Why Top of Mind Awareness in Marketing Is Important
Providing solid service and products is one of the most important ways to garner attention from your clients. That’s not breaking news to anyone. The good news is that you are already an industry leader and expert resource for your clients and prospective clients. They know you’re there – the key is to maintain top-of-mind in the minds of those clients and to attract more clients.
Top-of-mind awareness is the first brand name a person will think about when they need the service you offer. It’s incredibly important for brands to stay in touch with their client base, and there are many ways to do that. Yes, there are databases with information you can buy to gain access into your clients’ inner-most thoughts, targeted ads to seemingly stalk them, and popping into their emails several times a day… but, who likes being on the receiving end of that?
Let’s look at a few ways to ensure people don’t just remember or recognize your brand, they look at it first, versus your competitors… without having to dip into those info databases.
1. Know Thy Client
How can you stay in touch with your clients?
A popular saying that politicians utilize to connect with their audience is:
“Don’t allow any crises to go unaddressed.”
A crisis can mean many things for different folks, and it’s your job to keep up-to-speed with the issues affecting your clients and prospective clients. A crisis can be anything from your clients’ big annual events getting cancelled to regional emergencies.
Keeping a pulse on the goings-on of your important clients and reaching out to them to offer resources, support, or to let them know you are thinking of them is an incredible way to show you care and seep into their memory as a valued supporter. Sending simple branded cards from your office, signed by everyone on the team who handles that client’s work is affordable and shows you take the time to be there for them, even when you’re not on their clock.
It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, though. You should also be keeping tabs on client news that is worthy of celebration. You can easily set Google Alerts to notify you when your clients are in the headlines. Clients often post in business journals and the likes when they are making big physical moves or breaking new ground, hiring new executives, or just sharing big wins. Be sure you’re checking in with them to celebrate milestones and let them know how happy you are for them – a sure fire way to stay top-of-mind.
Many people want to feel connected to a brand by feeling their emotions in a positive way. Look at big companies like Apple and Coca-Cola; this brand has created special bonds among its audiences – creating those emotional connections with your clients can drive the same success and brand recognition for you!
2. Master the Follow-Up
Ok, this one is a real soft skill you need to practice, and you can’t expect to perfect it overnight. The good news is that there are incredible resources for handling this one: follow up without being too pushy.
The bottom line to staying top of mind with clients through a masterful follow-up is that you must be able to interact with clients without selling. You should check to see if your client is satisfied with your services or has any questions about your proposal. Sending a link to your calendar to book a call or a survey to ask for feedback on your performance, even if it’s been a while, is great to ping a contact, remind them of who you are, and show them you are committed to providing them with the very best service available.
3. Remind Clients of Your Service with Thoughtful Gifts
Another good way to stay top-of-mind with clients (and work on that masterful follow-up we discussed) is with a good, old-fashioned “thank you” note or gift. Grab that quality branded notecard and merch from Rothschild Marketing, and let them know how much you appreciate them. Reminder – getting everyone on your team to hand-sign the card is an excellent touch that’s not common these days. Remind them you’re there and that you care about their experience.
Another client gift can be a two-birds-with-one-stone tactic that allows you to market to all of your existing, new, and prospective clients at once! Many of our clients host annual events, both big and small. During this event, such as a happy hour or dinner party, we see clients get great traction with old and new prospects by giving away promotional merchandise ranging from mousepads, to mugs, to anything your (or our) imagination can create.
Branded merch enhances your brand’s reputation, gets the word out quickly, and is really easy. People enjoy free goods and information, so use freebies to strengthen the potential customer loyalty to your brand.
4. Consistency Builds Trust
Consumers trust a reliable brand name. Unreliable information, inconsistency in branding efforts, and repeated anomalies undermine your credibility. This is key in everything from your email signature, to your invoices, to the sign on your door. Keep an adherence to all emails and promotional forms of advertising.
Your brand’s appearance isn’t the only facet of your outreach that needs to stay consistent. You can remind them of your consistently good service and what makes your firm special.
Remind them of your own personal story that speaks to the consistency in your commitment to service and value. Through storytelling, you show what it means to be a consistently trusted business. Bring awareness to your conservations with your clients and prospective clients, and include quotes and testimonials from your history of providing consistent service. These stories speak directly to your client base about their needs while reminding them you’ve been there for them and others and will continue to be there for their needs.
Top-of-mind awareness is key to keeping those long-standing clients and landing the new prospects your business needs to grow. This measure shows how well a brand has gained awareness from customers and demonstrates you staying power in the industry. First brands that come to mind in consumer minds about niche products or industry are sure to have staying power in the market, and if you need help staking your claim in that arena, we’d love to help. It’s really as easy as 1-2-3-4.
Reach out to Rothschild Marketing today to discuss ideas about top-quality branded merch to stay top of mind with clients, prospects, and even colleagues.