When you are a startup company, one of the biggest problems you will face is letting people know that you exist. In an ideal world, of course, you would have a few million dollars to throw at a 30-second spot at the Super Bowl. But the reality is that your budget is going to limit everything you do. So – how can you increase your brand exposure without breaking the bank? Today, we’re going to reveal several smart tactics for any startups looking for better brand awareness.
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Social media is a great way to develop your presence, but there are a few things you will need to understand. First of all, you can achieve success – but you will have to pay for it. Whether that is through using a dedicated social media team, or hiring an expert to run an ad campaign for you, it will cost you money. That said, once you are up and running and have a decent amount of followers, it’s a good way to show you are in business.
Hold a competition
One of the best ways to gain social media followers and get more eyes on your website is to hold a contest. Buy a new iPad or something else worthwhile, and make as much noise as you can. People love the opportunity to get something for nothing – as long as you make it easy for them. So, perhaps you could get them to share one of your posts, or give you their email addresses. The easier it is and the better quality of prize you offer, the more hits you will receive.
Giveaways
Another way of increasing your brand awareness is by giving away stuff. It’s best to do this during big events like trade shows, but you could also consider hiring a stall in your local mall. Give away things that are useful for your target market, and you should get some positive results. For example, maybe you are a photography business. You could buy a batch of SD cards from here, load up an image of a great example of your work, and give it away to people. It’s an excellent opportunity for you to show off your work while building up some interest.
Get more involved at a local level
It can be tempting to forget about your offline presence – especially if you serve a broad market online. But, it’s vital to keep in touch with your local community. Try setting up a local business meetup, or get involved with a local charity. You could even sponsor a kids sports team. All these ideas are inexpensive ways to forge ties with your local community, and get your name out there.
Make a video
While those Super Bowl spots we mentioned earlier are going to be out of your reach, you can still embrace video as an excellent medium to look at. It’s more affordable to come up with a high-quality video these days – and they can be highly effective for marketing purposes. It’s up to you what you want to do with it – a straight up advertisement has its merits, of course. But, you can also think about instructional videos, or pre-launch teasers to attract a little more interest.
Build up an email list
Don’t forget, all brand exposure has a shelf life, and people will soon forget about you. It’s important to keep your business at the forefront of their mind, so they will think of you when they need a particular service. Now, all of these ideas can get you some extra exposure, but to make them work, you have to start picking up email addresses. Getting that opportunity to end up in someone’s email box is the most efficient ways of keeping in touch. Make sure that all your promotions make it easy for people to register their email addresses with you. Do so, and your email list will grow significantly.
Finally, don’t forget to make better use out your blog. If you can provide your audience with excellent hints and tips about your business, you will start to make a name for yourself. People will acknowledge you as a leader in your field if you have interesting things to say about your industry. And, if you want to make people more aware of your brand, it’s the perfect platform.
OK, so there you have it – some great ideas to increase your company brand awareness. It won’t be easy – nothing is when you are a startup – but they can help you get to where you want to be. Take a look around our blog for more interesting ideas for making your startup a success.