With over 4.8 billion active social media users, the internet is a goldmine for small businesses. A jaw-dropping photo of a paint job or a silly video of an employee’s birthday celebration can lead to lasting connections.
While getting likes is always flattering, the real payoff comes when social media helps build brand awareness. That’s when followers start to recognize your unique voice — “Oh, it’s that helpful auto shop!” — instead of just scrolling past. It’s what turns one-off interactions into a passionate community that helps your company grow.
Of course, getting there doesn’t happen by accident. It takes amazing content, smart storytelling, and maybe a (modest) advertising budget. This guide walks you through how to increase brand awareness on social media.
What Is Brand Awareness?
Brand awareness refers to the level at which your current and potential customers recognize your business. You might have high awareness among a specific niche within your target market, or you could operate a large, globally known brand.
Wherever you are in your company’s life span, building brand awareness is a critical step in the client journey. Brand awareness is often the first stage, because customers can’t do business with you unless they know you exist.
With so many choices available, brand recognition matters. A lot. More than 70% of customers said it was important to know a company before doing business with it.
Choose the Right Platform
You could pour all your energy into making immaculate Facebook posts — but they won’t help much if your target audience is glued to TikTok. That’s why picking appropriate channels is absolutely essential.
Use demographic data or surveys to figure out where your customers live online. If you’re trying to reach seniors, start building your Facebook content strategy. That’s what 59% of people over 65 use. To reach Gen Z, brush up on your slang before heading to TikTok and Instagram.
Consider the type of content you plan to share, too. LinkedIn is the best social media platform for business posts, while TikTok is a hodgepodge of entertainment and education. If you love visuals, you can’t go wrong with Instagram or Facebook.
Keep Your Brand Look and Voice Consistent
No matter which social media platforms you choose, all your accounts should be recognizably “you.”
Toyota USA, for instance, uses the same red logo and lowercase name on its Instagram and TikTok profiles. Both accounts also share similar action-oriented and nature-themed posts. After followers learn to recognize this content, they never have to worry that they’ve stumbled across a fan page or a competitor. It’s always unmistakably Toyota.
You don’t need Toyota’s million-dollar marketing budget to create your own distinct look. Follow these simple social media branding tips:
- Use your logo as your profile picture or Facebook cover image.
- Stick to the same color palette and fonts for your posts.
- Define a personality for your brand, and filter all your content through that voice. Sharing a lot of educational automotive content? Try a kindly, parental voice — especially if you’re targeting 20-somethings who don’t know much about cars. Or, if you prefer something more playful, go all in with slang and memes.
- Create a list of taboo language that your brand should never use, such as swear words or references to competitor products.
- Add relevant hashtags to link your content together.
Many companies create brand guidelines that spell out all these details in one place. These rules may seem a bit extra, especially if you’re a team of one, but that consistency will help build trust and recognition.
Create Content People Want To Engage With
Even the most hardcore social media users can never scroll through everything — but that doesn’t stop them from trying. By creating meaningful content, you can encourage them to slow down and interact with you.
The most engaging content hits at least one part of the magic trifecta — it’s educational, inspiring, or entertaining. A video tutorial on changing a tire is informative. And that a time-lapse of your team detailing a car may motivate someone to put down the phone and deep-clean their vehicle.
Partnering with influencers is another way to grow your reach. Team up with local content creators to spotlight your brand, or send your products to auto influencers for unboxing videos. These collaborations can help you reach new audiences and build credibility.
And don’t fall into the trap of sharing only one type of content. Keep things fresh with a mix of text, images, and videos. Switching things up lets you tell different stories about your brand: a heartwarming success story on Monday, visuals from a successful product on Wednesday, and so on.
Use Paid Ads To Reach More People
Advertising is an excellent social media brand awareness strategy. It allows you to target people who fit your ideal customer profile but haven’t come across your content on their own.
Experiment with different features to get the most out of your ads. For example, Facebook lets you retarget people who visited your site but didn’t buy anything. You can also use A/B testing to see which captions and visuals work best.
Social media ads cost anywhere from $0.10 to $8 per click, depending on the platform and who you’re targeting. Start small while you learn the ins and outs, analyze what works and what doesn't, and scale as you go.
Engage and Interact With People
Encouraging interaction is one of the most effective strategies to increase brand awareness. Poll your audience about a new trend or offer a prize for the best holiday-themed car decorations. You can also invite them to share user-generated content like product reviews.
Take the time to respond to people who engage with your campaigns, too. Respond quickly to comments and messages, and use a social media management tool to search for online mentions of your brand. When users see you contributing positively to conversations, your reputation will grow.
Play the Long Game: Build Real Connections
Learning how to increase brand visibility on social media doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient, and focus on forming genuine relationships with your audience. After all, customers can quickly sniff out salesy or inauthentic content.
Optimize HQ can help you schedule posts and manage customer interactions. It also has advanced analytics to help you measure brand awareness and see where you can improve.
Let us help you compete in your market and become a truly unforgettable presence on your chosen platforms. Get
in touch today to learn more!
