How to Increase Brand Awareness and Get Noticed

Before you can even think about running ads or launching a massive campaign, you have to get your own house in order. The first, most crucial step in boosting brand awareness is building a brand people can actually connect with—one that’s memorable, authentic, and truly resonates with the right audience. This isn't just about a cool logo; it's about defining your core values, your unique voice, and exactly where you fit in the market.

Building a Brand People Actually Connect With

Long before a single dollar is spent on advertising, the brands that win big invest time in some serious self-reflection. They don't just sell a product; they stand for something. This is the secret sauce behind how to build brand awareness that lasts. It’s about creating a magnetic pull, not just shouting a message into the void.

This foundational work is absolutely critical. It ensures that when people do encounter your brand, they feel an instant connection, not just another name vying for their attention. Your brand’s identity is a mix of its personality, values, and voice. Think of it as your brand's DNA—that unique code that sets you apart from everyone else. For a deep dive into this, our guide on creating a brand identity is the perfect place to start.

Define Your Brand's Authentic Voice

Your brand's voice is where its personality truly comes to life in your writing and communication. Are you witty and a bit rebellious, like Wendy's on social media? Or are you more authoritative and buttoned-up, like IBM? There's no right or wrong answer here, only what feels genuine to your brand and speaks to your audience.

To nail this down, ask yourself a few simple questions:

If your brand was a person, what three adjectives would describe it?
What's your relationship with your customers? Are you a trusted friend, an expert guide, or a motivational coach?
What kind of language do your ideal customers actually use?

The goal here is consistency. Whether someone reads a blog post, sees a social media update, or opens an email from you, the voice should always feel familiar and cohesive.

Key Takeaway: A business without a defined identity is just a business. A brand with a strong, authentic identity becomes something people want to be a part of.

Uncover What Your Audience Truly Cares About

You can't build a real connection with a faceless crowd. You need to understand the people you want to reach on a human level—going way beyond basic demographics like age and location. What keeps them up at night? What are their biggest aspirations, their deepest frustrations, and the values they hold dear?

This is where real, insightful audience research comes in. Don't just guess. Dive into the actual conversations happening online. Lurk in forums, scroll through social media groups, and read product reviews in your industry. What problems are people constantly trying to solve? What values do they champion?

In today's market, trust is everything. The numbers don't lie: research shows 81% of consumers across the globe need to trust a brand before they'll even consider buying from it. And it's not just about trust; it's about connection. A solid 57% of U.S. consumers prefer buying from companies they feel a personal connection to, often driven by shared values.

When you understand these deeper motivations, you can align your brand's message with what genuinely matters to your audience. This makes every effort to grow your brand's presence infinitely more powerful.

Mastering the Channels Where Discovery Happens

Once you’ve built a brand that people can actually connect with, the real work begins. A brilliant brand identity is useless if it’s invisible. The trick isn’t to be everywhere; it’s to be everywhere that matters to your specific audience. This is all about strategically picking the channels where discovery and connection genuinely happen.

Think about it: the modern storefront isn't made of brick and mortar anymore. For most businesses, it's a search engine results page. One of the most powerful ways to get your name out there is by showing up when people are actively looking.

Where Do People Find New Brands?

Search engines are still the top dog. In fact, research shows that search is the number one way people discover new brands and products, just barely beating out TV ads. This highlights just how crucial a solid search presence is for any modern brand.

Here's a quick look at where consumers are doing their discovering:

Top Channels for Brand Discovery

Discovery Channel	Global Internet Users (%)
Search Engines	32.8%
TV Ads	32.6%
Word-of-Mouth Recommendations	29.0%
Ads on Social Media	28.1%
Brand/Product Websites	26.8%

This data makes it pretty clear: while social media and other channels are vital, neglecting search means you’re missing out on the biggest piece of the discovery pie.

Be Where Your Audience Is Looking

Being discoverable starts with knowing your audience's digital hangouts. Don't just guess where they spend their time—use actual data to guide your channel strategy. A little analysis can reveal exactly where to focus your energy for the best results.

This image breaks down a sample audience, showing their age distribution and where they prefer to be on social media.

The data here is crystal clear. For this audience, Facebook and Instagram are non-negotiable, as these two platforms account for 75% of their social media preference. This isn't just a statistic; it's a road map telling you precisely where to pour your social content efforts.

Creating a Cohesive Multi-Channel Presence

Just showing up on the right channels is only half the battle. Your presence needs to feel connected and consistent, creating a smooth experience for anyone who stumbles upon you. The real goal is to build an ecosystem where each channel props up the others, boosting your reach far beyond what a single platform could do alone.

Imagine this journey for a potential customer:

They first find your brand through a genuinely helpful, SEO-optimized blog post they found on Google.
Intrigued, they click over to your Instagram profile. They’re met with great visuals that echo your brand’s personality and what you stand for.
They hit "Follow" and, a few days later, sign up for your email newsletter after seeing a compelling post about it.

Each touchpoint builds on the last. It strengthens their connection and keeps your brand top-of-mind, turning a one-time visitor into a follower, and eventually, a loyal customer.

