If you run a business, you already know the importance of building brand awareness. It is something that helps customers recognize your business.

But, do companies plan strategies to build brand awareness? If yes, then how are these strategies different from their sales strategies?

It is high time companies think beyond short-term sales. Creating strong brand awareness is a subtle yet powerful way to get people to think about you and select your brand.

You can increase your revenue by up to 23% by branding across all marketing channels.

So, what are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and make your brand visible among potential and existing customers.

Below, we will discuss the benefits of brand awareness. Plus, we will talk about the different ways to improve your reputation and indirectly boost sales.

In simple terms, brand awareness is the level of recognition you get from your target audience. It is also the level at which your product or service is associated with the entire industry.

For example, when we think of soft drinks, Coca-Cola is the first brand that comes to mind. Similarly, if we talk about a search engine, Google is the first example that pops up.

There are several other soft drink brands and search engines. But these brands have done something exceptional and made a place for themselves in people’s minds. It is the impact of brand awareness.

How Does Building-Awareness Marketing Differ from Sales Marketing?

The prime difference between building-awareness marketing and sales or performance marketing is time. Sales marketing is suitable only for the short term. It can help get you instant sales but not help you retain customers.

On the other hand, marketing campaigns focused on building awareness are long-term. They have a bigger picture in consideration. Such campaigns help you in building trust and credibility, which indirectly leads to more sales.

Often, marketers ask, “how long does it take to build brand awareness?” However, there is no one correct answer for it. Some brands only take a couple of months to acquire their target market, whereas others struggle to do so for years.

But, the keys to building brand-awareness marketing campaigns are patience and consistency.

Also, these campaigns are not at all concerned about sales. They only intend to talk about their brand, educate the audience, and provide value.

The main aim is to build connections and establish a brand as trustworthy and reliable.

Benefits of Strong Brand Awareness for Companies

It is not easy to build brand awareness, but it is worth it. Find below some significant benefits of having a solid brand image:

1. Customer Loyalty: When you have a good reputation in the market, more people are likely to talk about you. It will encourage your customers to recommend your brand to others. Also, it helps you retain customers and for a longer term.
2. Beat the Competition: Having an exceptional brand image makes it easy for people to differentiate you from your competitors.
3. Nurture Leads: If you have some leads in your pipeline, branding can help you convert them into customers. Furthermore, consistent marketing strategies also enable you to push your cold leads ahead of the sales funnel.

Direct mail sounds like one of the oldest marketing channels, which is true. But, it is also one of the best.

It is the most personal and interactive marketing channel that exists in today’s digital age. But, undoubtedly, direct mail works better than digital marketing and can drive better response rates.

Direct Mail Is Tangible

Any direct mail item you send is tangible—it can be seen and felt by your recipients. Moreover, they can keep it anywhere, take it anywhere, and share it with anyone.

This tangible experience is significant in trust-building. In addition, it acts as social proof of your brand authenticity, which is excellent for your awareness-building marketing efforts.

Direct Mail Helps Form Connections

Nothing works better for a company than building emotional bonds with its audience. It is the one thing that helps customers hold onto you.

By utilizing direct mail’s power of storytelling, you can present your brand as a credible one. As a result, make your audience believe in your vision and extend their support to your company.

Direct Mail Has Less Competition

Most companies today advertise on social media platforms and other digital channels. So, you can instead tap into the unexplored potential of direct mail.

Your high-impact direct mail items do not have to fight for attention. Instead, with well-designed artwork and an influencing message, you can make your mail items stand out from the crowd.

Direct Mail Is Easy to Understand and Process

It takes 21% less cognitive effort for the human mind to process direct mail than display ads. Hence, it is proven that direct mail marketing is more impactful and appealing than other marketing forms.

Deliver Informative Content

High impact direct marketing campaigns are about informing and educating people. One excellent way to do that is to print and mail high-value content to your prospects and customers.

Delivering whitepapers, reports, guides, etc., to them without a call to action can help you grow awareness and develop trust.

Use Bright Colors and Interesting Graphics

Direct mail should be creative, eye-catching, and downright impressive. Any person that picks it up should want to read it.

To achieve this objective, you can use attractive graphics that correspond to your messaging. For example, include high-resolution pictures and bold headlines. Also, it is advisable to use bright colors to increase the visual impact of direct mail—preferably, colors that match your campaign theme and logo.

Also, choose the correct direct mail formats for maximum impact. For example, postcards work great for mass marketing, and letters are better for a more personalized experience.

Integrate Direct Mail With Digital Ads

Though direct mail also works great as a standalone marketing strategy, it is better to integrate it with online marketing.

You can use an email marketing campaign after a direct mail campaign or run simultaneous direct mail and digital campaigns to increase visibility.

Add Customer Testimonials

To build trust and connect with people on a personal level, you should include real-life stories. Add reviews, testimonials, website ratings, etc., to showcase your brand in good light.

Explore New Target Markets With Data Segmentation

Another smart way to improve the impact of direct marketing is to explore new markets. For example, PostGrid’s print and mail API can help you build new mailing lists and reach out to more and more people.

Introduce Referral Programs

Referral programs help you grow your network while also bringing in more people to become your customers. In addition, the publicity that such programs create can help you build strong brand awareness and increase the leads in your pipeline.

Direct mail can help you talk about your referral programs in depth. You can also offer discounts, freebies, commissions, etc., to incentivize customers to be a part of your program.

Brand Mail Items

It is crucial to brand mail items with your logo, brand name, and contact details so that recipients know you are the sender.

Also, branded mail items have a better influence on people. Whenever someone looks at the mailpiece, they are likely to think about your company.

Business owners can use the direct mail marketing channel to make an impression on their target audience. They can also combine it with other advertising channels to cover more markets.

We hope you embrace its benefits now that you know how to build brand recognition with direct mail. After all, brand awareness can help you reach great heights and improve conversion rates significantly.

If you need help printing and mailing items, try PostGrid’s direct mail API. It can help you create, print, and send your items quickly and conveniently.

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