How to Increase Brand Awareness

If you want to increase brand awareness, there are two things you can do.

You can blow a ton of cash on marketing—paying to get your brand in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

Or, you could try the second option.

If you haven't tried the second option, you're probably wasting your money.

The second option involves creating a message so appealing to your target audience that they can't help but sit up and take notice.

By creating an irresistible message, people naturally start paying attention to your brand because it speaks directly to them.

I'm not just talking about a catchy tagline like Nike's "Just Do It."

I’m talking about creating a message that zeroes in on the problem your business solves for its customers.

An irresistible message is made of three parts—problem, solution, and result.

Mix these three together, and suddenly, your audience is tuned in. Why? Let's dive in.

Think of the problem like a dog whistle for potential customers—the people who have it hear it and pay attention. Starting with the problem tells your audience you understand what they're going through. Naturally, if a business highlights a problem, they're probably offering up a solution too.

And that’s your cue for introducing your solution. With everyone's attention now on you, it’s time to reveal how you plan to help them out. You don't have to spell it out step-by-step—you're just showing them there is a solution. For example, if I've got a stain on my shirt—that's the problem. If I want to get it off, using OxiClean is my solution. Easy, right?

Now, onto the result. You've clued your audience in on the solution, so it's time to unveil what comes next. Because, at the end of the day, the result is what everyone's after. If people weren't looking for a certain result, the problem wouldn't be a big deal, would it? Sticking with the OxiClean example, the outcome is a stain-free shirt—just what everyone wants.

Feel free to play with this format, but sticking to problem, solution, result often works best. It instantly makes it clear who your brand caters to and its value. And when your message is this straightforward, it’s easier for people to remember your brand the next time they encounter the problem your business solves.

For more info, check out the book Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller. He goes in-depth on how you can create an irresistible message of your own.