You and your company can have an amazing product and the best services in the world, but without brand awareness, it doesn't really matter what sets you apart from your competition. For a small business, creating a local brand identity is the key to expanding business operations, building a loyal customer base, and remaining competitive in both local and expanded markets. Building brand awareness from the bottom up may not be easy, but with the right steps and preparation, it's possible to make your company an icon in the local community.
Here are four brand awareness tactics you should utilize.
1.) Take Advantage of Social Media
One of the best ways to build a brand is to use social media. Offering a unique way to interact with fans and followers, social media puts you and your company in the front lines, seeing what your customers are saying and sharing the details they need to make informed decisions. By maintaining social media accounts and using them to promote new products and services, offer promotional perks, and create relationships with your local network, you can spread your brand's presence and grow your business.
2.) Get Involved in the Community
Want people to know your name? Get out there and show it to them! By getting involved in your community, whether at community activities like fun runs or local holiday celebrations, you'll be able to put a company name with a face. The people you meet in person will remember you much easier than they would if they stumbled upon your company by chance. If you want to boost credibility in your industry, consider taking part in conferences or conventions. Setting up a booth at a trade show doesn't cost you much, but it will mean a lot to your market.
3.) Master Content Marketing
Content marketing is an incredibly valuable tool for small businesses, providing insights into products, services, and company culture. High quality content marketing is a great way to share what makes your company stand out from the crowd and can be a highly effective way of creating memorable experiences for visitors to your site. Many small businesses can benefit from starting a blog related to their industry, offering tips, tricks, and pointers for customers in order to build a reputation in the market.
Email marketing can also be very effective, providing interested subscribers with important, timely business information. When used properly, email marketing can enhance brand awareness, providing information to a willing audience who will be more likely to remember your name and what you have to offer.
4.) Sponsor Local Events
Have you ever noticed the banners hanging in ball parks or the company names on the back of sporting league jerseys? Of course you have, and you can probably think of some local examples. Sponsoring an event, a youth sporting team, or even a local scholarship can help your company create good will and lasting ties within the community, as well as associating your company as a benevolent, supportive brand. Many sponsorship positions are not expensive or time consuming, meaning that you can do a lot to build your brand in your area without hurting your bottom line.
Small Business Branding
As a small business, your brand is one of the main things that sets you apart from the masses, a way of identifying your company versus your competitors. By creating a clear message and presence in your community, you can easily and affordably boost brand awareness and create a corporate identity customers will remember. Build a brand worth remembering and you’ll build a customer base that will keep coming back.