Boost: how to increase brand awareness on social media

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Ready to build a brand people remember? The secret isn't just posting more—it's building a smart, repeatable system. Forget throwing content at the wall and hoping something sticks. This guide is all about the three things that actually drive sustainable growth: knowing your audience inside and out, creating content they genuinely want, and showing up for them consistently.

We'll walk through exactly why a scattered approach almost always falls flat and how a structured plan is what really turns an unknown name into an unforgettable brand.

Trying to build brand awareness on social media can often feel like shouting into the void. You post, you wait, and you're left wondering if anyone is even listening. The answer isn't to just post more or frantically jump on every trend you see. It’s about building a deliberate, repeatable system that works for you. A solid blueprint is what turns random social media actions into a predictable engine for growth.

This guide skips the generic advice and gives you a concrete framework you can actually use. We’re going to focus on the core pillars that separate a flash in the pan from lasting brand recognition. These aren't just theories—they're real, actionable components designed to work together, creating a powerful loop that gets your message heard and cements your brand in the minds of your audience.

The Pillars of Sustainable Growth

Your entire journey to boosting brand awareness rests on three core pillars. Think of them as building blocks; each one supports the next, creating a solid foundation for everything you do on social media.

Audience Clarity: You have to know exactly who you're talking to. What are their biggest challenges? What gets them excited? Where do they hang out online?

Strategic Content: Your content needs a job to do. Every post should aim to educate, entertain, or inspire the specific audience you've defined.

Consistent Engagement: This is where the magic happens. You need to be an active participant—join conversations, build real relationships, and foster a community around your brand.

Without these, your strategy is just guesswork. For instance, a video-first approach can be a game-changer, but only if you're getting those videos in front of the right people on the right platform. To get a handle on that, check out this practical guide to growing a YouTube channel, which dives deep into content, optimization, and engagement tactics.

A brand doesn't become memorable through a single viral post. It becomes memorable through hundreds of consistent, value-driven interactions that build trust over time.

Why a System Matters Now More Than Ever

The sheer scale of social media is staggering. Projections show that by 2025, there will be an estimated 5.42 billion users juggling an average of 6.83 different social networks every month. This massive audience has driven social media ad spending to a mind-boggling $276.7 billion. You can dig into more eye-opening stats on the Sprout Social insights page.

In a sea of so much content and noise, a systematic approach is the only way to cut through and make a genuine connection.

To bring it all together, here's a look at how these foundational pillars create a cohesive system.

Pillar	Objective	Key Actions
Audience Definition	To deeply understand your ideal customer.	Creating personas, social listening, competitor analysis.
Content Strategy	To create valuable, engaging, and relevant posts.	Content pillar development, repurposing, video creation.
Consistent Engagement	To build community and foster loyalty.	Responding to comments, joining conversations, UGC.

Each of these pillars is essential. When you nail down your audience, create content just for them, and then actively engage, you create a powerful cycle that continuously builds your brand's presence and authority.

Find Your Audience and Choose Your Platforms

Before you post a single thing, we need to answer two make-or-break questions: Who are you really talking to? And where do they actually hang out online?

It’s a common mistake to jump straight into content creation, but posting brilliant ideas to the wrong people on the wrong platform is just shouting into the void. It’s a fast track to wasting time, money, and morale.

So, let's start with the foundation. The very first step isn't about you or your brand; it’s about getting inside the heads of your ideal customers. We need to go way beyond basic demographics and build out detailed audience personas. These are essentially character sketches of your perfect customer, but they're built on real data, not guesswork.

A truly useful persona isn’t just "female, 25-34, lives in a city." It’s about understanding her motivations, what keeps her up at night, and how she spends her time scrolling.

Crafting Your Ideal Customer Persona

To build a persona that gives you a genuine strategic edge, you have to dig for specific information. This is where you put on your detective hat.

Here’s what you should be looking for:

Pain Points & Challenges: What specific problems are they trying to solve? For a meal-prep service, a customer's pain point isn't just "I'm hungry." It's "I'm too exhausted after work to cook a healthy meal."

