What are effective social media marketing strategies to increase brand awareness for your business or brand? This article offers effective tactics recommended by seasoned professionals. Discover insider secrets to amplify a brand’s voice and engage with audiences more effectively than ever before.
- Leverage User-Generated Content
- Collaborate with Peers
- Guest on Podcasts
- Create Value-Driven Content
- Highlight Client Expertise
- Combine Bold Content and Lead Generation
- Partner for Workshops and Webinars
- Involve UGC Creators
- Boost Employee-Shared Content
- Mix Influencer Marketing and UGC
- Utilize UGC Tornado Strategy
- Create Time-Sensitive Campaigns
- Boost Key LinkedIn Posts
- Collaborate with Social Media Creators
- Launch LinkedIn Newsletters
- Nurture a Facebook Group
- Show Behind-the-Scenes Content
- Use Humor in Visual Content
- Develop Consistent Posting Schedule
- Share Case Studies
Leverage User-Generated Content
A key strategy for increasing brand awareness has been fostering a strong online community through user-generated content (UGC). We implemented regular photo contests, encouraging our audience to share pictures of their dogs using our branded hashtag, #DogWithBlog. This tactic served multiple purposes: it provided a consistent flow of engaging, authentic content; it drove organic reach as participants shared their posts within their own networks; and most importantly, it cultivated a sense of community among dog lovers, effectively humanizing our brand and building valuable brand affinity. By leveraging the power of UGC, we’ve significantly expanded our brand visibility and engagement within our target audience.
Abhishek Joshi
Digital Marketer, Dog with Blog
Collaborate with Peers
If you really want to give your brand awareness a boost, start collaborating more on social media. One highly effective social media marketing strategy that grew my LinkedIn network to 12K+ active followers focuses on building a strong circle of peers in complementary niches. This approach is sustainable because you increase your audience pool while boosting reach and credibility by leveraging each other’s audiences. The key is collaborating with people who share similar target audiences, turning more connections into profitable opportunities for everyone.
Here’s how this collaboration strategy works:
- Build genuine relationships through natural engagement. Intentionally comment on peer content. Join meaningful conversations. Skip the rigid engagement pods.
- Create collaborative content opportunities. Think podcast appearances, live sessions, and social media takeovers. Each expands your reach to new audiences.
- Maintain reciprocal relationships through strategic introductions and referrals. Everyone wins when the network grows.
The result? A powerful snowball effect of organic growth. No algorithm battles. No endless content creation. Just authentic connections that naturally amplify your brand.
Heidi Medina
Social Media Marketing Strategist and Business Coach, Talk to Heidi
Guest on Podcasts
Strategy: Podcast Guesting for Brand Awareness
1. Targeted Outreach – Identify podcasts that align with your brand’s niche using advanced search filters. Platforms like Podcasthawk simplify this by providing access to over 4 million podcasts, categorized by topics, SEO metrics, and audience demographics. Focus on podcasts where your expertise will resonate with the audience, ensuring your message aligns with their interests.
2. Crafting a Compelling Pitch – Tailor your pitch to highlight the value you bring to the podcast’s listeners. Share unique insights, success stories, or industry trends. A well-crafted pitch increases the likelihood of being invited as a guest, positioning your brand as a thought leader.
3. Consistent Messaging – When guesting on podcasts, maintain consistent messaging about your brand’s mission, values, and unique selling points. This repetition helps in embedding your brand identity in the minds of the audience.
4. Cross-Promotion – Maximize the exposure by sharing podcast episodes on your social media channels. Create teaser clips, highlight key moments, and engage with the podcast’s community. Encourage the podcast host to do the same, expanding your reach to new audiences.
5. Call-to-Action (CTA) – Include a strong CTA during your podcast appearances. Direct listeners to your website, social media profiles, or a special landing page designed to convert traffic into leads. Offering exclusive content or discounts for podcast listeners can further entice engagement.
