Increase Your Brand Awareness With These 5 Strategies

Marketing is an ever-evolving approach to reach consumers and capture their attention. And, odds are, your organization has had to evolve faster than ever in the past year. 

As things are returning to normal, it's time to get your marketing strategy out of crisis mode and start making a concerted effort for the future. 

To help, we put together this guide to outline five important strategies to increase your brand awareness. 

#1. SEO Strategy

A good SEO strategy will help drive organic traffic to your site and keep users engaged on the site. Now, more than ever, a strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy is an essential part of your overall marketing strategy. With the recent Google Algorithm updates, it's become clear that keyword stuffing and other shortcuts will no longer keep you at the top of search rankings.

What really matters is customer experience. 

Think of your SEO strategy as one of the foundational building blocks of your overall marketing strategy. Your SEO keywords will be the impetus for content creation, as well as social media and email marketing campaigns. And those marketing efforts will drive traffic to your website. And once they arrive? Your hard work to craft a seamless, glitch-free customer experience will win them over. 

#2. Content Marketing Strategy

Content creation and content marketing have become a huge part of building brand awareness. And it's a very effective part. 

Here are the top three types of content used in content marketing strategies today:

• Video
• Blogs 
• Infographics 

What do they have in common? They are small, easy-to-digest pieces that quickly convey information and are easy to share on social media. You can ensure that your content marketing is strategic, authentic and thought-leading by integrating emotional storytelling with data and metrics that back it up. 

However, in a world of content overload, it's vital that content marketing is strategic—driven by SEO and integrated with social media for ultimate shareability.

#3. Social Media Marketing Strategy

Social media is the top channel for marketing today. While your SEO-optimized website and compelling content create a beautiful welcome mat to your brand online, without traffic, no one will be coming to visit. Social media is a major driver for brand awareness, traffic and, ultimately, sales.

The top four social media channels used today are:

1. Instagram
2. Facebook
3. Twitter
4. YouTube

However, this means that they are also crowded. So, you either need to find ways to stand out with a great content marketing strategy, shareable content or excellent brand interaction.

Or, perhaps you need to explore other channels that better suit your unique business. To find which social media channels are working and identify those that aren't worth your time, review your metrics and ROI and let the data guide you.  

#4. Email Marketing Strategy

Email marketing has been around for so long that it's easy to underestimate. The keys to making email campaigns work are personalization and automation.

Data analytics tools play a crucial role in being able to slice and dice your customer information to identify key segments of your target audience. And by segments, we are well beyond the broad demographics defined by age or gender. It's time to get granular. 

This approach means that instead of having a single email campaign for a product launch or sale, you may have several targeted campaigns running simultaneously. Keep in mind that the sweet spot for the most effective email campaigns is one to two per week. 

If this sounds overwhelming, there are tools out there to help you manage it all and automate the process. Automation, combined with personalization, can also help you send targeted messages that make your customer feel valued.

Types of automated emails that can drive sales:

• Welcome  
• Abandoned cart reminders
• Coupons or discounts to encourage return business
• Sales or special events
• Reminders and recommendations
• Thank you

#5. Conversational Marketing & AI Strategy

Now, unlike email campaigns, this might be a marketing concept that is new and intimidating. But we're here to explain that it doesn't have to be. 

Beginning to use conversational marketing, like live chat and chatbots, doesn't have to be complicated or technical Many of the marketing tools or website platforms you already use may have this capability. And aside from a little setup time, you stand to gain a new method of customer interaction that is available 24/7. 

Chatbots not only help you provide customer service round the clock, but they can also harvest customer information and provide a personalized user experience.  

And if Artificial Intelligence makes you think of a Stanley Kubrick movie, relax. There is AI built into most marketing tools available today. Think of it less as your future robot overlord and more like highly effective logic to make your marketing efforts more impactful. 

AI can help improve audience segmentation, personalize user experiences, provide data-driven insights, and automate customer interactions, along with a host of other things that you're probably already doing. 

Which Strategies Are You Using for Brand Awareness?

Do you use the five strategies we've outlined? Do you have questions, or are you looking for help in any of these areas? At ArcStone, we help thoughtful brands and nonprofits upgrade their digital marketing and strategy. Contact us today to set up a consultation.