Some brand names like Coca-Cola, Band-Aid and Kleenex have become so well known that they have replaced generic terms for similar products in the English language. Just think about it, in a fast food restaurant, do you ever ask for a cola or a Coke? For a brand to become an eponym is the pinnacle of branding, and while you may not achieve this status with your business (although it is not completely unimaginable), that does not mean you cannot do a lot more to boost your brand awareness.

Your efforts to build brand awareness help customers become more familiar with your products or services; and by repeatedly exposing your brand to your target audience – you earn their loyalty. While the aforementioned corporations spend millions on advertisements, event sponsorships and Super Bowl commercials, thanks to the internet – you have many modern branding methods. In fact, more than 70% of marketers believe that branded content is more valuable than advertising in a magazine. Therefore, here are four brand-building strategies to help launch your efforts.

1. Referral Programs

There is nothing better than good word-of-mouth, and clients will gladly spread word of your product if they know they will get an added benefit. The best example of this strategy in recent years is probably Dropbox. The cloud service gives users 500 MB of free storage space for every person they refer. A couple of years ago, when Dropbox was still new, this tactic delivered a huge number of sign-ups and saving them countless advertising dollars.

2. Social Media Contests

This is one of the most inexpensive, effortless and exciting ways to grow your brand on social media. But if you try your hand at it, it has to be tailored to your market. Sherpas Cinema knew precisely who they were targeting when they launched a contest asking users on Facebook to like their page for a chance to win a 7-day heliski trip. The contest was also an important part of promoting their film “Into the Mind”, and helped them get over 50.000 followers on Facebook.

3. Business Storytelling

Storytelling is actually the most powerful way to stimulate the human brain, and if you cannot convey a story properly, your products are not going to appeal to your target audience. Stories can be incorporated into every piece of content – blogs, whitepapers and even the “About Us” page on your website. While other businesses waste time highlighting their 25th product feature, you can build a distinctive brand on original material.

4. LinkedIn Publishing

While you could always setup a blog for your company, and start publishing away, there are other methods to be published and spread your brand across the internet. Recently, LinkedIn started letting all users to publish material on their site using the publishing tool, and if your material gets enough attention, you could wind up in the LinkedIn home stream for many users to see.

As you are reading this, you are probably thinking of additional ways to help your target market recognize and remember your brand. There are many free and low cost ways of promoting your business, you could hire a reliable SEO agency like Online Marketing Gurus to help you get recognized locally and globally. It is well worth your time to make checklists of the various ways you could market your brand online and commit to it. But remember to stay focused!

Article Written By: Elizabeth Smithson