16 Smart Marketing Approaches To Build Brand Recognition

If people don’t know about your brand or what it has to offer, your business won’t be able to grow and thrive. With so many channels available to help companies reach potential customers these days, though, it can be challenging to figure out the best way to create brand recognition.Distributing key information through social media channels, your website and other outlets can help you build connections with consumers, making them aware of what your company stands for and what it can offer them. However, having a clear strategy is the secret to establishing that awareness.Here, 16 members of Forbes Agency Council share their best tips for making your brand more visible and recognizable.[caption id="attachment_2228" align="aligncenter" width="401"]

Forbes Agency Council members share smart marketing approaches to building brand recognition. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.[/caption]1. Define Your Brand Voice And Use ItBrand voice is often overlooked when building brand recognition; emphasis is usually placed on the visuals and catchy slogans that can become instantly recognizable. But when you get down to the nitty-gritty of web copy, social posts, email marketing and blogs, brand voice is where you can really shine. Defining your brand voice and using it consistently will help build familiarity among your audience. - Patricia Rioux, Team ODEA2. Align Real-Time Messages With Their Stage Of DiscoveryBrands need to remember that they are trying to get noticed on different levels by different targets who are at various places in their discovery journeys (e.g., rejection, apathy, recognition, preference, loyalty). Looking for emotional and behavioral triggers while you have the data you need to target and deploy custom messages in real time and at the appropriate points on that journey is key to brand recognition - Ajay Gupta, Stirista3. Put Data To Work In Crafting Customer ExperiencesBrands need to put their data to work and help craft customer experiences that drive connection and loyalty. Chances are most marketers already have a trove of data that has barely been deciphered. Digging in and bringing in new solutions to help better understand your customers’ preferences, motivations and needs will not only create a better customer experience, but better financial results too. - Julian Scott, Shaw/Scott, Inc.4. Focus On The Story And Culture Of Your BrandBrand recognition is formed by connecting with your audience. How memorable is the story? Are you able to inspire? Are you able to support the fantasized lifestyle your target market is seeking? How does your product make people feel? How likely are consumers to tell others about your brand? - Logan Rae, Argon Agency5. Go Big With Tested And Proven Media OutletsOnce you have tested media outlets and proven which ones are successful for garnering ROI for your media, go big and expand on those channels to capture brand awareness and recognition. If done properly, you should be able to build a brand while profitably expanding your media campaign. - Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne LLC6. Build Credibility Through Public RelationsPR is the only path to credibility. Once you have credibility, you can amplify awareness and more easily conduct pull-through marketing campaigns. All three—PR, marketing and advertising—must be deployed properly to function together in the best way. - Christine Wetzler, Pietryla PR

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7. Align What You Stand For With What You Are OfferingYour consumers need to believe in what your brand stands for—but before they can believe in it, you need to define it, understand it and make it known. Your cause should align with the products or services that you are offering, and your messaging needs to be authentic and come straight from the heart. - Bernard May, National Positions8. Share A Cohesive Message In Multiple FormatsThe old way of branding was to show the same message and creatives as many times as possible. With paid social, you need a cohesive message, but it requires multiple ad creatives to avoid getting penalized for low engagement. Ten different videos that have the same message will generally perform better than a single video shown ten times to the same user. - Brian Meert, AdvertiseMint9. Distribute Engaging Content That Is Practically UsefulContent is still king. Consumption of content is at an all-time high. Your content is a direct translation of your brand values and what your company’s mission is in the space. The more engaging, practically useful content you have out there, the more people will reference your brand and recognize it. - Stefan Katanic, Veza Digital10. Highlight Your Focus On Serving A Greater CauseMore than ever before, consumers are attracted to brands that stand for something greater. Use content and messaging to highlight your company’s focus on serving underprivileged communities, reducing your carbon footprint or paving the way for change. But remember to be authentic. Consumers are smart and will pick up on anything that doesn’t feel genuine. - Donna Robinson, Collective Measures11. Attach Your Brand To Something More RecognizableIf you want to focus on brand recognition specifically, you need to develop something that helps people associate with your brand. Try branded content or work within your industry to attach your brand to something more easily recognizable. For example, being an event sponsor or participating in some act within your target industry may help with brand visibility. - Dmitrii Kustov, Regex SEO12. Post Fresh Content Where Your Audiences Spend TimeFind out where your audiences spend time online, such as on social media, YouTube, trade organizations’ websites, influencer websites, etc. Create branded content they’ll want to interact with and put it where they are. Keep doing it; the odds of them coming across a piece of your content are much higher if it’s fresh. Once you earn their trust as a brand, they’ll look for your content first the next time they search. - Megan Devine, d.trio marketing group13. Bring Your Top Values To The ForefrontBuilding an image depends heavily on your company’s motivations. For instance, a real estate agency wants to use vibrant images of beautiful homes to represent their staging services and market expertise. Show, don’t tell; from social media to website content, use value statements to show your values. - Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions14. Keep Taking A Thoughtful Omnichannel ApproachTo build recognition and meet customers where they are, brands should continue taking an omnichannel approach through the right combination of digital channels and tactics. Look at the entire customer journey and identify what you can do at each step of the way to incorporate your brand in a thoughtful and meaningful way, not just to sell your services. - Laura Cole, Vivial15. Tailor Messages For Each Channel Of Your Digital Real EstateClaim all of your digital real estate and disseminate a message to fit each channel. These (mostly) free channels are great vehicles for you to drive awareness, visibility, credibility and trust. The amount of conversation and interaction they generate will help you influence how others perceive your brand. Lean into digital if you want to get out in front of your narrative. - Christopher Tompkins, The Go! Agency16. Establish Yourself As A Thought Leader Within Your NicheUse your social platforms to share valuable content about your brand services. People like to interact with people; and if your brand represents itself as a person, as opposed to a company that sells products, it will impact your brand recognition in a positive way. - Jonas Muthoni, Deviate AgencyThis article originally appeared on Forbes.