6. Analytics and Feedback – Track the performance of your podcast appearances using in-platform analytics. Measure metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, and conversions to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. Use this data to refine your strategy.
By integrating podcast guesting into your social media marketing strategy, you can create authentic connections with engaged audiences, leading to increased brand awareness and long-term customer loyalty but also reusable content that can be shared as TikToks, Reels, short form content and more.
Stewart Townsend
CMO, Podcast Hawk
Create Value-Driven Content
One effective social media marketing strategy I’ve used to increase brand awareness is leveraging value-driven content marketing through storytelling and user engagement. The goal was to position the brand as an authority while fostering a community around shared values.
- Developing a Content Series: I created a themed content series around trending topics and customer pain points related to our industry. For example, short, engaging videos and carousel posts offered actionable tips, behind-the-scenes looks, and client success stories.
- Strategic Hashtag Use: I utilized a mix of niche-specific and trending hashtags to maximize organic reach. For example, instead of broad hashtags like #Marketing, I used specific ones like #DigitalMarketingTips or location-based hashtags relevant to our audience.
- Collaborating with Micro-Influencers: Partnering with micro-influencers in our industry helped us tap into highly engaged audiences. These influencers created authentic content showcasing our services, increasing our brand’s credibility.
- Interactive Content: I consistently used polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions on Instagram Stories and LinkedIn to encourage participation. This two-way engagement not only boosted visibility but also humanized our brand.
- User-Generated Content Campaigns: I initiated a campaign encouraging customers to share their experiences using a branded hashtag. Highlighting this content on our profiles and stories created a sense of community and trust.
- Platform-Specific Strategies: On LinkedIn, I posted thought-leadership articles, while Instagram focused on visually appealing graphics and reels. Each platform had tailored content to align with its audience’s preferences.
- Analytics-Driven Iteration: I monitored post-performance metrics and audience insights weekly to refine strategies. For instance, higher engagement rates on video content led to reallocating resources for video production.
By maintaining consistency and authenticity, this approach significantly increased brand awareness, with noticeable growth in followers, website visits, and customer inquiries within three months.
Kumar Abhinav
Senior Link Building Analyst, Mavlers
Highlight Client Expertise
Our most effective social media strategy came from flipping the typical “thought leadership” approach. Instead of posting our own SEO insights, we created a campaign highlighting our clients’ expertise in their industries. We called it “Client Spotlight Series” where we’d feature deep insights from clients about their specific markets—from real estate trends to healthcare innovations.
This approach accomplished two things unexpectedly well. First, our clients eagerly shared these posts with their networks since it positioned them as industry experts. One client’s feature about commercial real estate trends reached five times our usual audience because their entire team and industry connections shared it. Second, it attracted new clients who could envision themselves being featured in future spotlights.
It was about focusing each post on our client’s industry expertise rather than our SEO services. For example, when featuring a healthcare technology client, we highlighted their insights about patient data security rather than how we helped their rankings.
This counterintuitive approach of barely mentioning our own services actually brought us more qualified leads than our traditional service-focused content.
Matt Harrison
VP of Global Operations & Marketing, Authority Builders
Combine Bold Content and Lead Generation
One of my most effective strategies to increase brand awareness involved combining bold content and smart lead generation tactics. Here’s how I made it happen:
To stand out in a saturated niche, I crafted posts centered on a strong, unique opinion relevant to my audience. These posts weren’t designed to be polarizing but thought-provoking, encouraging people to share their perspectives. Using Instagram’s built-in tools like ads and the “Trials” feature, I ensured my content reached beyond my existing followers. The lively discussions and comments created a ripple effect, elevating the visibility of my account and attracting a broader audience.
As my account gained momentum with new traffic, I introduced a free lead magnet: a downloadable PDF guide tailored to my audience’s needs. The process was designed for simplicity: users commented a specific keyword to receive the guide via DM. Not only did this tactic spark further engagement, but it also funneled new leads into my email list, driving home the value of following my brand.
