8 Ways to Build Superb Brand Recognition and Drive Sales

Ensuring that consumers can easily recognize your business keeps you a step ahead of your competition.

But how do you develop brand recognition in the first place? There are many elements involved in becoming a trusted and recognized company in consumers' eyes.

In their 2024 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends Report, the Content Marketing Institute surveyed North American content marketers. According to their report, when it came to brand awareness "58% [of marketers] say it helped generate sales/revenue (up from 42% the previous year)."

The challenge is that making your brand more recognizable isn't a one-step process. Superb brand recognition requires ongoing effort across multiple advertising channels.

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do today to start.

8 Tips for Increasing Brand Recognition

1. Start With the Basics.

Your name and logo are two things that go with you wherever you have a presence. They are the first things people see when they visit your website.

When people talk to friends and family about your business, they use your name. If you don't have a name and logo catchy enough to remember but simple enough to spell, you're missing out on a significant portion of your branding efforts.

Crate & Barrel is an easy-to-recognize name in the home goods industry. The words signal the style of the decor you'll find there. They use a word logo to define their brand further and make the name more familiar.

2. Customize Your 404 Page.

Look for uncommon ways to brand your company and make an impression on potential customers.

For example, customize your 404 page so that customers know what else your business offers. Look for ways to reinforce your name recognition, such as using your brand name when interacting on social media or sending out a letter to current customers.

3. Know Your Style.

Use the same image style anywhere you list your products. Customers should instantly recognize the image as belonging to your business.

Develop a style guide to establish aspects like the size and angle of photos. Hire a professional photographer to ensure high-quality pictures. Create a set of rules about where they appear, plus the shape and placement of visuals.

Banko Garage Doors uses images of their many beautiful options in overhead doors. Note how each image is roughly the same size and format. The website layout is on a grid system, which allows for similar white spacing around each picture.

4. Find Your Story.

The most famous companies have a compelling story. Perhaps they were inspired by tragedy to start their business. Maybe they are passionate about a specific cause. Whatever the reason, they know how to share their background and engage others who care about the same issues.

Figure out what your story is and how it makes you different from your competitors. Share this narrative on your website's "About" page, in your videos, and even on social media.

5. Choose a Unique Angle.

Think about what your unique value proposition (UVP) is. What do you offer that no one else in the industry does?

Start by studying your competitors. What are their UVPs? You should examine them and then look for something they don't offer so you can stand out as the best of the best.

Your angle can be anything from quality guarantees to the best service, but you must state your UVP and then ensure it is true. If you fail to deliver on your stated benefits, correct things as quickly as possible.

Beyond simply claiming your business is good at something, you want customers to tell others how amazing your business is. According to CX Today, "75.5% of consumers express trust in reviews, with 90.6% always reading them before making a purchase." 

For a while following the pandemic, Tire Rack featured a protected installation pledge to help uphold social distancing measures. They discovered an area where they could excel, and they highlighted it.

Your UVP can undoubtedly change. In this example, you can see how they evolved theirs to match the post-pandemic environment.

6. Engage Your Customers.

If you want people to remember you, you must reach them on a personal level. Look for ways to interact with your customers, such as talking to them on social media or hosting local events where you meet people.

Create fun games they can participate in and hand out prizes to those who share your business the most on social media or guess game answers correctly.

7. Partner With Other Brands.

Find complementary businesses and team up with them to promote each other. You'll both gain access to each other's customer lists.

Pay careful attention to the other company's reputation, though. The last thing you want is to align yourself with a company with conflicting values to your own or participate in negative discussions about another business.

8. Share Your Expertise.

Become an expert in your field and share your knowledge. Give talks at local organizations, attend trade shows and conferences as a speaker, or start a podcast.

Share what you know so people will see you as an authority in your field. When they need products or services you offer, your brand should be what comes to mind.

Take Every Opportunity

When you first start building a name for your brand, take every decent opportunity to get the word out. Go on radio talk shows, run ads, and attend networking events.

Once you've established a name for your company, you can be more selective and choose only the best appearances. While in growth mode, however, you need every mention you can get — both advertised and organic.