Here's how you can accurately assess the impact of your advertising on brand awareness.

To accurately assess the impact of your advertising on brand awareness: 1. Surveys and Polls: Conduct surveys to gauge brand recall and recognition among your target audience. 2. Social Media Metrics: Track mentions, shares, and engagement rates on social media platforms. 3. Website Traffic: Monitor direct traffic and search volume for branded keywords. 4. Brand Mentions: Use tools like Google Alerts to track online mentions of your brand. 5. Customer Feedback: Collect feedback through reviews and customer service interactions. 6. Market Research: Analyze market research reports to understand brand positioning. These methods provide a comprehensive view of how your advertising efforts are influencing brand awareness.

Surveys and polls: Run pre- and post-ad campaigns to track alterations in recall and recognition of the brand. Track any sudden increases in website traffic and source referrals both during and after the campaign. Social Media Involvement: Monitor follower growth, likes, shares, and mentions. Search Trends: Check if there has been an increase in searches for your brand using tools such as Google Trends. Brand tracking studies: Make use of expert services that focus on tracking the health of brands over time.

Define clear goals such as increased website traffic, social media engagement, or brand mentions. Measure metrics like reach, impressions, and brand sentiment surveys. Compare pre-and post-campaign data to gauge shifts in brand awareness and perception, ensuring a comprehensive assessment.

One thing I’ve discovered in my “advertising campaigns” is that finding the right “catch phrase” and a memorable one is without a doubt the most important aspect of your campaign. In my first business, Stan Minogue DJ services, I had business cards that had my name on it, basic graphics, and my phone number. After one of the events I worked, a client came up to me and said: “Stan Stan the Music Man, if he can’t play it nobody can. The moniker stuck and “Stan The Music Man” was “born”. A side benefit of this name was that it was close to the big name of “Sam The Record Man” and with their big advertising campaigns, it sure helped. Going from “ABC” business name to something more memorable should be a huge deciding factor.

Define Metrics: Set clear KPIs such as brand recall, recognition, and sentiment. Conduct Surveys: Use pre- and post-campaign surveys to measure changes in brand awareness. Analyze Website Traffic: Track increases in direct traffic and branded searches. Monitor Social Media: Evaluate changes in social media mentions, engagement, and follower growth. Use Analytics Tools: Leverage tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to assess visibility and interactions. Track Impressions: Measure ad impressions and reach to gauge exposure. Compare Benchmarks: Compare results with historical data or industry benchmarks for context.

It’s been thirty years since I closed down the business known as “Stan The Music Man” and I still get inquiries, customer stories and compliments on the parties I hosted.

A story without analytics is just that, a story. We need to create KPIs that allow us to track the impact we are looking for. Are we looking for mentions of our brands name? Are we looking for higher engagement? What will determine success and failure? We also need to be on the look for unexpected results. We might not see high brand mentions but did we see an uptick in website traffic or time spent on website. We might be winning and not even know it.

Recently, my dart business has picked up a little with clients finding out about my services via word of mouth, the main advertising that I am currently doing with business cards. My competitors are box stores, Walmart and Canadian Tire locally followed closely by Amazon. The first thing I hear after having a client in for a “fitting” is how much they appreciate the ability to try things out before they buy. Finding out that my product pricing is competitive with all the others. How do I monitor the competition? Go into the store, ask the sales team what they know about their products and walk away chuckling at their answers. Sounds arrogant, but this is a result of the BIG BOX mentality and lack of training or caring of the employee.

Ask everyone walking into your shop or onto your space, where did you hear about me/us? If it’s word of mouth, it may be time to offer best / repeat customer discounts. Or a gift card that they can hand out to a prospective client.