Tag: digital marketing

Digital Branding

B2B Brand Recognition Tips to Consider in 2021

Brand awareness creates brand recognition, and brand recognition builds customer loyalty.  When a business customer identifies with another company, they not only buy that company’s products, refusing to ever consider their competitors’ products, but they will also buy their products repeatedly.

If the product lasts a long time, then a business will buy other products that the company makes. Buying that company’s products has become a part of their operation. They rely on that B2B relationship the same way they rely on their board of directors.

With that said, it all starts with establishing excellent brand recognition. While there’s less pressure on B2B enterprises to invest heavily in their brand, that doesn’t mean they’re off the hook. Establishing an identity within the industry remains as essential as doing the same in the consumer market. 

This quick guide will help you increase your understanding of building your company’s B2B brand. Let’s dive in.

Tip #1: Build an Impressive Website  

The first step to building B2B brand awareness is creating a great website that attracts attention and engages visitors. Besides the skillful use of graphics and copy-written content, it should be easy for visitors to understand what service the business offers.   

Take, for instance, the brand recognition needs by a global payroll solutions company. Its homepage should explain its unique selling proposition in the first fold. That way, potential customers can immediately understand how international payroll services can cost-effectively manage the entire payroll of a large organization.  Doing so makes it possible to quickly and accurately compensate employees working in multiple locations.  

Tip #2: Focus on Creating a Good First Impression  

Your advertising materials include brochures, business cards, and stationary.

If these are not well-designed, your company will lose business. You will not impress clients or attract new business partners. That’s why it’s important to search for professional graphic design companies to help create these materials. 

High-quality marketing collateral shows that a business is professional. So, use the best color combinations, card quality, and professional descriptions. 

Also, evaluate the quality of other branding elements to create an excellent first impression. For instance, see if your logos, slogans, and signage align with your brand image. 

Tip #3: Engage in Social Media 

Besides setting up a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, research any other social media platforms your target audience frequents. Social media allows you to engage with prospects, clients, and future business partners. Stay active on these platforms, with regular posts, providing content that shares your expertise. Hire a team to manage your social media presence, ranging from social media managers to graphic designers and writers. 

Tip #4: Publish in Industry Magazines 

Prospects looking for business services often read these for industry news and to discover new products or services. Consider publishing guest posts in these magazines, offering invaluable advice on business-building strategies. 

It might also be possible to arrange an interview for your company. Speak to the editor about what makes your company unique and share the founder’s story. If you can intrigue the editor, they might send a staff writer over to interview the top executives in the company. Additionally, advertise your services because your target audience will be reading them.  

Tip #5: Create an Email Newsletter  

Despite the growing number of new marketing methods available online, email marketing remains one of the best ways to build a business-to-business relationship. While other marketing trends rise and fall, email continues to help build relationships between companies and their clients.

Here are a few ways to get your emails read rather than ignored when they arrive in your subscribers’ inboxes: 

* Offer great value, providing information that will help your readers to improve their business. 

* Since readers are quick to discern sales pitches pretending to impart information, offer accurate information that makes a difference. 

* It’s okay to make sales pitches, but do it with discernment, rather than trying to get the reader to buy your product at every opportunity. 

* Hire an email copywriting professional to write your email sequences. 

Brand awareness sets your company apart from your competitors. Differentiate what makes your company unique and explain how this uniqueness positions your company to get things done better and faster.

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Digital Branding

Should Your Business Start a Branded Podcast?

You’ve probably listened to some of the popular business-sponsored podcasts out there. Filled with valuable tips and insights, you might even give their company a try when in need of their products or services. But is creating a podcast worth the time and effort? Will it pay off in additional revenue for your company?

 

Edison Research released The Infinite Dial report, indicating around 78% of Americans are familiar with podcasting. The number represents a 10 million person increase in a short twelve-month window. Approximately 57% say they’ve listened to a podcast recently.

