When I need work done on my computer system in the office (a situation that unfortunately happens more often than I would like), I call my “computer gal”. And while she is working away on whatever I have recently done to create my own problems, I might make the time to call a friend to go to lunch at our favorite local Italian restaurant. My friend knows where I want to go as soon as I say, “Lunch.” Yes, the restaurant is that good! What both of these situations have in common is this: they have both created what’s referred to as top of mind awareness, meaning that when I need their particular product (great gluten-free pizza) or a service (computer repair work) they are the first businesses that come to mind.

Whether or not their initial goal was to be my go-to source for goods and services, they are. This is a good thing, for both them and for me.

Top of mind awareness is a two-way street…

On the other hand, some companies have achieved equal attention as places I don’t want to frequent, ever! For various reasons, we all can easily name at least one business that has provided a very poor product, service, or experience. This is not the good type of top of mind awareness. Not only will I refuse to use their product or service; I’ll tell my friends about my bad experience and let them know they shouldn’t either.

So, what’s a business person to do?

In your business, you have the opportunity to deliver the right message to the right clients through frequent exposure to your brand. By increasing your exposure, you build top of mind awareness (sometimes also referred to as brand awareness). Then you become, not just for one single business person (like me) the go-to guy or gal. You have the opportunity to be “that” person or organization for any number of target clients.

Typically businesses use marketing and advertising to build top of mind awareness. When I ask you to name a soft drink (Coke) or airline (Southwest), it’s easy. These companies advertise daily using multiple outlets, so your exposure to them is frequent. But if you don’t have the money or the staff for this kind of advertising—or if you do, but you just want to increase your reach—consider other ways in which your business can create top of mind awareness.

In this blog post, we will focus specifically on how social media can be used for greater awareness.

5 ways to use social media to create top of mind awareness

  1. Use a small, targeted group for your marketing outreach—perhaps your Facebook business page followers, LinkedIn industry groups, or the neighborhood that surrounds your business.
  2. Communicate regularly, using social media posts. Don’t forget to post at different times during the day, and make your posts interactive and engaging.
  3. Another proven way to create top of mind awareness is by re-purposing your social media content through consistently delivered email campaigns (perhaps a newsletter loaded with your great content), which can keep your business at the forefront of customers’ minds.
  4. While you’re at it, ask for feedback from your customers and social media followers. Then, use that feedback to make your business even more valuable for your clients. For example, what types of articles, blog posts, and other marketing content do they enjoy reading on social media?
  5. Keep your customers coming back through loyalty or referral programs. We all know how much work it is to gain a new customer—once you have them, you want them to stay. By regularly offering incentives via your social media platforms, you create (and nurture) top of mind awareness with your audience.

The ways in which your business can create and nurture top of mind awareness are endless. If your company is looking to create more brand awareness, give the Lumen Marketing team a call at 720-722-2987. We specialize in building better, more meaningful engagement with your audience, both online and in person.

BECOME TOP OF MIND