Use These Quick Tips To Build Brand Awareness

Some companies have built such a powerful brand that you could see the unbranded product and know they made it. That is excellent branding and it takes time to build not just that level of cohesiveness, but also that level of awareness.

Many smaller businesses feat that they will never have the type of brand awareness Fortune 500s have, but they can within their niche. To make it happen, you’ll need to understand brand awareness and the strategies that make it possible.

Understanding Brand Awareness

Building brand awareness makes you recognizable, so customers who love what you have to offer can show brand loyalty. When customers see elements of your brand, they should know not just what it is but what your brand stands for.

If you own a cafe in town, it’s great that they know that. But they should also know you sell the best vegan coffee on the block and celebrate “Muffin Mondays” to beat the Monday blues.

Building Brand Awareness

The good news is that you don’t need to focus specifically on building brand awareness to make it happen. You need only incorporate it into new or existing marketing strategies and campaigns.

  1. Build a Brand: The most important aspect of brand awareness is having that cohesive brand that customers can recognize in the first place. What is the element that ties your brand together? Is it the color, the imagery, the retro vibe of your billboard signs and decor?Note that building a brand first requires some experimentation and then consistency. Experimentation helps you test the features you think best resonate with your target market. Consistency provides the elements they can now begin to associate with your brand time after time. 
  1. Advertising: You already invest in advertising to attract more customers. Advertising also improves brand awareness. The more often people see your brand on billboard signs, fliers, brochures, shelves and ads, the more familiar of a choice your brand becomes. Soon, you become the choice that targeted customers makes when they need a product or service you provide.When choosing ad placements, be sure to consider your channels carefully and how well they align with your target audience. For instance, if you mostly serve a senior audience, poring the bulk of your money into advertising on Instagram is probably not a wise choice. Meanwhile, Instagram ads might do wonders for clothing lines bent on not just following but creating the newest trends.
  1. Get on Social Media: Believe it or not, people of all ages are online. Seniors might not be hanging out on Instagram as much as millennials and generation Z, but they are online. You can find them for leisure on Facebook and for business on LinkedIn. Many also hold Twitter accounts.Find out where your tribe hangs out online and then pour money into reaching them. There are also some social media platforms that are almost a rite of passage for businesses. These include Facebook and Twitter, but choose wisely before opening an account on either one.
  1. Partner With Others: When it comes to partnerships, there are many appropriate choices to consider. One choice gaining popularity is partnering with influencers and affiliate marketers. These people share your product or service with their audience and help you to leverage that audience to increase trust and boost sales.You can also partner with other brands. Most experts recommend partnering with a bigger brand. Far more important is partnering with a suitable brand. For instance, if your company makes spaghetti and pasta, partner with a company that makes sauces or team up with a restaurant to create a signature dish.
  1. Invest in the Community: Over the past few years, millennials have emerged as the most powerful buyers in the market for most industries. This demographic has earned the title of the most generous. Not surprisingly, this generation plays close attention to the politics and philanthropic work of the companies they support and many other people have adopted this principle since.This makes investing in your community a great way to reach them, their parents, grandparents and children. You could organize the cleanup of a beach or park, sponsor the local sports team or send workers to volunteer in causes that matter most to the community. Your customers will notice.
  1. Remarket and Retarget: So, you used all the tips above and it worked: people now recognize your brand and ask for your products and service by name. What now? To compound the effects of all your efforts, focus on retargeting and remarketing to turn people into repeat customers and keep them.To do this, you can invest in loyalty programs or offer coupons to first-time buyers. You could also try to get contact information so you can send texts or emails to let them know when there are new promotions or sales.

The Bottom Line

Building brand awareness can be a costly investment. However, once business owners see the effects of their efforts, most say it’s worth every penny.

Social Media Updates Not to be Ignored in 2018

Social Media is constantly changing – that is no secret to the digital marketing world. As 2018 ramps up, three well known networks have made some pretty drastic updates over the past year and we cannot ignore them.

Twitter DOUBLED its character limit.

Facebook updated its algorithm and some would say it caused headaches for marketers.

giphy-3 Social Media Updates Not to be Ignored in 2018

The update prioritizes content for users within their bubble; essentially eliminating public and/or outside content from personal feeds.The update is pushing marketers to switch up their strategies. The benefit here is quality over quantity. Yes the update makes it more difficult for users to find your Page’s content, but once they do you’ll know they’re there for a reason.

LinkedIn now allows hashtags and video! Many users are incorporating this into their profiles and Pages. If you are a small business owner, this can be extremely useful to reach your customers. For example, if you are launching a new line, or have a new product, you can showcase it here first as a “thank you for following us” post.

