To increase the demand for a product or service, it is important that people are aware of the organization, brand or product. And that bit of awareness only happens when they see your organization. The widest possible reach is therefore essential. But how can you increase your reach as an organization?
To reach the right target group, you can think of using opinion leaders or b2b influencers, for example. Opinion leaders and influencers have been popular in marketing for a long time. Think of commercials with famous Dutch people who recommend a facial product, or an influencer who gets paid to post about a hotel. Especially when this celebrity or influencer is known as authority in that area. But how can you use these marketing techniques? And how do you get the most out of different varieties? opinion leaders and other influential people?
According to the multi-step-flow theory the people around us have a lot of influence on us. The theory states that information shared by a channel reaches a group of people via an opinion leader and then reaches the larger public. In the diffusion of innovation theory by Everett Rogers, these are called “early adopters”. They are the link between the sender of a message and the general public. B2b influencers are a good example of this and can therefore be used as an influence tool. They have valuable connections and are often seen as experts by the right target group. This makes them thought leaders. Thanks to what they have, they can control decisions.
The people around you sometimes have even more credibility than an opinion leader. This has to do with the fact that loved ones speak from their own experience and have no share in the product. This is where they differ from paid influencers. In this case, they play the role of an influencer: they are the intermediate step between an opinion leader and the general public. If this group of people has their own experience with a product or service and shares something about it, they can be very useful as a social marketing tool.
Now that you have this background information, it's time for the tips to raise awareness (the awareness of your target group about your service or product).
Reaching the desired audience with the right message is important. With a buyer persona (an in-depth profile), you get a good idea of the target group. This allows you to map out which platforms they are active on and what exactly they do and see there. Make sure it's clear which opinion leaders they come into contact with and where they see them — because these opinion leaders can be used as marketing tools. By developing buyer personas, marketing is more in line with the target group and is therefore more effective.
Make sure your product or service is being talked about. This can be done by using free samples or a free trial of a service, for example by offering it to all the staff of a certain organization. This will make a large audience familiar with your organization and product. Do choose the product that your organization specializes in, so you will immediately be known as the organization in this area.
To make sure that as many people as possible are talking about your product or service, you need to stay top-of-mind. The frequency is very important here, so remind the target group about your product or service often. And, more importantly, make sure that your organization is then within reach when they need such a product/service. In this way, you make your product or service indispensable.