Goals & Aspirations: What are they ultimately trying to achieve in their lives where your brand could play a role? That same meal-prep user’s goal might be "to lose 10 pounds without giving up my weekends to meal planning."

Social Media Habits: Which apps do they open first thing in the morning? Are they binge-watching short videos, saving in-depth articles for later, or swiping through image carousels?

Information Sources: Who do they trust? Pinpoint the specific influencers, newsletters, or even Reddit communities they turn to for advice.

How do you find this stuff? Start with the people who already love you—your existing customers. Send them a survey. Use social listening tools to see how people talk about your industry and competitors. This process will show you the exact language your audience uses and what they truly care about.

The real goal here is to know your audience so intimately that your content feels like a direct answer to a question they were just thinking. That's how you build a connection, and that connection is the bedrock of memorable brand awareness.

Once you have a crystal-clear picture of who you're talking to, choosing your platforms becomes a whole lot simpler.

Don't fall into the "be everywhere" trap. That's a recipe for burnout and mediocre results. Instead, pour your energy into the one or two platforms where your ideal customer is most active and, crucially, most engaged.

This laser-focus allows you to get really good at what works on each platform. A thought-leadership piece that gets massive traction on LinkedIn will die a silent death on TikTok, and a viral TikTok dance has no place on your B2B LinkedIn feed. Each network has its own culture, its own algorithm, and its own set of user expectations.

Get this right, and the results can be massive. Customers who have a great interaction with a brand on social media recommend it to their friends and family at a rate of 71%. If you want a deeper dive into numbers like this, check out the social media marketing statistics on Neal Schaffer's blog.

To help you decide where to plant your flag, I've put together a quick-glance table. It’s a simple starting point to match your brand with the right environment.

Every platform offers a different audience and a different way to connect. Use this table as a guide to figure out where your brand will not only fit in but truly shine.

Platform	Primary Audience	Best Content Format	Ideal For
Instagram	Millennials & Gen Z (Visually-driven)	High-quality images, Reels, Stories, Carousels	Lifestyle, e-commerce, beauty, food, and creative brands.
TikTok	Gen Z & Young Millennials (Trend-focused)	Short-form, entertaining, and educational videos	Brands targeting younger demographics with authentic, trend-based content.
LinkedIn	Professionals, B2B decision-makers, Job seekers	Articles, text posts, professional videos, carousels	B2B companies, thought leadership, professional services, and networking.
Facebook	Gen X & Baby Boomers (Community-oriented)	Videos, links to articles, community group posts	Local businesses, community building, and brands targeting older adults.

This isn't about just picking a platform; it's about choosing a home for your brand's voice.

Think about it this way: a B2B software company will get far more mileage from sharing case studies and industry analysis on LinkedIn than anywhere else. Meanwhile, a direct-to-consumer fashion brand should be all-in on Instagram and TikTok, using Reels and influencer partnerships to make their products irresistible. When you choose wisely, you ensure every ounce of effort you put into building brand awareness is seen by the people who can actually become your customers.

Develop a Magnetic Content and Video Strategy

Alright, you know who you’re talking to and where to find them. Now for the fun part: building the content engine that will actually get you noticed.

This isn’t about just tossing pretty pictures onto your feed and hoping for the best. A real strategy means every single post, video, and story has a job to do. It needs to stop the scroll and give people a reason to remember you.

The secret to winning at social media brand awareness is value. You have to consistently give your audience something that helps, entertains, or inspires them. A great way to keep this on track is by structuring everything around four core content pillars. It's a simple framework that prevents your feed from becoming a scattered, ineffective mess.

Build Your Strategy on Four Content Pillars

Think of these pillars as your content playbook. By rotating through these four types, you’ll keep your audience hooked without making them feel like they're just getting a constant sales pitch.

Educate: This is where you become the go-to expert. Share "how-to" guides, tutorials, or infographics that demystify something in your industry. When you teach people, they trust you.

Entertain: Don't be afraid to have a personality! Jump on relevant trends, create funny memes, or share some behind-the-scenes moments. Entertainment is what makes your brand human and shareable.

