Your brand is the face of your company. It is built upon your company’s name, recognition of your logo, and your ongoing interactions with customers. It is about communicating the benefits and value that a business, services or product provides to customers. The way a company approaches creating brand awareness makes a measurable difference in driving engagement and ultimately revenue.
Fewer technological barriers may mean people are easier to reach than ever before, but this doesn’t automatically equate to simple and successful brand awareness. To be successful, you need to stay focused on your long-term brand strategy while avoiding common pitfalls along the way.
Every business is different and there are no silver bullets when it comes to building successful brand awareness. What may work for one company may not work for another. The pitfalls B2B companies face, however, are apt to be the same or similar. Here are a few that resonate regardless of industry or company size.
Overselling
Whether it is a product, service or concept, we are all in the business of selling. However, we need to be more than a salesperson. We need to be engaging. Brands who utilize social media and talk about nothing except their products will ultimately suffer in the long term. Connect with your followers and offer them a story. You might be surprised with the result.
A great example of a brand that connects with their audience is Microsoft. It doesn’t just provide you self-service options to support issues; it has created a community that you can be a part of. Microsoft engages with its audience by including videos and a compelling gamification program that drives activity for their social media programs.
Losing Your Voice
Do you have a voice? A brand’s voice is one of its most valued assets. It is the message and the core of what you are doing.
A brand may have incredible ideas but the execution of your brand awareness strategy will suffer if the message is pointless. Look at InvisionApp. Its business babble-free message helps it stand out in the sea of B2B businesses. The end result is that InvisionApp comes across as trustworthy and sincere.
Removing The Human Element
People want to interact with other people. It’s a pretty simple concept. The impersonal interactions of dealing directly with a company and the perception that there is no one on the other end can have a lasting negative impact on your brand.
Companies that find a way to emphasize human elements tend to see success. Consider Apple and how its supporters look at it as more than a brand. It has personality, values and real world attributes.
Stunting Your Growth
Brands, like businesses, need room to grow. On one hand, you can look at this regarding products and services. Yes, you want to make sure that there is room for creating new opportunities and diversifying your offerings. On the other hand, it has to do with the brand name, brand identity or even website.
Think about Evernote. It has grown immensely in recent years thanks to partnering with other businesses, integrating with third party apps and staying open to new opportunities. All of this activity has ensured that there is room to grow.
Failing To Be Persistent
A brand can be strong in every sense of the word but remember that it still runs the chance of being forgotten. Crucial to brand awareness is making sure people stay aware of you. The first step is to gain mindshare. If you don’t continue to capitalize on opportunities to capture their attention, people may forget who you are and the whole exercise is wasted.
An example of this would be comparing the success of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ slogan to Reebok’s slogan. Do you know Reebok’s slogan? Chances are that you don’t. Reebok has changed its slogan 14 times since 1988 when Nike came up with their iconic phrase. Nike’s slogan became synonymous with the brand and vice versa.
If you need assistance evaluating your current brand strategy or establishing a formal brand strategy, contact Launch Marketing today! Keep up with the latest B2B marketing tips and trends by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
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