Building Brand Awareness for Small Business: How to Stand Out in Any Market
- lauragoldup
- Nov 10, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2024
Building brand awareness is critical for any small business. Sales and marketing boil down to a simple numbers game: the more people who know about your brand, the more people are likely to buy from it.
However, given the competitive landscape and limited budgets, it can be challenging to know where to start. Thoughtful strategies, that engage with your target audience, can help any startup build brand awareness, including those in niche markets and competitive industries.
In this blog, we’ll look at three industries — hospitality, eco-friendly retail, and beauty — and explore how small businesses in each can effectively grow their brand awareness.
Hospitality: Building the Go-To Spot for Locals
For small cafés or independent restaurants, community connection is key. Many customers enjoy the personal touch and unique atmosphere that independent venues offer, especially as they seek alternatives to mainstream chains.
How to Build Brand Awareness for Small Business in Hospitality
Leverage Local Influencers: Reach out to local lifestyle influencers who cater to similar audiences. You could invite them to an exclusive tasting event, or host a “first look” at a new menu item.
Engage Customers on Social Media: Encourage patrons to share their experience on social media, perhaps by creating a unique hashtag for your small business. A competition that encourages customers to post content using your hashtag, with a chance to win something from your business - such as a free coffee, lunch, or a voucher, is a great way to encourage user-generated content and organically expand reach on social media.
Collaborate with Other Local Businesses: Collaboration events with local artists, complimentary products/services to your own, or a fusion between unexpected partners can attract a loyal customer base that resonates with the community. Events give people a reason to visit, enjoy your hospitality, and share your business with their own networks.
Eco-Friendly Retail: Standing Out in a Growing Market
As sustainability gains popularity, eco-friendly retail has become a rapidly expanding and competitive field. Consumers are actively seeking products that align with their values, but brands need to establish credibility, build connections, and set themselves apart in a crowded space.
How to Build Brand Awareness for Small Business in Eco-Friendly Retail
Educate Through Content Marketing: Small, eco-friendly retailers can differentiate themselves by sharing content that educates customers about the environmental impact of their purchases. A small brand selling sustainable skincare, for example, could start a blog or TikTok explaining the ingredients they use, why they’re better for the environment, and how customers can live more sustainably.
Utilise PR for Greater Reach: Getting featured in eco-friendly or lifestyle magazines can boost credibility and drive awareness among a targeted audience.
Partner with Eco-Friendly Charities: Collaborating with a charity and dedicating a portion of sales to a related cause can build brand trust and awareness.
Beauty: Standing Out in a Highly Competitive Market
The beauty industry is notoriously competitive, with established brands dominating much of the market share. For small, independent beauty brands, standing out requires creativity, authenticity, and community-building.
How to Build Brand Awareness for Small Business in the Beauty Industry
Engage Micro-Influencers for Authentic Reach: A lot of consumers have become so aware of being ‘sold to’ by the biggest influencers as they are well-known to receive PR packages, samples, trips away, and more. Therefore, this tactic may no longer be appropriate. Micro-influencers (those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers) often have highly engaged audiences, less opportunities to receive PR packages (potentially giving them more incentive to work with a small business) and can be more affordable than larger influencers. This approach can resonate more genuinely for customers who value authenticity.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC): What better proof of your products in action than from those who use them? Encourage customers to share photos, tutorials, or reviews on social media. You could offer a discount code for customers who post about their purchases with a branded hashtag. This approach helps to build brand awareness as real customers are vouching for your brand.
Key Takeaways for Building Brand Awareness
Building brand awareness as a small business requires you to understand the quirks of your industry so you can build a strategic approach. The key is to connect authentically with your audience, foster community, and ultimately strengthen your brand’s presence in the market.
At lume, we understand the challenges small businesses face when it comes to building brand awareness in today’s digital landscape. The team specialises in developing digital marketing strategies for small business, social media content, and email marketing campaigns to reach new customers.
lume offers the expertise and tools to amplify your brand’s voice, reach new customers, and foster lasting connections.
Ready to make your mark? Let lume help you grow your brand awareness and stand out in your market. Let’s talk today and start building the brand presence your business deserves!