Inspire: People want to feel connected. Share customer success stories, user-generated content (UGC), or motivational posts that align with your brand's values. This is how you build an emotional bond.

Convince: Here’s where you can gently nudge people toward what you offer. Post testimonials, case studies, or product demos that show, don't just tell, how you solve their problems.

This pillar-based approach is a cornerstone of any solid social media plan. If you want to dive deeper into planning your calendar this way, check out this comprehensive guide to social media content strategy.

Work Smarter with Content Repurposing

Trying to create brand-new content from scratch for every single platform is a recipe for burnout. Trust me. The real key to scaling your efforts is content repurposing.

The idea is simple: create one big, high-value piece of content—let's call it a "pillar asset"—and then slice and dice it into tons of smaller posts for social media.

For example, a single long-form blog post is an absolute goldmine. You can spin it off into:

A multi-slide Instagram carousel with the key takeaways.

A series of tweets sharing punchy stats or quotes.

A LinkedIn article that expands on one specific section.

The script for a short, snappy YouTube video.

The goal isn't to create more content; it's to get more mileage out of the high-quality content you already put the work into. This one shift will save you an incredible amount of time and keep your messaging consistent everywhere.

Embrace Viral-First Video with AI

Let's be blunt: video isn't optional anymore, especially short-form video. TikTok and Instagram Reels have rewired our brains to crave quick, engaging, visual content. The problem? Creating good video has always been a major time and money sink.

This is where AI-powered tools are completely changing the game.

New platforms can take the content you already have—like that blog post we just talked about—and automatically spin up viral-ready short videos. A tool like revid.ai, for example, can analyze a blog post URL, instantly identify the most interesting points, and then generate a full video.

We’re talking about a script, relevant stock footage, animated text, trendy music, and even auto-captions, all done in a matter of minutes instead of hours.

What this really means is efficiency. This AI-driven workflow makes it possible to pump out a high volume of quality videos that are literally designed for social media feeds. Suddenly, any brand, regardless of its size or budget, can build a magnetic video presence that grabs attention and puts their name on the map.

Master Organic Growth and Community Building

Throwing a huge budget at social media isn't the secret to growth. The real magic happens when you build a smart, organic strategy grounded in genuine connection. This is where you shift from just broadcasting your message to creating a thriving community around your brand.

It's about more than just posting. It’s about strategically showing up, listening, and actually participating in the conversations that matter to your audience. This approach is a long game, for sure, but the payoff is a foundation of trust and loyalty that paid ads simply can't buy. You'll turn passive followers into your brand's biggest fans.

Rethink Your Hashtag Strategy

Hashtags are how people find you, but slapping generic tags like #marketing or #business on your posts is like shouting into a hurricane. You’ll just get lost. A truly effective strategy involves layering different types of hashtags to hit broad, niche, and branded audiences all at once.

Think of it as a pyramid:

Broad Tags (1-2 per post): These are the heavy hitters with massive volume, like #socialmediamarketing. They give you a shot at wide visibility, but the competition is fierce.

Niche Tags (3-5 per post): This is where you get specific and find your people. Instead of #fitness, try something like #postpartumpilates or #veganmealpreptips. You'll attract a highly relevant audience actively looking for what you offer.

Branded Tags (1 per post): Create a tag that's all your own, like #RevidAIChallenge or #MyBrandJourney. Encourage your followers to use it, and you'll build a fantastic gallery of user-generated content.

This mix ensures you cast a wide net while also catching the exact audience you're after. It's a powerful way to consistently grow your brand awareness without spending a cent on ads.

True community isn't built by shouting the loudest. It's built by consistently showing up in the right conversations and adding real value, turning strangers into followers and followers into fans.

Unlock Growth Through Smart Collaborations

Partnering with others is one of the fastest shortcuts to getting in front of a new, highly-engaged audience. The trick is finding partners whose followers are a perfect match for your ideal customer.

Here are a few collaboration models that just work:

Micro-Influencer Partnerships: Forget the huge celebrities. Micro-influencers (usually with 10k-100k followers) have incredibly dedicated communities that hang on their every word. A nod from a respected voice in your space is a powerful endorsement.

