Regardless of your industry, business size, or the type of goods or services your company sells, a strong brand presence is essential for organizational success. At its core, brand awareness is important because it creates a meaningful connection and, therefore, a relationship between your customers and your company. Although it is sometimes difficult to draw a direct line between brand awareness and a sale, it is clear that today’s consumers are much more likely to buy from a familiar company they know and trust than from an unknown entity.
To ensure that your company is top-of-mind when the time comes for your ideal customer to make a purchase, here are four tips to follow:
- Pay attention to existing customers. Experts agree that it cost less and requires less work to retain current customers than it does to bring in new ones. Connect with existing and even former customers on a regular basis by phone, email and social media.
- Become a thought leader. In a competitive marketplace, it’s especially important to distinguish your company from the rest of the pack. That’s why being recognized as a thought leader is essential to brand awareness. Identify appropriate thought leaders within your organization and encourage them to speak at industry events, publish bylined articles in relevant publications, be a regular or guest blogger, and actively participate in social media.
- Develop a diverse social media strategy. Social media provides a rich and diverse means of connecting with customers and prospects. Use LinkedIn to connect with your target audience and share relevant content. Twitter is excellent for sharing original content and establishing brand awareness. Be sure to retweet your own posts and those of others to boost SEO and build rapport with others. Blog regularly and include social-media icons to blog posts to encourage sharing. Post presentation decks to SlideShare and upload videos to YouTube.
- Create a resource section on your website. A comprehensive resource section provides helpful information for customers and prospects, can increase the time visitors spend on your site, and positions your company as an important influencer in the marketplace. Content can include articles authored by your company’s thought leaders, white papers, case studies, how-to videos, testimonials and FAQs.
B2B content marketing isn’t always about one piece of content equating to one sale. Instead, its role in driving brand awareness—a consistent, positive image—is much more valuable. To effectively lift and maintain brand awareness, content should strategically support the desired corporate image, highlight thought leadership, and be meaningful to the customer or prospect. To learn more about increasing your organization’s brand awareness through content marketing, contact Trade Press Services.