In a digital age when all consumer decisions start with a search query and all transactions are reliant on trusted familiarity, having a brand awareness strategy that transcends channels is crucial.
Today, businesses have to fight tooth and nail to cover all bases in order to remain relevant. Gone are the days when brand awareness rested with the marketing and PR teams. Now companies must ensure that they spread themselves across numerous touchpoints in order to keep people ‘aware’ of their presence.
That’s because consumers are now comfortable engaging with brands and people across numerous platforms. What’s more, they expect to. The internet has completely transformed our relationships both with our friends and families and with the businesses we buy from, and firms need to be on it or risk losing out.
But if you need convincing of what’s at stake, consider this. Two-thirds of all shoppers regularly use more than one channel to make purchases, and customers who shop on more than one channel have a 30 per cent higher Lifetime Value than those who shop on only one. To make sure you’re covered across the board, here’s 5 tips for a winning brand awareness strategy.
Content Marketing
Content is king online and is constantly tipped as being one of the most valuable weapons in a marketers’ arsenal. Part of the reason why is a phenomenon dubbed “display blindness”. Hundreds of millions of people now use ad blockers and according to Google’s own data, most display ads can only expect to attract a 0.07 per cent click-through-rate, and of that a large percentage is attributed to “fat thumb syndrome”.
Conversely, content is digested with an insatiable appetite. While content marketing costs 62 per cent less than outbound marketing, it generates more than three times as many leads. Those who are well versed in the art and willing to dedicate time to perfect it are also likely to gain. Content marketing leaders experience 7.8 times more site traffic than non-leaders, so it is certainly something worth investing in as part of a brand awareness strategy.
News Generation
News generation is a genius way of increasing brand awareness. By building a research-driven news around your brand messaging you are not only afforded the opportunity to get your brand name into the national press, you also get the nation talking about what you do and the solutions you offer.
Building a Social Presence
On platforms that brag audiences spanning the length and breadth of the globe, nothing says ‘awareness’ quite like social media. Ninety per cent of young adults—ages 18 to 29—use social media and there’s a lot of evidence to suggest older generations are starting to catch up. In many instances social media marketing is free, but in order to increase engagement and get your brand messages in front of people that matter to you, having a well-informed paid strategy always pays.
Native Advertising
One of the most effective ways to cover all the bases is to use native advertising techniques. On search, that looks like sponsored search results which show up when punters type in key terms which you want to be identified by. On social, it’s well-placed and engaging content that shows up on the timelines of prospective customers.
But one of the best ways to advertise in a native form is on digital publications. With significant reach and an already engaged audience, using content to advertise can be a really effective way of getting your brand message out there and making people aware of your presence.
Optimise Your Website
There’s nothing quite as effective as good housekeeping, and although may surprise you to hear, when it comes to brand awareness some of the most effective techniques start at home. Optimising a website can be an effective way of increasing your visibility online.
Having a well optimised site that is visible on search and user friendly can work wonders for your brand, and including content that engages users will help improve people’s perceptions of who you are. Useful blogs and interactive content are always a winner, so get thinking about what really matters to your consumers.
Featured image: lyzadangerDerivative work: Diliff – http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyza/49545547, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1405631
