How You Can Increase Brand Recognition and Credibility for Your Consulting Business

Brand awareness, simply put, is how familiar consumers are with your products, services, logo, and messaging. How is your consulting company’s brand awareness, and what does it matter? If consumers do recognize your brand, what is their perception of it?

Brand awareness is a powerful part of a customer’s decision-making process. People buy from people they like and trust, and your reputation in the marketplace can have a major impact on buying decisions.

The unfortunate truth is, many people in the marketplace may view consultants as overpaid and inefficient. “Consultant” may have some negative stigma attached to it, sometimes perceived as someone hired to do things for a company that they are capable of achieving in-house. So how do you shake the negative connotation? Here are 7 ways you can increase brand awareness and credibility for your consulting company.

1. Invest in SEO services

It matters where you rank on Search Engine Results Pages. Most people googling for answers are looking at the top organic results, and if you’re not there, or not even on the first page, it’s unlikely traffic will be coming your way. Invest in hiring someone or educating yourself about Search Engine Optimization. Credibility lends itself to those companies that can rank high in organic searches.

2. Guest blog for a prominent website

This is helpful in two ways - first, the obvious. Having your blog published on a credible website, locally - or even better - nationally, will do wonders for your public image and thought leadership in the industry. The second benefit: SEO. We just finished telling you that SEO is important, and when you blog for someone else and they create a hyperlink back to your website, that’s what those in the SEO biz call a backlink. And those backlinks (especially from highly regarded websites) are SEO gold.

3. Run a contest on social media

You’ve probably seen B2C companies and influencers run contests - it’s an obvious fit for them. Less obvious, but nonetheless valid, is a consultant running a contest. You don’t have to give away a free consulting session - it’s more about the recognition, followers, and engagement. Team up with one of your clients to give away a basket full of local products or a weekend away. To enter, folks on social should follow you and any other companies involved, like the post on social, and tag a few friends.

4. Free talks/webinars (record these!)

Like your mom recording your second-grade holiday concert, have a friend or associate set up a camera and record a free talk that you’re giving. Use snippets on social media to show people what you’re all about. If you’re a consultant worth your retainer, you’ll shine on stage in front of a crowd. So flex your expertise and make use of video of you in action. People want to see the kind of person they’ll be working with, so inject some personality and show them.

5. Video testimonials from clients

The only thing better than seeing you is seeing your clients talk about the impact you’ve made on them. Call in a favour and get them to sit in front of a camera for 3 or 4 minutes, talking about how you’ve been able to help them grow, change, succeed, achieve! The proof is in the pudding. It doesn’t have to be super fancy. Find a quiet place with an interesting background (not a white wall) and encourage them to be casual but honest. There are tons of video editing apps you can use to spice it up and make it look professional.

6. Invest in an existing franchise

Many Sandler Training franchise owners come from consulting backgrounds. Their focus was on helping companies with their business development, management, or leadership issues. They invested in Sandler and adopted our branding, systems, and philosophies. They’re able to own their own business and control their operations, with the support of a global brand behind them. Marketing support, ongoing training, coaching, peer support - all benefits of a franchise organization. Regardless of what kind of consulting you provide, it’s worth researching to see if there’s a franchise that is a fit for you.

7. Understand your customer’s journey through the AIDA model

Your sales funnel isn’t the only one you should be focusing on. Our friends at Hubspot know the value of the AIDA model in marketing, and this funnel is essential to your brand awareness strategy.

Do you understand your customer’s journey from Attention, to Interest, to Desire, to Action? If you’re lost, we recommend checking out their 8-minute blog, “The AIDA Model: A Proven Framework for Converting Strangers Into Customers.” As outlined in their blog, “In theory, as they progress through each stage of the model, consumers who learn about your brand will develop certain feelings or emotions about your product or service, which is what ultimately compels them to act.”