Benefits of a Branded Podcast

You’ll discover many benefits to starting a branded podcast and tying it into your business. You’ve likely heard a similar model on local radio stations on your AM dial. A garden center starts a show on Saturday mornings and answers questions about the best plants for the area. A real estate agent answers questions about buying and selling real estate.

 

Some of the benefits of a branded podcast include:

 

  • Greater name recognition
  • Free advertising
  • Establishing yourself as an authority in your industry
  • Reaching new listeners you otherwise wouldn’t have reached
  • Engaging your current audience

 

Ready to dip your toes into the water of a broad listening audience? Here are some things to keep in mind as you create your branded podcast for your business.

1. Choose a Topic

First, you must select a topic related to your industry. You don’t want the focus to be too narrow or too broad. For example, if you run a plumbing company, you don’t want to choose a narrow subject like PVC pipe, but you also don’t want to choose water. Instead, you might go with an issue such as solving home plumbing problems.

 

See what other podcasts cover similar issues and find a unique angle for your show. What do you want to be known for? Whatever your specializations and areas of expertise, you can likely turn your knowledge into a show.

2. Invest in Equipment

Unless you want your show to sound like you recorded it in your mother’s basement, you need a few pieces of equipment. Find a small space where the sound doesn’t reverberate, such as an enclosed office or small utility room. Add coverings on the floors and walls to reduce the echo.

 

Acoustic panels can limit reverberation, and noise absorption materials improve overall sound quality and reduce background noise. You can take almost any space and boost the sound quality by 50% or more with the right mix of materials.

 

You’ll also need a high-quality microphone. There are numerous ones on the market. Choose the one you feel comfortable with, read reviews carefully and make the investment in something you can use long-term for your podcast.

3. Collect Great Stories

The last thing you want is a boring podcast. If you solely rely on callers, you may have a show where no one phones in. If you just share facts, people will quickly grow disinterested. Instead, think about stories that illustrate your main points for each show.

 

The plumbing company might share a particularly complex problem one of its customers faced. They’d explain the age of the home, the issue they dealt with and how they solved it. After sharing the story, the audience is ready to hear tips to solve their problems.

4. Research Your Audience

Your ideal audience is the same people who buy your product or services. Do some market research on them to see what their greatest needs might be. Once you fully understand their pain points, you can address them in your podcasts.

 

After you’ve gained a few listeners, you can survey them to find out what topics they want you to cover. Send out a survey and allow room for customized feedback. You’ll learn a lot by tapping into your audience.

5. Market Your Show

According to Podcast Insights, there are around two million podcasts. The number varies from year to year, but you have a ton of competition. People can choose to spend their time listening to any show they desire. Why should they listen to yours?

 

You must market your podcast. Announce it on social media, list it on podcast repositories, make sure it’s in enough formats to attract a wide audience. On your show, ask people to tell others about you. Building your audience won’t happen overnight, but you’ll start gaining momentum if you offer consistent quality.

6. Don’t Spam Your Listeners

When you think of a branded podcast, you might think you should mention your show as often as possible. Unfortunately, too much self-promotion is a real turn-off to listeners and may have the opposite effect of them feeling spammed.

 

Instead, keep your mentions of your business light. You can announce who you are and your company when you introduce yourself. It’s okay to share personal experiences throughout the show but word it generically.

 

For example, you might say, “We once had a customer who needed pipes run for a new build, but no one could get into the house due to a huge snake we were all scared of.” Such wording indicates you have experience and you own a business but isn’t as spammy as saying, “ABC Plumbing once had a customer…”

 

It is also appropriate to mention your company at the end of your podcast and let listeners know you’re there for all their needs in your industry. People don’t mind you doing some light advertising.

Invest in Your Podcast

Podcasting isn’t a fast way to build leads, but it is a steady method that adds to your authority in the field. Anything you invest in your efforts today pays off in the future. You may want to consult with experts on podcasting, hire someone to do editing and market more than you initially intended. A little effort on the front-end pays off in a bigger audience on the back-end.

 

 

 

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.