When we think of exposure, we tend to think of long-term marketing campaigns developed to make good on promotional potential over a long period of time. Of course, this can certainly be a vital component of that process.
That said, marketing isn’t all about specific campaigns or product launches. Marketing is often the small work that goes on behind the scenes, even as simple as updating your Twitter (or X) feed at the times when your schedule is most likely to be viewed.
Sometimes, marketing is about consolidating your brand image and not only spreading it, but allowing others to become accustomed to your presence. If you can hit the marketing gold mine of being known as a synonym for certain actions, such as “Googling” something, then you know you’re on the right track.
In this post, we’ll discuss ten easy methods of spreading your brand image successfully, with a limited upfront cost and (with good luck), a potentially worthwhile return:
- Referral Programs
Referral programs can allow the clients or customers who feel positively about your brand to spread the good word so to speak, allowing you to offer rewards that incentivize them to do exactly that. For example, you might offer recompense for anyone who brings their friend to use your service, or perhaps offer a discount for both parties if they sign up together.
Referral programs work because they help spread word of mouth which is often the most worthwhile form of marketing, while also ensuring the helpful client feels good about doing so, having been noticed and credited by your enterprise. This is a win-win for everyone involved, and it’s important to show gratitude and appreciation for the effort they put forward.
- Sponsoring Local Events
Getting involved in the local community is always a healthy approach for businesses to take. Showing that you’re proud and interested in the culture that moulded your firm and that you may have been raised in can be a great way of adding a unique flair to your brand.
Sponsoring the local life of your neighbourhood, town or city can be a great idea as it not only grants you goodwill, but hey, the local culture is better marketing content than coming up with something completely new from scratch.
For example, you might take a central place in sponsoring the local marathon or food festival, or perhaps even offer your services to sustain local events with a sense of common fellow feeling. When people see your brand operating with those priorities, they can’t help but look at you favourably.
- Merchandising
Merchandising is a healthy and worthwhile use of your time, because you’re not only spreading your advertising through the logos you design and place upon this merch, but you’d giving someone the comfort and convenience of whatever item you make. That might involve t-shirts, pens, tote bags, caps, and whatever else you feel is relevant.
Telling a good story and opting for good branding, quality and sustainable materials, and giving them out or selling them in the most suitable areas (like local business conventions) could be a fantastic idea.
You never know how far your merch can travel. It may be that even in your own wardrobe you have the merchandise from businesses you may not have heard before now, or a stack of pens with business contact numbers ready to use. It all counts, and it’s all promotional exposure. This is evidenced by how even the smallest merchandising options such as stickers can make such a profound difference to your promotional strategy.
- SEO & Link-Building
SEO link-building campaigns can raise the topical authority of your blog posts and articles or can elevate your brand as one that search engines are most interested in ranking for. Who knows just how much this can improve your local search results in your area, allowing you to better showcase your insight, knowledge, and character?
These SEO campaigns can take several different forms, from investing in an agency to write blogger outreach content, adding your links to old posts through niche edits, or having full-scale copywriting performed for you.
This, coupled with other measures like link-building can be a fantastic use of your investment potential. Design a worthwhile promotional campaign around this strategy, remain patient, and you should see enhanced traffic to your website in the best manner.
- Email Marketing
Sometimes, the tried-and-true tested measures work best. Email marketing can be as simple as running a newsletter and convincing people to sign up for it for a discount on their first purchase with you.
Alternatively, you might even pay for ad space within promotional sections of certain email provisions, for instance, Google offers a promotional tab in all baseline Gmail accounts that advertisers can take space out in, serving as a functional area for possible contact.
Make sure your emails are interesting to read, have a value-added proposition like the odd discount that makes them worth reading, and then slowly grow your base. The more you have signed up to the list, the more you can reach, and the more your automated potential sales funnels work for you.
- Partnering With Influencers
Sure, the term “influencer” might not spark much interest in many people, but you’d be surprised just how many can be defined by that term. An influencer doesn’t have to be a sixteen-year-old dancing on TikTok. It might be a fisherman who gives video reviews of fishing rods, building a sizeable audience. You might sponsor their videos or even submit them free merch to review for exposure.
You could even bring influencers in as ambassadors or mascots, or if they’re knowledgeable enough about audience wants, even work with them to develop a better or more direct marketing campaign. You’d be surprised just how receptive many of them are, and that in itself could connect you to a whole new group of people.
With this advice, you’re sure to spread your brand image more easily. Note that it’s not just about spreading who you are, but knowing how to do it effectively so the end results speak favourably of your approach.