Brand visibility is imperative to success and relates to more prevalent customer recognition and awareness. It denotes the ability of customers to recognize a brand or business based on various factors.
It is commonly associated with visual representations of a brand such as the business logo, colors, and products, but it’s much more pervasive than that. For example, Apple and Google are synonymous with technology products, including computers, mobile devices, and so on. Every time those types of products are brought up, or the related topics are in focus, those two brands come to mind, among others. That is because they have effectively boosted brand visibility, in many different ways.
Of course, effectively increasing brand visibility for a small business or medium-sized operation, with limited resources, is quite a bit different than doing so for a corporate entity. What goes into brand visibility, and what are some ways to enhance and leverage the concept?
1. Optimize for Search
These days, there is no valid excuse for NOT optimizing a business or brand website for SEO, or search engine results. You can do this by focusing on relevant keywords, namely terms that your customers will be searching for. It’s not something you have to do alone either, as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO experts willing to help. It’s also accessible to all businesses, big and small.
Choose keywords, use a proper SEO tool, and begin adding those keywords to your site. Coming up with a clear content marketing campaign that hits all those relevant keywords and delivers enriching and engaging material is just as important. Moreover, the keywords can be embedded within the web copy on all pages, product descriptions, headers, and much more.
2. Use Smart Advertising
Advertising and marketing are critical for boosting visibility, across print ads, digital ads, and various other mediums. But one of the best ways to get your name out there is to use creative measures, doing something a little different than everyone else. Some examples include clever office branding, unique product packaging, local sponsorships, or even customer rewards and incentives.
Like all forms of advertising, the idea is to get your brand out there and in front of as many eyes as possible. Doing it in a witty or creative way ensures that both the medium and the content stand out, creating a memorable experience, and vastly boosting brand awareness.
3. Tap Into Influencer Marketing
The term “influencer” has taken on new meaning in the digital frontier. It doesn’t just include celebrities and public personas, but also YouTubers, social media users, content creators, and much more. Moxy Hotels launched a YouTube channel featuring Taryn Southern, a popular influencer that became so popular, it now has multiple seasons’ worth of content.
Just as you would with celebrities during the days of old, you can tap into an influencer’s audience and resources to build awareness about your brand. You can do it by offering products for review, paying for ad placements or mentions, sending out free swag, opening discussions with creators, and so on.
The trick is to choose the right influencers for your niche, products, and brand. Instead of just picking someone because they’re popular, try to find someone local. Alternatively, you can look for someone that works with the types of products or services you offer, such as tech, makeup, accessories, or whatever.
4. Enhance Offline Marketing
In the digital age, and with so much happening online, it’s easy to overlook the offline world. Every business should invest some time and resources enhancing offline marketing efforts. It includes product packaging, word-of-mouth advertising or referrals, radio advertisements, networking, public events, cold calls, and much more. Basically, the term encompasses anything that happens offline and away from the internet.
Wearing yourself thin trying to do it all is not the goal, nor is it a good strategy. But choosing one or two channels to focus on, and then becoming the best of the best is the way to go. If you choose to participate in local job fairs or networking events, then do it with a splash! Host a keynote discussion or panel. Give out free swag to all booth visitors. Make it memorable and get your brand out there.
5. Reward Your Customers
To build loyalty, entice customers to share their experiences, and naturally increase awareness, you need to be going above and beyond. Rewarding your customers is an excellent way to do that. The first thing that comes to mind is a customer loyalty program or cashback rewards, but while those are great solutions, they’re not the only strategies that exist. There are many ways to give back and reward your customers, not necessarily through monetary incentives.
Bundling small gifts with every purchase is one example. Honing customer service programs to near perfection to ensure customers are always taken care of, is another. Another still might be something as simple as offering free shipping for all online orders. You’ll need to review your competitors so you know what they’re doing and what they offer, and then you can up your game. Ensure that your customers continually have positive and memorable experiences, and that will create a cyclical system where those people are always willing to share and talk about your brand.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Continue improving and innovating as much as possible, but also establish a way to measure brand visibility. Doing so is easier than you might think. You can look at website traffic, and how much it’s growing, review the search volume of your keywords, check in-store traffic, look at trending topics or messages about your brand, and much more.
Search optimization should always be on your plate, which means you should continue utilizing your chosen keywords and researching more. Smart advertising, offline marketing, and influencer support should also be persistent strategies. Don’t forget to reward your customers or your employees on the frontlines!
Once you put that vehicle in motion, don’t use the brakes, continue your momentum. Measure, iterate, improve, and then re-measure. It’s the best way to increase visibility, build strong and positive awareness, and cement your brand in the annals of history.
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.