Specific Tactics:
- Thought-Provoking Content: Posts that sparked genuine conversation and encouraged comments.
- Instagram Ads: A small ad spend helped amplify my reach.
- Keyword-Triggered Automation: Simplified engagement through direct messages, making it easy for users to connect with my content.
This strategy significantly boosted my brand’s visibility and credibility within my niche. It wasn’t just about gaining new followers; it was about creating a recognizable voice and community around my brand.
When your content inspires conversation and offers value, it does more than increase awareness—it builds relationships. By pairing unique, opinion-driven content with easy ways for new users to engage, I turned increased visibility into meaningful brand growth.
Cassian Bellino
Product Marketing Manager
Partner for Workshops and Webinars
One effective social media marketing strategy I’ve used to increase brand awareness is borrowing other people’s audience through partnerships with organizations to offer workshops and webinars. By collaborating with these organizations, I’ve been able to share content across their social media platforms, significantly expanding my reach to a broader audience.
Specific tactics I employed include:
- Partnering for Workshops and Webinars: I’ve worked with organizations to co-host workshops and webinars on topics like web design, digital marketing, and SEO. The content generated from these events has been shared across the organization’s social media platforms, exposing my brand to their established audience.
- Promoting Events on Social Media: In the lead-up to the event, the partner organization promotes the workshop or webinar across their social media channels. This helps generate excitement and attract attendees from their engaged audience, broadening my reach and visibility.
- Sharing Event Highlights: After the event, they will also share content such as highlights, testimonials, or key takeaways across their respective social media channels, keeping the conversation going and continuing to engage with a wider audience. Oftentimes, due to the promotion, I have people reaching out to me even before the event.
By leveraging the existing social media audiences of my partners, I’ve been able to build brand awareness, increase credibility, generate leads, and get new clients.
Nicole McCullum
Founder, Captivate Designs, Inc.
Involve UGC Creators
For our company, the best way to promote the brand on social media was to involve UGC creators. The audience needs real reviews that show truthful information about the product and its features. Such a marketing strategy is much more convincing than content we create ourselves.
We started by encouraging our customers to share their own experiences with the company, for example by showing what their website looks like after adding widgets. This promotional model works best in a short video format, especially on platforms like TikTok or Instagram. It is important to come up with some kind of reward for this type of publishing. For the best and most popular videos, we offered free consultations and new features for clients.
In addition, we interacted with the created content, liked the videos, wrote comments, and added them to our pages. This helps to demonstrate the value of the responses and the importance of your audience.
Brand awareness grew organically without additional advertising, but we also improved trust in our company. This strategy may seem simple, but it works through interaction and genuine emotion.
Taras Talimonchuk
CMO, Claspo
Our employees have been a powerful way to build brand awareness for Copper. Instead of posting links to our blog on our LinkedIn company page, our employees share content on their personal profiles. We then boost these posts using LinkedIn’s “thought leader ads.” The engagement rates are stellar—one post I published had an engagement rate of 15%! Content posted by real people resonates more than content posted by brands, even in B2B.
Jessica Andrews
VP Marketing, Copper CRM
Mix Influencer Marketing and UGC
One of the most effective social media marketing strategies we’ve used to increase brand awareness is leveraging a mix of influencer marketing, user-generated content (UGC), and brand ambassador programs.
A standout example is one of our campaigns for a restaurant group, where we developed a comprehensive organic strategy to boost visibility across three brands where we implemented:
- Influencer Marketing: Monthly campaigns over six months generated 136K total reach, 6.6K+ engagements, and 154K+ impressions.
- Social Proof & Contests: Encouraged customer participation through UGC and contests to drive extended reach.
- Promotional Tactics & Video Content: Introduced a lead capture tool on the website, paired with engaging short-form video content to highlight the brand’s story.
