Brand awareness is the first critical stage of the customer journey. When a prospective customer is aware of a brand, it means they’ve heard of the brand and have some understanding of what the business does or who the business serves. 

Sure Super Bowl ads and billboards are bound to make people aware of your brand, but they’re well outside the budget of most small businesses.

So how can you get your business noticed? Here are five tips that won’t break the bank. 

1. Post regularly on social media

While some social posting can feel like dumping content down a black hole (I’m looking at you, Facebook Business Pages), sharing posts on less-saturated social networks or from your personal account can be effective. Just be sure to post regularly and be consistent about your brand messaging. 

Repetition wins awareness.

2. Get mentioned by influencers

You need not convince Kim Kardashian to plug your product. There are many micro influencers out there — people who have credibility and a decent number of followers. A micro influencer who mentions your business and says a bit about what you do can be gold. 

To convince a micro influencer to share information about your business, make sure you have a truly remarkable product, service, or story and practice the art of giving first. What can you do to help them?

3. Contribute an article to a publication

Some blogs and journals (both print and digital) accept written contributions from industry experts. Pitch a story to an editor and ask if they’d be interested in publishing it.

💡 WEBSITE INSIGHT: To boost your authority on your website, you can add an “As seen in” section showing the logos of the publications that published your contributed article.

4. Speak at an event

Even when you’re not talking explicitly about your business, just speaking at a conference or other event will naturally give your brand a little awareness boost. 

Learn more about where you can find speaking opportunities to acquire new customers.

5. Get press coverage

Your company could break the law and get a bunch of press coverage for it, but that’s not the kind of attention most of us seek. Nonetheless, a well-placed story in the media can expose your business to many new sales prospects. Here are some tips for landing press coverage for your business.