If it were as simple as having an idea for a product or service, almost everyone would be a successful business owner.
However, the reality is that product ideation is only one component of building a business. To be successful, you must drive awareness for your business through strategic branding.
And if you don’t have a plan, building brand awareness will run you out of money.
Try These 5 Strategies
Branding can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re looking for ways to increase brand awareness without sending a surge through your budget, you’ll have to be intentional with which methods you use.
Here are a few cost-effective strategies you may find useful:
#1 Consistent Social Media
When it comes to branding and exposure, social media is a business owner’s best friend. It gives you a free platform with the potential to reach thousands (even millions) of people. But for it to be an effective tool, consistency is a must.
Far too many small businesses claim social media profiles, spend a few weeks sporadically posting content, and then let their pages go dormant. In all honesty, this is worse for a brand than never doing social media at all. It makes your business look like it’s incompetent and/or deteriorating.
For maximum brand exposure, only bite off as much as you can chew. Instead of creating a profile on six or seven different social networking platforms, choose one or two and give these your attention. Consistently posting content and engaging with followers will earn you greater awareness.
#2 Organic Link Building
To generate awareness for your website and encourage website traffic, your best bet is to invest in a link building campaign. More specifically, try an organic link building campaign (which is going to be the most cost-effective and inexpensive approach).
Link building is the practice of increasing website traffic and awareness through the strategic placement and accumulation of external links in authoritative websites and blogs.
Organic link building requires that you do this in a manner that encourages people to naturally link back to your web pages without being paid or solicited.
#3 Cross-Promotions and Partnerships
“Strategic and carefully considered partnerships can be a highly effective way to increase brand awareness and can even enable you to break into new markets,” Isabella Hassall writes for SMSGlobal.
“Aligning with a suitable brand will organically result in the inheritance of its image and reputation. It will also expose your business to a new audience outside of your customer base.”
The key is to find a partnership that allows you to give as much as you get. This will ensure the relationship is sustainable and cost-effective over the long haul.
#4 Exceptional Customer Service
Many brands have found that the best way to increase brand awareness is to delight and satisfy the customers they already have in the fold. Outside of producing a quality product, the best way to do this is via customer service.
Exceptional customer service isn’t exactly common in today’s business world. If you’re able to go above and beyond, people will notice. And when people notice, they talk – often on social media.
So, in an indirect way, good customer service becomes a tool for greater visibility.
#5 Strategic Content Marketing
Content marketing is a must for today’s competitive brands. But there’s a difference between producing strategic content marketing and just going through the motions.
If brand awareness and visibility is your goal, you’ll need to develop content that generates discussion and collects backlinks. Interactive, visual, and/or controversial content works well. Commit to regularity and be sure that you maintain a consistent brand voice and flavor.
Lay a Strong Foundation
Branding is less science and more art form. While every business owner draws inspiration from other brands, it’s ultimately up to you to determine which methods will work within the context of your situation.
If budget constraints are limiting factors, then a cost-effective approach is necessary.
Cost-effective doesn’t mean cheap or ineffective. Instead, it means properly leveraging your budget for maximum results. Hopefully, you’ve gathered some useful insights from this article.
Continue to shape and refine your approach over time, and you’ll enjoy a positive return on investment.
Are you trying to build brand awareness without going broke?
