When you think of hot water bottles, what’s the first brand that comes to mind? It’s highly likely you would say Thermos. When talking about photocopiers, the most commonly used term is Xerox. And when you want to look for something online, you’re told to Google it. These terms are known as generic trademarks — the pinnacle of brand awareness.
These brands have become so popular and because of this, their names are used to mention a general product, category, or used as a verb. A report by Influencer Marketing Hub 2021 states that brand awareness is a priority for marketers. Many business owners dream of reaching this level of brand awareness and this should be one of your goals too.
Brand awareness is defined as how customers remember and recognize you. The sounder your brand awareness campaigns are, the more people will easily identify with you. It also helps consumers become comfortable with your brand. If your target market identifies with you, you stand a bigger chance of getting ahead of your competition.
So how can you reach the level of brand awareness that very few have attained? Keep in mind, successful brand awareness doesn’t happen overnight. It’s gained through continuous effort.
Here is a list of some strategies to help you increase brand awareness.
Harnessing the Power of Visual Content
In addition to the strategies mentioned below, another effective method to increase brand awareness is by harnessing the power of visual content. Visual content has become increasingly popular in the digital age, as it captures attention and conveys messages more engagingly and memorably. One powerful form of visual content is rich media messages as they go beyond plain text and incorporate various elements such as images, videos, infographics, and interactive features. By utilizing them, you can create visually compelling content that stands out in the crowded digital landscape, effectively capturing the interest of your target audience. Visual content is highly shareable, making it an excellent tool for spreading brand awareness.
Guest Posting
Guest posting, or guest blogging, is the writing and publication of your articles on another brand’s page. This is a great way to build a reputation amongst your peers. Before you can be considered for this, however, you should know that guest posts have to follow the publishing site’s guidelines and must be well-written. It should be informative and of high quality so it can increase the probability of people sharing it on social media.
Giveaways and Freebies
Who doesn’t enjoy receiving free items? When you give a person a freebie, it usually makes them feel good about your brand since it feels like a reward. Giving out free stuff will make people remember your brand and, as such, people will be more inclined to buy your brand than that of your competitor’s.
You can get creative with your giveaways and freebies. You can design your own custom t-shirts, put your logo on mugs, or put your mascot on a USB flash drive. You can give these away at special events or give them as rewards for signing up for a newsletter.
You can also offer these as rewards when people try out one of your products. This way, you can let them try what your brand has to offer.
Collaborate with Other Brands
Consumers value authenticity and trust. Collaborating with others and linking with another business will help build trust with both your audiences. If they like business A and business A is partnering with you, their audience will be more interested in your products, and vice versa.
For example, if you own a clothing brand and you want to pair up with a shoe brand, you can ask them to collaborate with you on a line that is complementary with one another. You can make skate shirts or skate hoodies to partner with their skate shoes. You can also do this with sporting equipment or with other fashion brands.
The Bottomline
Build brand awareness if you want to be one step ahead of your competitors. When people recognize or trust your brand over others, you’re likely to get the sale and they won’t.
It’s important to remember however that when you aim for brand recognition, you won’t get results right away. Keep testing different strategies, see what works best for you, and keep at it so you can get the kind of recognition your brand desires.