A scattered presence across a dozen platforms is far less effective than a deep, meaningful presence on the two or three channels your audience truly loves. Focus on quality over quantity, always.

If you're aiming for rapid growth in a packed market, you can also explore techniques built for exponential reach. To get your name out there fast, consider implementing powerful viral marketing strategies. When you create something people feel compelled to share, you can put your brand on the fast track from unknown to unforgettable.

Creating Content That Earns Attention

Alright, so you’ve figured out where your audience hangs out online. Now comes the real challenge: giving them a reason to actually pay attention to you. Content is your brand’s voice, but let’s be honest—simply churning out generic blog posts or bland social updates is a waste of everyone’s time.

To really move the needle on brand awareness, your content needs to be so damn useful that people feel compelled to read it, watch it, and—most importantly—share it. The objective isn't just getting eyeballs; it's about building genuine authority and trust. This is how you stop being just another logo and start becoming an indispensable resource in your industry.

Beyond the Basic Blog Post

I've seen so many brands fall into the trap of thinking "content" just means "blogging." Effective content comes in all shapes and sizes, and the smartest brands mix it up to keep their audience hooked. Think of your content strategy as a toolkit, not a one-trick pony.

This means building a library of different assets that cater to how people actually consume information today. Some folks want to dive deep into a guide, while others just want a quick, visual nugget of wisdom.

Valuable Tutorials: Create detailed "how-to" guides, walkthrough videos, or step-by-step posts that solve a real-world problem for your audience. This instantly positions you as a helpful expert.
Shareable Infographics: Got some complex data or an interesting process? Turn it into a sharp-looking infographic. These get shared like crazy on social media and are fantastic for earning backlinks, which is pure gold for your SEO.
Compelling Videos: From quick tips on TikTok or Reels to deep-dive tutorials on YouTube, video is one of the best ways to show off your brand's personality and expertise.

By diversifying your content formats, you create more pathways for people to find and remember your brand.

The most powerful content doesn't just inform; it empowers. It gives your audience the tools or knowledge to do something better, making your brand an integral part of their success.

A Look at Successful Content in Action

Let’s make this real. Imagine a brand like OutBrand, which helps busy entrepreneurs and marketing teams with their content. Instead of just writing another article titled "How to Beat Writer's Block," they could create a downloadable "30-Day Content Prompt Calendar."

See the difference? That's not just an article; it's a tangible tool that solves an immediate, frustrating pain point.

This single piece of content achieves several goals at once:

It delivers instant, actionable value to their ideal customer.
It perfectly showcases the brand's deep expertise in content strategy.
It serves as a natural lead-in to their core product, which likely automates the whole process.

That’s the secret sauce of content that builds real brand awareness. It’s not about you—it’s about them. When you consistently deliver this kind of value, you build the authority and trust that turns casual browsers into loyal fans and advocates.

Building a Community That Amplifies Your Brand

Think of your social media not as a megaphone for shouting your message, but as a living room where you can host real conversations. If you genuinely want to boost brand awareness, the mindset has to shift from broadcasting to building a community. The real goal is to gather a loyal group that doesn't just talk to you, but talks about you.

When you get this right, you turn passive followers into active brand champions. People who feel like they're part of something special become your best storytellers, offering the kind of genuine social proof that no advertising budget can ever buy.

Turn Your Audience Into Your Best Storytellers

One of the most powerful ways to get a community buzzing is by encouraging and celebrating user-generated content (UGC). This is pure gold—it’s your customers creating and sharing content that features your brand, like an unboxing video, a snapshot of your product in the wild, or a heartfelt review.

So, why does this work so well? Social media's influence is undeniable; 77% of consumers say they'd rather buy from brands they follow on social media. But here’s the kicker: UGC is seen as 50% more trustworthy and 20% more influential than any content your marketing team produces. People trust people, plain and simple.

Want to get the UGC ball rolling? Try these ideas:

Launch a branded hashtag campaign. Come up with a hashtag that’s unique, easy to remember, and fun. A local coffee shop, for example, could create something like #MyMorningMugshot and ask customers to share their daily ritual.
Run contests and giveaways. Offer up some great prizes for the best photos or videos that feature your product. This tactic does double duty: it generates a ton of content and builds genuine excitement around your brand.
Feature your followers. Make it a regular practice to repost the best UGC on your own channels. This is the ultimate shout-out. It makes your followers feel seen and valued, which in turn encourages more people to join in.

Foster Authentic and Real-Time Engagement

A strong community doesn't operate on a 9-to-5 schedule. It’s built on real, spontaneous interactions. This means you need to be present and responsive, jumping into conversations as they unfold, not just when your content calendar tells you to post.

Keep an eye out for opportunities to add to relevant discussions, answer questions, and even crack a joke. When a customer tags you with a question or a compliment, a speedy, personal response can make their day and solidify their loyalty. This approach is a cornerstone of effective social media marketing for startups aiming to build a dedicated following from scratch.

Key Insight: A thriving community does more than just pump up your engagement stats. It builds a protective moat around your brand, filled with loyal advocates who are quick to defend you and eager to share their positive experiences.

