It’s 2022 (nearly 2023, really). And social media marketing isn’t going anywhere.
According to a Pew Research study from 2021, 70% of the American population use at least one social media platform. This stat has stayed strong for pretty much a decade.
The 7 in 10 of us spending time on social platforms do so to connect with friends and family, find entertaining content, and keep up with current events.
Crucially for marketers, people also head to social media when they want info on a particular product or brand.
That means a brand’s social media presence can be used to influence buying decisions and — as we’ll see below — to build CPG brand awareness.
What is brand awareness?
Brand awareness is the level of familiarity an audience has with your brand. And the degree to which they can differentiate it from other brands selling the same or similar stuff.
Take Nike, for example.
Everyone knows that Nike is a sportswear brand. And we instantly recognize that simple little swoosh logo.
Most people could also tell you a little bit about what Nike stands for — the “just do it” mentality and a drive to inspire people to excel at sports.
Nike has developed exceptional brand awareness amongst their audience. And every brand out there — regardless of what product or service they’re selling — should aim to do the same.
That’s because good brand awareness helps a business get ahead of the competition (even if you’re not as globally famous a brand as Nike).
Ready for some CPG brand awareness benefits?
- Consumers are more likely to trust you, your product, and/or your services — which means they’re more likely to part with their hard-earned cash
- Marketing gets easier — you become a known go-to for your product or service, which means it’s easier to attract new customers and grow your consumer base
- Talent acquisition improves — because brand awareness also impacts your rep as an employer
- Brand equity increases — which means your prices, business value, and social reach do too
Sounds good, right?
So how do you improve CPG brand awareness? You’ll be pleased to hear that the simplest and most affordable brand awareness-building tool is right at your fingertips.
How to improve your CPG brand awareness using social media
Social media is super useful for growing CPG brand awareness. Want to try it out for your brand? Here’s what you need to do.
Get to know your social channels
YouTube. Facebook. Instagram. TikTok. Each social platform is different.
Get to know which of them your target audience likes to hang out on — and the tools available to you on each. Then pay attention to how people post and interact.
You can only harness social media for brand awareness when you properly understand the social landscape.
Produce on-brand content
When a consumer lands on your social profile, they should be able to instantly recognize who you are and what you do.
Putting your brand logo front and center and writing an appealing bio is the first step.
Next up, create posts with key brand elements in mind. Weave brand colors, font, imagery, and tone of voice throughout your posts to create a consistent, branded feed.
Don’t be afraid to show some personality
A bland brand is unlikely to stick in the minds of an audience. So stand out on social. Think about the personality of your brand and then incorporate that character into your social posts.
Forget the hard sell
Building CPG brand awareness doesn’t mean posting exclusively about your products. You really have to sell your brand as a whole.
This means addressing customer pain points and providing content that your audience will find useful or interesting.
For example, you could post recipe ideas, sustainability tips, or details of your brand’s work in the local community.
Just make sure your content always reflects your brand values.
Encourage engagement
The more engagement your social posts receive, the more they will show up in audience feeds.
People tend to like images, infographics, and videos. But you can also encourage likes, shares, and comments by posing questions, launching polls, and running competitions.
Use hashtags
Hashtags help new customers to find your social profiles. So take a look at popular hashtags your competitors are using — and maybe even create a unique brand hashtag of your own — then use them when you post.
Post consistently
A brand that posts consistently on social feels relevant, up-to-date, and available to answer customer queries. Using social media for brand awareness means creating a social content schedule… and sticking to it!
Interact with your audience
Audiences seek out brands on social media to feel part of the conversation. So don’t leave your followers hanging. Respond to their comments and questions as quickly and reliably as you can.
Work with influencers
Just starting out building your CPG brand awareness? Then social media influencers may be able to help you reach new customers.
Find established influencers whose audience overlaps with yours and hire them to create and post content on behalf of your brand.
Promote your social channels
Take every opportunity to direct potential followers and customers to your social channels. Add links to your email signature, to your company site, and to the end of your blog posts to help drive traffic in the right direction.
Pay for ads
Audience engagement boosts social post visibility. Which can be something of a catch-22 when you’re just starting out with social.
Paid social media ads provide a solution, helping you to grow your following and your brand awareness too.
Set targets and track performance
Here comes the science-y bit.
You have to set targets and track your social media performance to really understand what’s working — and what isn’t.
Measure reach, engagement, mentions, shares, conversions, and social sentiment (along with any other relevant metrics) on a regular basis.
This will help you to hone your strategy and achieve next-level CPG brand awareness.
Now you know all about using social media to build brand awareness for your CPG, why don't you check out the rest of the Buffalo Market blog?
We've got loads of articles to help you really start leveling up your social media game and engaging with your customers into 2023 and beyond!
Support
Sales