The results were remarkable: a 3,482% increase in organic web traffic—38% from social media and 48% from organic/direct search. Social media metrics included 136% channel growth, 148% engagement, and 757% reach.
For another campaign, a social media contest achieved incredible results in just 24 hours, including a 63.7% email subscription rate, 24% final email conversion rate (industry avg. 5-10%), 37K+ impressions, and 35+ hours of video reel watch time.
So if you’re looking for high-impact, try combining influencer marketing with social proof, contests, and high-quality content to foster meaningful audience connections which can significantly boost your brand awareness.
Adrienne Hunter
Founder + Creative Strategist, Sage Mind Marketing
Utilize UGC Tornado Strategy
A strategy I’ve used on a few occasions is one I like to call the “UGC Tornado Strategy.” It’s all about user-generated, or in this case, customer-generated content.
And the trick is to spread that content not just on your own social media platforms, but to get your customers to publish and spread it for you as well.
All you need is a system to get your customers to want to create and publish content for you. The incentivizing of followers to share content builds up into a “tornado” of sorts.
Here’s an example to illustrate how the UGC Tornado Strategy works:
Let’s say you’re a restaurant. Then invite customers to share recipes on their social media they believe could belong on your menu, tagging your business, of course.
The winner of that “challenge” will actually be put on the menu and the dish will even carry the name of its creator—for example, Sandra’s Tuna Tornado (whatever that would look like).
And to top it off: Whenever Sandra wants to come eat her Tuna Tornado, she can do so for free.
Just imagine how many recipe submissions will be posted on social media tagging your restaurant, using your hashtag, and promoting your brand.
And just imagine how many people Sandra’s going to tell about you.
This works because you provide your customers with huge value for only a little bit of effort in return. All while giving them the opportunity to shine and show their own expertise in a way that won’t make them seem as though they’re showing off.
In other words, you make your customers look good for sharing content about your brand. That’s what the strategy is in a nutshell.
And all you have to do to make the UGC Tornado Strategy work is:
- Come up with an idea that will make followers want to share content that makes them look good while tagging your brand.
- Spread the idea on your social media, your website, through your newsletter, and (if possible) in person to your existing customers.
- Watch submissions roll in and spread on social, and then (obviously) pick a winner.
- Give the winner their well-deserved prize and make sure they receive all the praise (not you as a business).
I’ve used this strategy and variations of it multiple times and it’s pure gold—especially if you have a strong customer base that engages with your content often.
For brands starting out, the UGC Tornado Strategy might be a tough one to pull off, though.
Patrick T. Gimmi
Founder, PTG Marketing
Create Time-Sensitive Campaigns
I’ve used FOMO to increase brand awareness by creating time-sensitive campaigns. For example, I launched a 24-hour flash sale with bold countdown timers on Instagram Stories and posts. The limited time made people feel like they might miss out, so they acted quickly to grab the deal. This urgency not only boosted engagement but also got people talking about the sale, bringing more attention to the brand. Simple and focused, it worked wonders!
Rutba Khan
Copywriter & Social Media Specialist
Boost Key LinkedIn Posts
One LinkedIn strategy that’s worked well for increasing brand awareness is boosting content. But don’t go boosting everything! Save your budget for key posts that really matter, like big company announcements or milestones and thought leadership content. These posts get more attention and have a bigger impact when boosted.
Also, when boosting, I make sure to customize the campaign in LinkedIn Business Manager so that I have more control over the target audience and campaign settings. My biggest tip is that instead of using the default “Awareness” objective, I switch it to “Engagement.” This might seem strange if you’re looking to increase awareness, but Engagement targets people who are more likely to interact with your content, like clicking, commenting, sharing, or following. These actions help grow your brand in the long run, compared to just getting more views. Awareness campaigns don’t tend to generate great ROI because of their nature, so having some stats beyond impressions can go a long way in your reporting.
By being smart about which content to boost and taking control over your audience and targeting tactics, you can really increase brand awareness and grow your LinkedIn presence.
