I recently came across a blog post, 5 Tips for Better B2B Branding which shared some great insight for marketing professionals on how to take B2B branding to the next level. Great ideas were shared, such as consistently producing useful and innovative content, networking digitally and in person, getting personal and being real, positioning yourself differently than others in the space, and leveraging proof points.
While reading, I started thinking about other methods that are used to build brand awareness that could be added to the list of tips given in the blog. One that I would add would be to implement and execute a teleprospecting plan. While it is absolutely crucial to educate prospects early on through content and other thought leadership avenues, a great method to supplement this would be through teleprospecting efforts, where prospects receive a personal touch to go along with some of the other marketing materials they are receiving through email blasts, direct mailers, content channels, etc.
With teleprospecting efforts, constant touches are being made to target audiences to expand brand recognition. The types of contact that are being delivered are much different than what would be seen in some of the more traditional branding tactics. Below are some examples of the types of contact that are made to expand brand presence through teleprospecting efforts that you may not have thought of before from a branding perspective:
Leaving Voicemails. Failing to catch prospects live through phone calls does happen, so leaving voicemails if they don’t answer is a great way to increase brand awareness. Most teams make an average of 100 dials per day, so that could amount to at least 70 voicemails or so that are being left with potential customers per day that may not have been too familiar with your brand beforehand. Or, if they were familiar with it, the call would further that connection.
Sending Emails with a Personal Touch. Following up on a voicemail message with an immediate email message is a perfect example of another type of contact you can use that will catch your target audience’s attention. Prospects are much more likely to notice your brand if they are being contacted through two means of communication within ten minutes of each other, so I highly recommend sending an email to follow up on the voicemail left a few moments before. Of course you want to include your signature (and logo) prominently with a “what we do” paragraph below.
Live Conversations. When it comes to teleprospecting, it’s common to hear prospects say “If it weren’t for your call, I wouldn’t have known to consider your company for a project I have starting next year.” Sometimes despite the amount of content a company works to put out there, it may not always land in the right hands of the ideal prospect at a company, so the information may get lost. By calling into organizations and talking live to contacts, you have the ability to get pointed to the right person. If you rely on other mediums to send information to the prospects you think will be the best contact, you have no way of knowing if they are sending the information along to the most appropriate person if it’s not them. Having live conversations is the ideal way to successfully confirm this.
I’m curious, what tips do you have when it comes to increasing B2B brand recognition?
