ShivaniBrands that increased brand awareness to epic levels were those, whose brand name became the concerned product’s name. For instance, people often refer to the name Colgate instead of toothpaste, Band-Aids instead of bandages, and Coke instead of soda. Some brands have even become verbs (like “Google it to find the answer”, “Just PhotoShop it”, “they are SuperGlued” etc.).
This achievement is an indication of the brand’s high credibility and recognition. They could make it this far because they employed some successful strategies. This blog discusses how you can increase brand awareness through referral marketing.
What is Brand Awareness?
Brand awareness refers to how consumers recognize and recall your business. The better your brand awareness, the better your familiarity with your audiences.
Why is Brand Awareness Important?
Brand awareness is important because it enables consumers to understand, recognize, and like your branding and products. It is about how aware and informed people are about your brand. It is more than just being able to recognize your logo, tagline, packaging, etc. It is also about their positive experience with your brand, which promotes brand affinity.
By building your brand awareness among your target audiences, you can get your brand on top of their minds when they look for a product in your niche. This increases your sales. Since they already recognize your brand, they’re more likely to purchase from you than your competitors, with who they’re not as familiar.
Of the several strategies that can increase brand awareness, referral marketing is one. Read on to know more.
7+ Proven Ways to Increase Brand Awareness Using Referral Marketing
The techniques discussed below are proven practices that have led to the success of many brands and businesses in creating brand awareness through referral marketing.
1. Better Copywriting
With a compelling copy, your consumers will notice and remember your referral program. This will help convert your site visitors into referrals. They see your brand ambassador program and take the action you want them to perform. That is, they also act on it by promoting your brand to their circle. So, choose the words that resonate well with your audience and put them together simply and understandably.
2. Incentivize Your Referrals
Your customers will be willing to share you with their friends and folks if you offer high-quality products and services. Rewarding them for it will motivate them to do so. Choose a reward that they’ll value and be happy to receive. Often cash incentives receive the best kind of responses.
However, you can also pick one of the following-
- Discounts
- Freebies
- Supplementary services
- Exclusive experiences
- Etc.
The best referral programs offer two-sided rewards. That is, they reward both the referrer and the referred. Because of the mutual satisfaction gained therefrom, people convert better under such rewarding systems.
3. Conduct a Pre-Launch
Pre-launches are events where the audiences are primed about the brand’s offerings before it is making it available to the public. This works by building excitement even before the product’s launch and thereby ensures viral marketing. Here are some ways to do this.
- Post text, audio, or video content to educate your audience about the product or service that you’re going to launch. This way, your audience will get to know the product’s value even before its launch.
- Carry out and present a case study about your product. This will let them know the product’s outcomes.
- Conduct a pre-launch campaign where you can tell them about the rewards. This will evoke their interests.
4. Create a Dedicated Page for Your Program
This is one of the overlooked but vital aspects of referral marketing. Your visitors should be able to easily find your referral program. Creating a dedicated page does the job. Catch the attention of your audience by complimenting it with a large, bold headline that clearly describes it. Then direct your visitors to it by having a “Refer a Friend” button on your homepage. You can also incorporate a link to it in your follow-up emails.
5. Keep it Simple and Pain-Free
Keep your referral program simple and easy. They should be able to quickly understand how it operates and what they’ll from it. Keep it simple, straightforward, and honest. Simplify the eligibility criteria and sign-up process. Also, remove any other hindrances that would refrain them from participating in it.
6. Use a Software to Build Your Program
Setting up and managing a referral program effectively can be tough and time-consuming. However, using a tool like InviteReferrals can make the job a lot easier. It is completely customizable, feature-rich, and easy to use. It allows you to incentivize referrers on multiple events such as social shares, subscription/registration, app installation, sales, conversion, etc. This facilitates keeping the customers engaged and motivated.
7. Retargeting
Your existing customers will be more willing to refer you than new visitors. That’s because they’ve already purchased from you. This also means that they’re familiar with you and like you. So, you won’t have to persuade them much. So, launch a retargeting campaign to inform them of your referral program. You can send it through emails, push notifications, or SMS. Segment your audience based on where they’re in the customer journey and target them on that basis.
8. Focus on your reputation
When you offer good quality products and services, you’ll gain a reputation in your niche. This will speak for itself. So, source your materials from the best possible places. Also, ensure that you provide the best customer service. Train your staff in this niche and impart your company values to them. This will help them work collaboratively to keep your customers happy.
Conclusion
There are a variety of proven ways to increase brand awareness through your referral system. All these tell you how to effectively create and manage a referral program. Doing your share of the work well can boost your referral marketing. So, do follow our proven techniques.
