What is it about these two insanely successful brands that make them so popular?
It’s not just their fabulous products or on-point branding (though, these two things do obviously help!). It’s not just the stories behind them or the word-of-mouth praise. It’s not even to do with their engaging social media marketing campaigns…
…it’s all of the above and more.
Big brands have absolutely bucketfuls of brand awareness. That’s how they became who they are. Households names. The brands we value. The brands we trust.
But their brand fame didn’t happen overnight. Oh no, it happened over a period of intense brand-building and brand awareness strategy implementation.
That might sound intense, but building brand awareness isn’t as hard as you might think.
Here are 10 easy hacks you can do right now to increase awareness of your brand and start your journey to becoming the next Apple or Nike in your industry.
Brand awareness increases relationships, increases sales, but most importantly, it establishes brand trust - the crème de la crème of any brand.
Read more: Build brand loyalty FAST using this one simple trick
1. Decide on your brand voice
Determining your brand voice is a great (and simple) way to build brand awareness. Is your brand voice corporate? Or are you more casual? By making sure your tone of voice is cohesive across all platforms, readers will be more likely to identify that ad or content as coming from your brand.
2. Determine your brand aesthetic
And we don’t just mean the colours on your insta feed! By ensuring you have a set of Brand Guidelines to follow, your brand aesthetic will instantly become recognisable. From fonts to logo usage, Pantone colours to brand positioning, your brand aesthetic will be succinct and identifiable.
3. What’s your brand story?
Having a story behind your brand will help others relate to it. Your brand narrative can awe and inspire - everyone loves a good story, don’t they? Told around campfires, it’s a key part of being human. We love narrative transportation - that feeling when you’re fully engrossed in a story - and it’s what differentiates a good brand from a great one. Just, make sure it’s a true story, okay? Authenticity is kind of key here.
4. Narrow down your brand ethos
According to studies, 58% of consumers buy or advocate for brands based on their beliefs and values. This begs the question, what’s your brand’s overall goal, aim or ambition? If you’re able to narrow this down, then you can use this in your marketing communications to build awareness about who your brand is behind the logo.
5. Grow your brand community
From creating shareable content, guest blogging and podcasts, you can grow your brand community away from your product with a simple encouragement to ‘share’.
You can also grow your brand community offline with merchandise. Everyone loves to receive a freebie, and those with a beautifully branded piece of product media are part of an exclusive brand community, that’s going to build brand awareness. Hello, FOMO!
Read more: Here’s how giving gifts could save your brand
6. Remember you’re a person
The best way to get your brand engaged with your audience is to BE a person. No one can sympathise with just a logo, no one can empathise with a product. It’s the people behind the brand that make it truly unique, so make yourself stand out from the crowd with a human voice, your voice, whilst you sit back and relax as your brand awareness grows.
7. Provide value with your brand
It’s all good to have a trending colour palette and a successful brand voice, but your brand ultimately has to provide value to your audience. It has to solve a problem or help a cause greater than itself.
8. Get your brand elevator pitch sorted
If you can describe what your brand stands for in under 30 seconds, then you’ve got a succinct and useful elevator pitch. This can be used across your socials and for networking to establish a compact view of your brand, leading to more awareness. Someone is more likely to remember a speech that is under 30 seconds than one that’s 30 minutes!
9. Networking = more awesome connections
Getting out into the real world and away from the internet is a great way to grow brand awareness, especially in your chosen industry. You’ll be the face of your brand, representing it at events and conferences.
Do you know what also boosts your brand when networking? Promotional merch! We’ve got a fantastic selection of goodies perfect for helping you break the ice with new potential clients.
10. Your social media platforms are your friend
Don’t shy away from social media marketing, give it a personality! Social media is a great way to continue building brand awareness 24/7. With over 50% of your overall brand reputation being decided by social media, you can implement a lot of the tactics above to create a vibrant and cohesive online presence. It’s time to grow your brand image with new faces and old friends alike!
“Remember, engagement is more important than reach”
Anne Harbison, JourneyLead Consulting
If you’re looking for the easiest and simplest way to grow brand awareness, look no further than tangible quality products that encompass all of the above and more: promotional merchandise!
We’re here to help you dream big. Be it for solving problems or building connections. We’re here to help you tell your story in your own words, through the products that define your brand.
Request a call-back now for a chance to chat about what the world of merchandise has to offer your brand.