It’s important to keep up with the trends whether you manage your own social media accounts and Pages, or you hire an agency to do so. Branding is key. Engagement is key. Visibility and voice is key.

Ask yourself this question: Have I ever Googled something and went to a social media profile/Page first? If you answered “Yes,” you’re not alone.

New business owners should think realistically and be aware of this. Most people will not find your website – especially because they don’t know you exist yet! Without social media profiles/Pages, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be discovered.

Where to start.

Craft your profiles/Pages to align with your overall goal and brand. Keep in mind that not every social network is the same and should be treated differently. See below for the breakdown.

Twitter follows the K.I.S.S. method (keep it simple stupid.)

giphy-2 Social Media Updates Not to be Ignored in 2018

According to Business Insider, there is a total of 1.3 billion Twitter accounts, but only 328 million are active. Take advantage of this and be one of the active accounts.

Why is a business Twitter account necessary?

It’s part of the foundation of the entire branding experience. It’s also a good way for visitors to gain a sense of trust. The first step is visibility as previously mentioned. Check!

Make sure you have the following:

  • Profile photo
  • Header photo
  • Handle
  • Bio
  • Location
  • Website

Facebook Business Pages allow for more in depth information. Make sure you have the following filled in:

  • Profile photo
  • Cover photo
  • “Our Story”
  • Create a CTA (call to action) button
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Website
  • Category
  • Description (About)
  • Products you offer

With the recent algorithm update by our good ol’ friend Mark Z, it’s important to remember to post your best content. Prior to the update, it was much easier for users to visit your Page, find your Page, view public content, etc. Now, it’s a more close-knit vibe.

According to Zuckerberg, “Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.”

Here’s how to combat the concern and break through.

  • Switch it up!
    • Not every post needs a link. For example, #BizTipTuesday with a sentence from a blog to share with followers is a good way to engage with an audience.
  • Ask questions, include numbers
    • Content that might spark conversation (comments, shares, likes) is more likely to perform better
  • It’s OK to ask people to follow your Page – this might even remind them to use the feature “See First.” When users visit a Page they follow, they have the option to push their favorite ones to the top of their newsfeed!

Screen-Shot-2018-02-13-at-11.25.01-AM Social Media Updates Not to be Ignored in 2018

The Business Social Network has really been feeling the fire the past year. From cover image sizes to adding a video component, LinkedIn has made some of the most noticeable changes.

According to LinkedIn, there are 19 million Company Pages on the network.

Speaking solely for Company Pages, here’s what to include for your business:

  • Logo
  • Cover image
  • About Us
  • Specialties
  • Website URL
  • Company size
  • Year founded
  • Industry
  • Company Type
  • Location

The benefits of having a LinkedIn Company Page include:

  • Showcasing the company, not just employees
    • It gives you a higher chance to pop up on Google searches

Screen-Shot-2018-02-13-at-11.32.58-AM Social Media Updates Not to be Ignored in 2018

  • You can ask your employees to list it under their experience
    • Acts as company ambassadors
  • Promote news about your company
  • Share resources and updates that get attention from followers
  • Share services offered
  • Gives users an extra outlet if they have yet to reach your website

Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn along with other social media will continue to make changes. As technology evolves, users must follow suit in order to get the most out of the tools.

As marketers and business owners, we can’t keep doing the same things over and over and over again expecting better results. Isn’t that the sign of insanity?!

giphy-1 Social Media Updates Not to be Ignored in 2018

If you have any questions about your company profiles/Pages, feel free to reach out to us!

Please share this blog to help out fellow business owners!

differentiation strategy for financial advisors

Finding Your Niche: Marketing Strategies for Financial Advisors & Brokers

How does your financial business differ from others? What makes you stand-out? Whether your business is new and developing, or you’re going through a brand revival, having your financial business stand out is one of the essential keys to success. How can you achieve this? If you are a broker or financial advisor, The Finance Marketing Group has some tips and tricks to help you develop and find your niche.

Read More
content-social-media-marketing

Building Trust Through Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing

It’s no secret that the finance industry has struggled to earn the trust of its clients for decades. The good news is that even though trust in the financial industry is low, it is increasing faster than in other industries. While the increase in trust can be attributed to new regulatory guidelines, there is no doubt trust can continue to be earned by financial institutions themselves. So, what can be done to earn the trust of your clients?

Read More

Essential Branding Tips For Commercial Brokers

Most new brokers are so amped up about getting their business started that they forget about how important initial company branding is. Your brand will ultimately determine how successful your brokerage is in the commercial finance industry, so it’s important to build your brand correctly from the beginning. This includes, developing a proper name & tagline for your services, developing a company mission statement, policy for handling complaints, business plan, and proper marketing.

Read More