3+ Easy Ways to Create Brand Awareness

What’s in a name?

Well, when you’re a new entrepreneur and seeking to build awareness of your brand, a name can mean everything.

In her article about building brand awareness for the WordStream blog, Megan Marrs says the following about how we often use some brand names without thinking twice:

When you need a tissue, do you ask for a tissue, or for a Kleenex? When you’re ordering a drink at a fast-food restaurant, do you ask for a cola, or a Coke? What about when you cut yourself? Do you look for a plastic bandage, or a Band-Aid?

Of course, many of us who own a business dream that our brand’s name will also become a household name, like the ones mentioned above. However, the reality is that most of them do not.

Fear not though – there are many effective ways you can expose your brand’s name and boost your business.

Here are three easy ways to start creating brand awareness as a new business owner

1. Infographics

Without a doubt, today’s consumer absorbs copious amounts of information on a daily basis. This is especially true if they are active internet users. This is one of the reasons why visual content in general – and infographics in particular – are so popular.

Darcy Coulter explains the appeal of infographics in her article for the Contently website, “Why Your Brain Loves Infographics (And Your Readers Do Too),” and states the following:

Visuals are also a great way to communicate with your readers, since they increase the willingness to read in the first place. That information will also have staying power, since they’ve been shown to help with reader comprehension.

Consider creating infographics (or having someone do them for you) based on information and statistics your audience finds valuable. Infographics will then help spread your brand’s name and drive traffic to your website.

2. Freebies

It’s a fact that people like free stuff. And as a new business owner, you can certainly use this to your advantage to put your name in front of more people.

For example, consider event “swag.” It’s a given that people who attend events and tradeshows will collect as many freebies as they can carry. If you have the opportunity and resources to set up a booth at such an event, you really should.

Here are a couple of freebie suggestions you could use to create brand awareness at events that I include in one of my recent articles for the Curatti blog:

• Custom-designed water bottle labels. (iCustomLabel, for example, offers a nice selection of water bottle labels for dozens of different industries at reasonable prices).
• Tech gadgets such as mobile device chargers and USB flash drives. (You may want to check out GeekTech Branding. They are a leading supplier for custom printed high-tech promotional products featuring your logo and branding).

Whether you choose these ideas or have some fun and creative ideas of your own, the brand exposure with freebies is a huge opportunity.

3. Social Media Contests

Similar to the thrill of receiving free stuff is being given a chance to win free stuff. Apps such as Woobox and antavo make running contests on social media a breeze.

To further increase brand awareness, create contests which reward its contestants with additional contest entries when they share your brand’s link.

There are also some “sneaky” (but perfectly ethical) ways of building brand awareness

In her same article that I referenced above via WordStream, “18 Sneaky Ways to Build Brand Awareness,” Megan Marrs shares a super list of additional suggestions for boosting your brand’s exposure.

She may call them “sneaky,” but regardless, these are ten smart ideas for new business owners:

1. Referral programs
2. Guest blogging
3. Local partnerships
4. Focusing on your target audience within only one or two social media platforms, rather than trying to be everywhere all the time
5. LinkedIn Publishing
6. Discovering and tapping into your brand’s unique personality
7. Podcasts
8. PPC advertising
9. Paid social advertising
10. Influencer marketing

Is brand awareness important to you? If so, are you using these or other ways to create and grow awareness of your brand? I’d love to hear what’s working for you. Please feel free to leave a comment below.