Most small businesses, just like yours, fail within the first 6 months. What makes your company any different? For most small businesses this is very often down to a lack of brand awareness.
Brand awareness can be hard to build in a saturated marketplace, but if you want to survive you need to be implementing it now. Below, we present a range of effective and cost-efficient brand awareness tips to help your company survive.
1. Educate
The first on our list is not the most obvious method of brand promotion, but it is one that works. When someone visits your website it is quite likely that they are searching for a solution to a problem. For example, they may need business help or want to find a new set of headphones, or wonder how to fix a leaking radiator.
Educate visitors and solve problems through informative blog articles. You can also do it in videos or podcasts. Try a few methods and see which works best for you.
By educating the visitor, you win a two-fold battle. The first is that you gain their trust. They see you as an expert and have faith in your company.
The second is that you can use it to drive sales. After helping them, insert a call to action asking them to sign up to an email, or purchase something that will make their job easier.
One clever way to do it is through infographics. Infographics are a great way to break down statistics and weighty numbers into a visual format, making them easier to digest. They can also raise brand awareness by showing you as an expert in your field.
Always make sure that your facts and statistics are correct and referenced. You may wish to do some market research to get the correct numbers and responses. If so, you can combine your findings in a blog post, making sure you get two pieces of content from one result.
2. PPC Marketing
Pay Per Click marketing is an excellent method or brand promotion, as it targets specific demographics that have already expressed an interest in your field or business. You can also target precisely using age, income, gender, and geography, putting all that hard done market research to good use.
Another great advantage of PPC marketing is that you can set a daily budget that will be adhered to. Instant feedback is provided, so you can tweak parameters on an almost hourly basis to get the best advertising campaign possible.
3. Referral Programmes
A referral program is a great way to incentivize new trades by using your old customers to assist. For every person they refer to your product or service, you simply give them a reward. This could be a discount on their next purchase or a physical gift, depending on what your service is.
By doing this, you will quickly see your conversions grow along with your brand awareness. Make sure you keep the cycle going by offering the referral incentive to anyone who has themselves been referred.
4. Brand Awareness With Guest Content
Guest posting is a method in which you post blogs and articles on other websites. This can give you some brand promotion help by ‘piggybacking’ other companies’ audiences. It will also get you valuable backlinks to increase your SEO score.
The content you provide must be of value. Just because it is not on your site, does not mean it has to be any lower in quality. You are increasing brand awareness and everything is a reflection of what you do.
5. Start Local, Think Global
It would be great if your company went stratospheric overnight, but the truth is that overnight successes take years to accomplish. That is why you should utilize what is right on your doorstep before you make any plans of world domination. Start local, then think global.
Engage in local activities and community events. These services are there waiting to spread your name and are ripe for brand promotion opportunities. Sponsor a local sports team, set up marketing stalls at a nearby festival, or partner up with a local charity.
6. Upgrading
If your website provides a service or product, then you may consider giving away some services for free but asking people to pay for others. This is a subscription type model that is employed by many companies. For example, you may have a picture convertor that leaves a watermark on free items but removes it for paid subscription owners.
This method works on two levels. Firstly, it allows you to upsell products. Secondly, you are doing this while increasing brand awareness.
7. Stripping Down on Social Media
Social media has become such a behemoth that it has started to implode upon itself. It has reached a saturation point, yet that does not mean you should avoid it. In fact, with just a few tweaks you can rise above the rest.
Firstly, strip back on social media and use only two or three channels that work best for you. Concentrate on putting out quality posts that provide value, both to your and your followers. Then make sure you respond to comments and queries in a professional manner, regularly.
Taking Time
Finally, remember that these tactics for brand awareness take time. Implement them over a period of months, checking back to see their effectiveness. You should soon find that your company has raised its profile, both on and offline.
If you found this article useful, then visit our businesses section. We have a range of articles on everything from technology to finance to help you build your company and brand.