Owning a brand that is easily recognisable isn't easy, at all. We can testify to that. That doesn't mean making a strong brand is impossible though, with a few steps in the right direction, you could be on your way to brand heaven.
Hey, most social media tools are free you know. You might as well use them to your full advantage. Social media levels the playing field and also gives you a great opportunity to promote your business while increasing brand awareness. With the right approach you could be reaching millions of people across the world and turning some of them into clients. In Nigeria alone, 16 million people visit Facebook each month, you shouldn't need more convincing when it comes to social media.
Motherland Mogul tip: Start with a Facebook page for your business then a Twitter profile. Build them up by following conversations around industry-related topics and engaging with others. Offer prospective customers useful information that addresses their problems even if you don't mention your brand. Remember that whatever social media channel you're using, your message should be consistent and same tone.
Sending press releases to newspapers and magazines are another way to raise brand awareness. Write compelling press releases that are up to journalistic and public relations standards. Your press releases can announce information relating to your business and/or products, or even just general events. Can't think of any newspapers to send your releases to? Simple, upload them to your blog or website. If you can find other websites to carry your releases. Remember that interesting stories will generate publicity.
Motherland Mogul tip: Consider other forms of advertising that may be unique to your country. For example, despite the huge numbers, most African still aren't online. They are mobile though. Consider making use of SMS services to get your brand out there.
Coming up with campaigns targeted at gaining new leads is great, but while you're looking for new customers you shouldn't forget the ones that you have already. Brand awareness campaigns are a great way to keep your brand in customers' minds and nurturing the relationships you have built already. If your customers constantly remember you, your business will remain relevant to them.
Motherland Mogul tip: Need a campaign idea? Why not show your audience your business's human side? Let your customers know your story. Show them who the person behind their beloved brand is. You can do this through your website or your blog through an "about us" page or personal updates that are relevant to your business.
There are probably a thousand people offering the same kind of product or services you do. This is why you'll need to stand out, what makes your brand different from others? Don't ever be afraid to push the limits when defining your identity and looking for what makes you stand out. Consider alternative ways to uncovering the unique nature of your brand.
Motherland Mogul tip: You can use customer testimonials to stand out from your competition. Here's how. Ask yourself, what are your customer's saying about your brand? Talk to them and use this to uncover your brand's uniqueness. Videos are a great way to capture this, imagine your customers sharing what they enjoy about your products/services. You can also use this to build up your brand's YouTube channel, go you!
Offering your most influential clients sweet deals is another way to create brand awareness. You can get customers to recommend friends and family, all through incentives. This is especially useful when these customers are very influential people. If you don't have influencers in your networks, reach out to some. Influential people can be bloggers or other business owners in your industry.
Motherland Mogul tip: You may have to consider offering freebies to your identified influencers. Yeah you're dashing them things, but consider that well-connected people will very likely talk about your services to their followers. It's a win-win.
When you've gone through the list of things you can do by yourself and are still lacking, it's time to partner up. You can consider partnering with other brands to get your name in front of a new audience. With a partnership you're tapping into your partner's image and reputation, so you'll have to be careful who you approach.
Motherland Mogul tip: Another way to partner using social media is through guest blogging. This can create awareness for your brand when it is done with people who are popular in your industry. With brand awareness there is no shame in being everywhere in your niche. Just try not to get burned out.