Complementary Brand Alliances: Find a non-competing brand that serves the same audience and team up. A local gym could partner with a healthy meal delivery service for a joint giveaway, exposing both brands to hundreds of qualified leads overnight.

Expert Interviews & Takeovers: Host an Instagram Live or create a collaborative Reel with an industry expert. You'll provide massive value to your audience and get to tap into the expert's credibility and following.

These partnerships feel authentic because they’re built on mutual benefit. If you're looking to apply these principles to video, especially on YouTube, a great next step is learning how to grow a YouTube channel fast.

Become a Valued Member of the Community

Your brand can't just be a content-pumping machine. You have to be an active, breathing member of your community. That means engaging with others, not just waiting for comments to appear on your own posts.

Join Trending Conversations (The Right Way): When a relevant trend pops off, don't just copy it. Find a way to add your unique perspective and contribute in a way that feels authentic to your brand.

Amplify User-Generated Content (UGC): When a customer posts about you, make a big deal of it! Reshare their post to your Stories, feature it on your feed (with permission, of course), and thank them publicly. This is powerful social proof that encourages others to do the same.

Engage "Outbound": Seriously, set a timer for 15-20 minutes each day. Use that time to leave thoughtful, genuine comments on posts from potential customers, influencers, and other brands in your space. This simple habit gets your name in all the right places.

This commitment is what builds real brand loyalty. After all, a staggering 81% of consumers say they need to trust a brand before buying from it. The good news is that people are already willing to advocate for brands they love—64% of users have used branded hashtags before. By fostering a welcoming space, you empower your audience to become your best marketers.

Organic growth is the foundation of your social media strategy. It's how you build a genuine community and earn trust. But when you're ready to really scale your reach and get your message in front of thousands of new, relevant people, you need an accelerator.

Paid social advertising is that accelerator.

Think of it like this: your best organic content is a finely tuned engine. Paid ads are the turbocharger you bolt onto it. They take what’s already working—the posts that get all the love—and blast them out to a much bigger, targeted audience.

You don't need to become a world-class ads expert overnight. The goal here is to pull back the curtain and show you how even a small, strategic budget can make a massive difference in your brand awareness game.

Your First Brand Awareness Campaign

Diving into paid ads can feel like a lot, but the platforms have made it surprisingly simple, especially when your only goal is awareness. Most ad managers, like the one for Facebook and Instagram, let you set a clear objective. You tell it what you want, and it does the heavy lifting.

For brand awareness, your goal is simple: show your ad to the maximum number of new people who fit your ideal customer profile.

Here’s a straightforward way to set up your very first campaign:

Pick Your Objective: Inside your ads manager, look for an objective called "Reach" or "Brand Awareness." Choosing this tells the algorithm to prioritize showing your content to as many unique individuals as possible, not to chase clicks or sales.

Define Your Audience: This is where all that persona work you did earlier pays off. You can build an audience based on specific demographics, interests, and online behaviors that scream "your ideal customer."

Choose Your Best Content: Here's the key: don't create an ad from scratch. Find a post that’s already doing well organically and boost it. That content is already proven to connect with people, making it a much safer bet for your first ad dollars.

This simple approach ensures your budget goes where it matters most right now—getting your brand in front of people who don't know you exist yet.

Measuring What Actually Matters for Awareness

When you're running a brand awareness campaign, the scoreboard looks different. We're not tracking clicks or conversions like you would for a sales campaign. Instead, you need to focus on KPIs that tell you if you're getting seen and remembered.

These are the metrics you need to keep your eye on:

Impressions: This is simply the total number of times your ad was shown on a screen. A high impression count means you're successfully getting eyeballs on your content.

Reach: This is the number of unique people who saw your ad. It’s arguably the most important metric here because it directly measures how many new individuals you've introduced your brand to.

Frequency: This shows the average number of times each person saw your ad. You're looking for a sweet spot, usually between 2-4. It’s enough to be memorable without being annoying.

Ad Recall Lift: More advanced platforms like Facebook offer this. They'll actually survey users who saw your ad to ask if they remember it. This is gold for understanding how memorable your creative really is.

