When a customer is ready to make a purchase, brand awareness is what keeps a brand on the top of the customer’s mind. Increasing brand awareness can be challenging and for many marketers it is a very important goal. The term simply refers to how easily customers can recognize the products and services of a brand. It is different from brand recognition. Brand recognition is when a customer can recognize a brand, it is more about the visual identity of a brand. Brand awareness, on the other hand, is about the value proposition of a brand, its culture, the features and benefits of its products, among many others. Some marketers treat brand awareness as the first stage of the marketing funnel. Given below are tactics to build brand awareness.
Define your target audience
The target audience of a brand is made up of people who require the products and services of a brand. When a brand knows who its target audience are, it will be easy for it to interact and connect with them. There should be a list of criteria that can be used to create an audience profile. The list should contain factors such as age, income, relationship status, industry, location, gender, and others. For instance, if a brand knows that its target audience are people in their mid-twenties and from middle class families, then it can use the information to successfully pitch to its target audience.
Develop a noticeable tone of voice
The tone of voice of a brand helps to express its personality and set of values. The tone of voice of a brand should be aligned with its target audience and help it to stand out. This is as important as the visual identity of a brand. For instance, Uber’s voice is considerate and consistent. It is apparent that it puts its audience first. Anthropologie, for instance, in spite of being a clothing brand focuses on emotions and not fashion-specific terminology.
Utilize social media
To increase brand awareness, social media platforms have to be utilized. This helps a brand to get access to millions of potential customers. A brand should know where its audience is spending the majority of their time and choose those social media platforms to post engaging content. A brand can maintain many profiles but its efforts should be consistent and not haphazard in trying to be everywhere at once. Research should also be done on the ideal images to be used and the best times to post content. Importance should be given to details as it strengthens social media marketing strategies.
Collaborate with relevant businesses
A number of great products have been made because of collaborations and brands should collaborate as much as possible. Collaboration is a great opportunity to reach a different set of audience. The collaboration can be with influencers or by starting a podcast series with another brand. Collaborations help brands to support each other through opportunities. For instance, H&M collaborated with Versace to bring luxury to the masses.