Laura Lentchitsky
Director of Messaging & Digital Growth, D2 Creative
Collaboration with other social media creators is one of the most effective strategies I’ve used to increase brand awareness. It’s straightforward: when two creators work together, you combine your networks, audiences, and skills to create content that has a wider reach and often better engagement. This isn’t just about doubling exposure. It’s about creating something that connects with people on multiple levels.
For example, podcasts. Joining someone else’s podcast as a guest or hosting a creator on yours is a simple way to reach a new audience. Podcasts already have loyal listeners who trust the host, so when you appear as a guest, you’re borrowing some of that trust. To make it work, you need to align your expertise with what their audience values. You might talk about marketing strategies, share a case study, or discuss industry trends. It’s important to be authentic. Don’t pitch your products or services directly. Instead, provide insights or stories that show your value.
Video collaborations are another option. Co-creating content for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram allows you to showcase your expertise while benefiting from another creator’s style and voice. For example, you could team up to create a tutorial, a discussion about a trending topic, or a behind-the-scenes look at your respective businesses. Each creator shares the video on their channels, which means both audiences get exposed to the content. If done right, it doesn’t just increase visibility—it also builds trust, as the recommendation comes from someone their audience already follows.
Collaborating isn’t just for growing your audience; it’s also an opportunity to learn. Every creator has their own style, approach, and methods. Working with others forces you to step out of your usual process and adapt. It’s a chance to pick up ideas, refine your skills, and see what resonates with a different audience.
The tactics are simple, but the impact can be significant. Podcasts, video collaborations, joint campaigns, or even co-hosted events all work because they connect you with a broader audience while showing that you’re active, engaged, and worth following.
So, next time you’re looking for ways to increase brand awareness, consider reaching out to another creator. The effort you put into collaboration can pay off far more than going it alone.
Tom Sargent
Founder & CEO, Marketing with Tom
LinkedIn newsletters have been the surprise winners for our clients lately. We recently launched one that went from 0 to 8,000+ subscribers in four months, without reinventing the wheel. We kept the focus tight, not too salesy, with links to interesting content, and the payoff’s been great for brand awareness.
Claire Trevien
Account Director, Isoline Communications
Nurture a Facebook Group
One strategy that really boosted our brand awareness was creating and nurturing our Facebook group. Here’s how we did it:
- Build a Community: We started a Facebook group focused on SEO and AI content. This became a place where like-minded people could share ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other. By providing value, we attracted members who were genuinely interested in what we offer.
- Share Valuable Content: We regularly posted tips, how-to guides, and updates about SEO trends. This kept the group active and engaged. Sharing real success stories from our members showed how we can help, making our brand more relatable and trustworthy.
- Engage with Members: We made sure to respond to every comment and question. Hosting live Q&A sessions allowed us to interact directly with our audience. This personal touch made members feel valued and more connected to our brand.
- Collaborate Locally: We partnered with local businesses and influencers in San Antonio to co-host events and webinars. This not only expanded our reach but also built credibility within the community. Local collaborations made our brand more visible to businesses that could benefit from us.
- Run Contests and Giveaways: We organized contests where members could win free subscriptions or other rewards. This encouraged more people to join the group and increased our visibility as members shared the group with their networks.
- Consistent Branding: All our posts and interactions reflected our voice and values. This consistency made our brand easily recognizable and reinforced our message across all interactions.
By focusing on building a strong, engaged community on Facebook, we were able to increase our brand awareness significantly. This approach not only helped us reach more people but also created a loyal audience that trusts and supports our brand.
Danny Veiga
Founder, Chadix
Show Behind-the-Scenes Content
One effective strategy I’ve used to boost brand awareness on social media is implementing a “behind-the-scenes” content series. Rather than just showcasing finished products or services, I offered audiences an inside look at our operations, from product development to team collaborations. This humanized our brand and established a deeper, more authentic connection with followers.