By focusing on these specific analytics, you get a clear picture of how your paid efforts are boosting your brand's visibility. You can see exactly how many new people your content is reaching and how well you’re lodging your brand in their memory. It turns paid social from a gamble into a calculated strategy for growth.

Your 90-Day Brand Awareness Action Plan

https://www.youtube.com/embed/n5upxXteYuY

All the strategy in the world doesn't mean a thing if you don't put it into action. This roadmap breaks everything we've talked about into a practical, 90-day plan designed to deliver real results. We'll walk through three phases: laying the groundwork, executing your plan, and then refining it for growth.

Month 1: Laying the Foundation (Days 1-30)

Your first 30 days are all about building a solid base. Think of it as setting the stage. Before you can really start making noise and growing your brand on social media, you have to be crystal clear on who you're talking to and make sure your profiles are ready for guests. So many people skip this part, and it almost always leads to wasted time and money down the line.

The entire focus this month is on clarity and preparation.

Your First-Month Checklist:

Finalize Personas: Nail down 1-2 detailed audience personas. Who are they, really? What are their biggest headaches, and where do they hang out online?

Profile Audit & Polish: Get all your social profiles in sync. That means updating bios, swapping out old profile pictures, and designing consistent banners across every platform you're on.

Initial Content Plan: Map out your core content pillars and get a brainstorming session on the books for your first month of posts.

Month 2: Implementation and Engagement (Days 31-60)

With your foundation firmly in place, month two is go-time. This is when your content strategy comes to life and you start the real work of building a community. Consistency is everything here. Don't let your content calendar gather dust.

Get your posts scheduled and, just as importantly, set aside time every single day to actually engage. Building a community isn't a one-way street—it’s about being part of the conversation.

Month 3: Optimization and Amplification (Days 61-90)

The final month of our 90-day sprint is all about using data to get smarter and putting a little fuel on the fire. It’s time to look back at the last 30-60 days and see what actually resonated with people. Dive into your analytics and pinpoint your star performers.

Once you know what's working, you're ready to dip your toes into paid ads. You don't need a huge budget. Just launch a small, highly targeted brand awareness campaign to push your best-performing content out to a new, but still very relevant, audience.

This process generally follows a simple, repeatable loop: set up, launch, and analyze.

Remember, analyzing your results is just as critical as the launch itself. It’s what feeds back into your strategy, creating a cycle that helps you get better and better over time.

Your Questions, Answered

When you're diving into building a brand on social media, a few practical questions always pop up. Let's get straight to the answers for the most common ones.

How Much Time Does This Really Take?

Let's be realistic: building brand awareness doesn't happen overnight. When you're just starting out, you should probably set aside about 5-7 hours a week. This is your time for planning content, actually talking to people in your community, and looking at what’s working.

The good news? Once you find your groove and start using smart tools to repurpose content, that time commitment can drop. The key isn't to spend endless hours, but to be consistent. Honestly, 30 minutes of focused, daily engagement often beats sporadic, multi-hour sessions every time.

Can I Actually Build Awareness with Zero Budget?

Yes, you absolutely can. Working with a zero-dollar budget just means your strategy shifts entirely to organic growth. It’s all about creating content so good that people can't help but share it.

You'll need to get savvy with hashtags, team up with other brands for some cross-promotion, and get your audience to create content for you (hello, user-generated content!). It might take a bit longer to see big results compared to running ads, but building organically creates a fiercely loyal community from the very beginning.

When Will I Actually See Results?

You'll start seeing the first signs of life pretty quickly, usually within the first 30-60 days. These won't necessarily be sales, but you'll notice your follower count ticking up, your posts reaching more people, and your engagement rates climbing.

True brand recall—that magic moment when people recognize your brand without any prompting—takes a longer-term commitment. You're typically looking at 6-12 months of consistent, dedicated effort to get there.

Ready to create scroll-stopping videos that build your brand in minutes, not hours? revid.ai uses AI to turn your existing content into viral-ready videos effortlessly. Start growing your audience today.