers to tell them.

6. Create a referral program

Everybody loves free stuff. You can offer free goods or services to current customers for every single person they bring to your brand. This encourages people to talk about your brand and also introduces your brand to new people. Ensure that your customer service and product/service are on point so that one-timers become converts.

7. Improve SEO rankings

This is one of the sneakier ways you can improve your brand’s awareness, but it is powerful. Imagine your brand appearing close to the top of Google search results with brands who have paid millions for the same privilege?

You’ll need to research the keywords that are relevant to your industry. When you know what terms people are searching for, you can incorporate them into the content spoken about earlier.

This is also an increasingly specialized area. If you’re not comfortable, it might be better to acquire assistance from knowledgeable parties.

 

8. Get an influencer on board

Sometimes, all you need to do is have your product seen with the right person, or have them write a positive review of your service.

The proliferation of the “influencer” happened with the rise of social media. Social media democratized celebrities by giving everyone a platform to become one. The more successful of these we call influencers, who have “followings” on social media. Some of these followings numbering into the millions.

A word from this person can significantly boost your brand’s awareness among their following. If you decide to work with an influencer, make sure their target audience and values align with that of your brand.

Increasing brand awareness should now not be a mystery to you. With some ingenuity and work, you can have your brand at the top of your mind in no time.