Over three months:
- Engagement Rate: It increased by 15% as more viewers liked, commented on, and shared behind-the-scenes reels and stories.
- Brand Mentions: Grew by 10% across social platforms, reflecting greater visibility and word-of-mouth buzz.
- Follower Growth: Rose by 20% on Instagram after we kicked off a weekly “Behind the Brand” live Q&A.
- Direct Website Visits from Social: Jumped by 7%, as curiosity around our process translated into higher click-through rates on profile links.
Additionally, I integrated influencer collaborations into these behind-the-scenes clips, inviting them to participate in product trials or office tours. This cross-promotion helped us reach new audiences while reinforcing credibility. By focusing on relatable, transparent storytelling, we nurtured a community that felt personally invested in our journey, ultimately driving brand recognition and loyalty.
Windy Pierre
Founder, eCommerce Manager dot co
Use Humor in Visual Content
Pro tip: Visual content with a dash of humor is a winning formula—our before-and-after transformations prove that seeing is believing!
Showing before-and-after cleaning transformations with a bit of humor really connects with people. When customers see the dramatic difference between a messy space and its sparkling clean transformation, they immediately understand our capabilities. It’s simple but powerful—people love seeing real results. Adding a touch of humor makes our brand more approachable. We carefully stage our shots and use consistent lighting. We also add engaging captions with relatable jokes about cleaning struggles that our audience faces. The results have been incredible. It not only proves our expertise but also makes people trust us more.
We’ve had great success with short videos on YouTube, especially ones that tap into everyday cleaning struggles. Our video “Facing the Final Boss of Dishes? Let It Soak for an Easier Clean!” hit over 21,000 views. It spoke to something everyone deals with—that mountain of dishes in the sink. We make light of these common situations while showing how we handle them professionally. This has built a strong connection with our audience, especially younger customers who appreciate the gaming references.
Our biggest wins have come from Facebook Reels, where we’ve hit some impressive numbers. One of our videos, “Ever been promised a gleaming apartment?” reached 2.2 million views and got thousands of people talking in the comments. It worked so well because it was honest and relatable. Everyone’s had that moment of hoping their place would look amazing after a clean. We share these real situations with a bit of humor to make our company feel more like a friendly expert. This approach has helped us stand out in the market. We’ve gained many new customers who found us through these videos.
Joseph Passalacqua
Owner & CEO, Maid Sailors
Develop Consistent Posting Schedule
What I believe is that one effective social media marketing strategy we’ve implemented is the development of a consistent posting schedule. Regularly sharing high-quality, engaging content keeps our audience engaged and improves social media engagement. Tools like Hootsuite and Buffer have enabled us to schedule over 100 posts monthly across platforms, ensuring consistency and alignment with our content marketing goals.
For instance, by analyzing data, we discovered that posting between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM on weekdays led to a 25% increase in engagement rates. Adjusting our schedule accordingly resulted in a 30% growth in follower count within three months.
I recall a campaign where we shared a series of infographics, which collectively attracted over 10,000 impressions and 1,500 interactions. This strengthened my belief in the power of data-driven, consistent posting to boost brand awareness and establish industry authority.
Vaibhav Kishnani
Founder & CEO, Content-Whale
Case studies on our social media are one of the most effective ways we connect with our audience. The work we do is detailed and highly specialized, so potential clients want more than flashy posts. They want to see how we tackle challenges, solve problems, and deliver real results. Sharing case studies allows us to show how our designs come to life and the impact they’ve had, making it easier for our audience to picture how we could help them achieve their goals.
We’ve noticed that our audience on social media responds well to in-depth content because they’re often making big, thoughtful decisions about their products. They appreciate when we take the time to show the full story, including the problem, how we solved it, and the results we delivered. By sharing this through engaging visuals, concise captions, and authentic testimonials, we build trust and spark conversations with the people who matter most.
Ryan Gray
CEO, SGW Designworks
