Why do the big advertisers run their ads on TV over and over? And over? Simple… repetition works. Sharing your marketing message frequently – over a period of time – builds top-of-mind awareness.
Further, building awareness is an ‘additive’ process… each exposure of your message building on the one before as you slowly climb to that top-of-mind position.
But too many marketers stop there… a HUGE mistake. Because building awareness isn’t just about getting to the top-of-mind position. But staying there! So, once you get there, you’ve got to keep the activity going.
The good news here is that all of your communication channels – assuming they’re all delivering the same message – can work together in this additive process. So, use them all… email marketing, social media marketing, your website, advertising, your trade show booth, capability presentations, proposals, and your content (blog posts, webinars, etc.).
In order to build, maintain and nurture your reputation, your messaging across all of these channels needs to be consistent.
But we’re not done yet. The key in building your reputation is not just being known…but being known for something.
Here’s an example… Let’s say that you really want to be known in the marketplace as experts in data analytics. Great! So now, think of the message… XYZ Research, experts in data analytics (OK, lousy example… but bear with me).
- So now, when someone lands on your website, there’s a big banner that reads ‘experts in data analytics.’
- You write blog posts about the use of data analytics and promote it in your emails and on social media.
- The ad you’re running in the Greenbook blog promotes your data analytics services.
- Got a booth at the Quirk’s event? Yep… data analytics again.
- Speaking at TMRE? Guess what the topic is?
You can see where this is going… lots of touches over time – all with a cohesive message – and the marketplace can only come to one conclusion: “I’ve heard of XYZ Research and they’re experts in data analytics.” Pretty great, huh? But, that only works because of repetition.
Bottom line: Creating and maintaining a reputation is simple… but it ain’t easy. Here’s a recap of the four key steps:
- Determine what you want to be known for and then create your messaging (yes, this is the hardest part!).
- Create your execution plan… that is, what channels will you be using and how often?
- Execute.
- Keep doing it… over and over. And over. Later on, you can back off a little on the frequency… but don’t stop. Once you begin this process, keep it going.
There’s an old saying that’s still true today… “The buyer’s perception is the seller’s reality.” And the good news? Done right, you can help to change the buyer’s perception around the reputation you want.