This push for authenticity should also guide your influencer collaborations. Instead of shelling out big bucks for a one-off post from a mega-influencer, think about building relationships with micro-influencers who genuinely love what you do. Their endorsement will feel much more natural and resonate deeply with their dedicated followers.

Ultimately, building a community comes down to creating a space where your audience feels heard and appreciated. Once you nail that, they won't just be followers—they'll be the ones carrying your message forward, spreading awareness more effectively than you ever could on your own.

How to Measure Brand Awareness That Actually Matters

If you're not measuring your brand awareness efforts, you’re just flying blind. It's so easy to get caught up in flashy but hollow numbers like follower counts or impressions. The real trick to understanding your brand's growth is to zero in on the signals that prove people are actually paying attention.

This means looking past the surface-level data to find proof of genuine recognition and recall. Building this clear, data-backed picture is the only way you can confidently double down on what’s working and rethink what isn't.

Track Leading Brand Health Indicators

The best metrics are the ones that don't lie. They tell you, straight up, that people aren't just stumbling upon your brand—they're actively looking for it. Instead of drowning in a sea of data, just focus on a few key performance indicators (KPIs) to start.

Think of these as your brand's vital signs:

Direct Website Traffic: This one’s a big deal. When someone types your URL directly into their browser, it’s a powerful sign of brand recall. An upward trend here means your name is sticking in people's minds.
Branded Search Volume: This is all about tracking how many people are punching your brand name or specific product names into Google. If this number is growing, your awareness campaigns are hitting the mark.
Share of Voice (SOV): This metric sizes you up against the competition by comparing your brand's mentions across the web to theirs. A rising SOV means you're not just part of the conversation; you're starting to lead it.

When your brand becomes the answer people search for, you've moved beyond simple visibility. You've achieved relevance.

Analyze Social Reach and Perception

Vanity metrics get a bad rap, but social media is still a goldmine of data if you dig in the right places. The key is to connect your reach to what people are actually doing and feeling. It’s not about how many eyeballs saw your post, but how they reacted to it.

A huge piece of this puzzle is tying your social activity back to your bottom line. You can get a better handle on this by exploring how to start calculating your social media ROI, which connects the dots between awareness activities and real business results.

Don't underestimate the power of simply asking. Simple polls and surveys are incredibly effective. Use Instagram Stories polls or a quick survey for your email list to ask direct questions like, "How did you first hear about us?" or "What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of our brand?" This kind of feedback gives you rich, real-world context that raw numbers alone can never provide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brand Awareness

Even with the best plan in hand, you're bound to run into questions as you work on boosting your brand's visibility. Getting good answers helps you sharpen your strategy, stay on course, and dodge the usual obstacles. Here are some of the most common questions we get from marketers on the ground.

How Long Does It Take to See Results?

This is the big one, and the honest answer is: it depends. The timeline for seeing real results from a brand awareness push is shaped by your industry, your budget, and how consistently you show up.

Generally, you can expect to see some early signs of life—like a bump in website traffic or more chatter on social media—within the first 3 to 6 months. These are your leading indicators.

But getting to that point where a significant chunk of your audience recognizes your brand on sight? That’s a longer game. For most businesses, this takes 6 to 12 months of dedicated, consistent effort. It's a marathon, not a sprint. The real key is to treat it as a long-term investment, focusing on steady activity and watching metrics like direct traffic, branded search volume, and social mentions.

What Is the Difference Between Brand Awareness and Lead Generation?

It's easy to get these two mixed up, but they play very different roles in your marketing funnel. They're two sides of the same coin, but you need to know when to use each one.

Brand Awareness is all about the top of your funnel. The goal here is simple: get your target audience familiar with who you are. We're talking about your name, your logo, and what you're all about. Success is measured in recognition. It’s about planting a flag so people know you exist.
Lead Generation comes next, sitting in the middle of the funnel. This is where you turn that initial familiarity into genuine interest by getting contact information from potential customers—your leads.

Here's a simple way to think about it: Brand awareness makes sure people have heard of you. Lead generation gives you a way to start a conversation with the ones who raised their hand. One builds familiarity; the other builds your future customer list.

A smart marketing strategy needs both to thrive. You can’t get leads from people who don’t know you, and building awareness without giving them a next step is just leaving money on the table.

How Much Should a Small Business Budget for Brand Awareness?

There’s no one-size-fits-all number here, but a solid rule of thumb for small businesses is to earmark 5% to 15% of gross revenue for all marketing activities. How much of that goes specifically to brand awareness really depends on where your business is in its journey.

For example, a business that's just opening its doors might pour 50-70% of its marketing budget into pure awareness campaigns. They need to get on the radar, fast. An established company with a recognized name, on the other hand, might shift more of its resources toward converting leads and keeping existing customers happy.

If you’re just starting, begin with a budget you're comfortable with. Focus your energy on high-impact, low-cost moves like creating genuinely helpful content that ranks in search engines or building a community organically on social media. Once you see some traction and revenue starts flowing, you can begin scaling up into paid advertising and bigger campaigns.

Ready to stop guessing and start creating? With OutBrand, you can generate a full month of on-brand social media content—complete with visuals and captions—in just minutes. Transform your brand's presence today. Get started with OutBrand.