The Marketing Journey: Measuring Awareness

In marketing, we measure. On our social media accounts, the numbers are always present, our profiles showcase our follower growth, likes per post, and so many more. But here's the thing - we often have these numbers available, but what do they mean? Yes, we know the number of comments is, well, the number of comments, but what can we learn from that number?

Every data point on your social media means something different. Harnessing those numbers to inform your strategies and campaigns is key. We want to go on the journey of discovering what it means for you together.

Welcome to "The Marketing Journey: Measuring Awareness." This is the first part of a 5-part series that dives into the intricacies of each pivotal stage in the customer journey.

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Understanding how to measure awareness is vital for any marketer. It's the first step in guiding potential customers through their journey—from simply being aware of your company to being a loyal brand advocate. But here's the catch: consumers don't transition from stage to stage without a nudge.

In this post, we'll dive into the importance of awareness, which of your efforts are categorized as 'awareness' in the marketing funnel, and of course, how to measure awareness.

Stay tuned—this journey is just beginning. In this post, you will learn about the critical role of awareness in the marketing journey, how to measure it effectively, and ways to foster a data-driven culture within your marketing team.

Understanding the Marketing Journey

Different touchpoints are required at various stages in the customer journey. These stages include awareness, consideration, conversion, retention, and advocacy.

Each stage demands distinct tactics and strategies. Consumers don't naturally move from one stage to another without prompts or interventions. A well-crafted strategy will guide them through this journey; not only will it help you develop more brand champions, but it will also help you identify gaps in your strategy when you see which users are not progressing through the funnel.

When it comes to tactics versus strategy in the customer journey, it's important to understand the distinction. Strategy is your overall plan for guiding customers through the journey, while tactics are the specific actions you take to implement that strategy.

For example, your strategy might be to increase brand awareness among young professionals. Your tactics to achieve this could include targeted social media ads, collaborations with influencers popular among this demographic, or sponsoring events that attract young professionals.

Remember, tactics should always serve your broader strategy. As you move through different stages of the customer journey, your tactics will likely change, but they should all align with your overarching strategic goals.

Understanding the Importance of Awareness Metrics

Defining Awareness Metrics

Awareness metrics are indicators of how many people know about your brand. They sit at the top of the marketing funnel and don't include any action on the customer's behalf.

Congrats, they've heard of you. That's about it... for now. Awareness metrics help you understand the initial impact of your marketing efforts.

Relationship Between Awareness and Business Growth

Awareness is the first step towards business growth. Without proper awareness, customers won't consider engaging further with your brand. This is the first point of failure when acquiring new customers; it is imperative that your potential new customer's first interaction with the brand, even if it's something as casual as viewing an ad, is a positive reflection of your company.

High awareness levels create a larger pool of potential customers. This, in turn, leads to increased sales and revenue.

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How to Measure Awareness

Main Metrics

There are several key metrics for measuring awareness, trackable right on your social accounts:

Reach: The number of unique people who see your content.
Impressions: The total number of times your content is displayed.
Appearances: The number of times your brand appears in search results or on social media.
Views: The number of times your videos or other content are watched.
Likes: The number of people who engage with your content by liking it.

Note: Depending on the platform, you may choose to view 'likes' as more of a consideration metric, as the viewer is actively choosing to like your post. However, on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where many users have admitted to 'liking' most posts that show up on their feeds and For You/Explore pages, likes are not the strongest indicator of potential customers showing consideration.

What Can You Learn?

These metrics offer valuable insights:

Search Revelations: Understand which searches are revealing your content.
Page Appearances: Discover whose pages you are showing up on the most.
Post Performance: Identify which types of posts are getting the most views and engagement.
Demographics: Reveal which content types are resonating with which audience,

So... What Does Awareness Look Like For Me, The Marketer?

To start harvesting insights and data points about your brand's awareness, you have to do exactly that: make people aware. Running advertisements, sharing social media posts, setting up in-store activations, and more are simple, low-engagement-required ways to start getting your brand out there.

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Cultivating Data Curiosity and Trust within Teams

Data curiosity is essential for marketers. Encourage your team to ask questions about the data. Use real-life examples to make data more relatable. Most importantly, don't treat what you learn from data as black-and-white. While the numbers themselves might be, the value of data comes from the context and the conversation it inspires.

Building trusting top-down relationships in your organization is essential. Marketers and executive decision-makers alike can collaborate on campaigns with the power of data-driven conversations. Trusting in data and trusting in one another encourages transparency, openness, and accountability, which benefits everyone.

Next Steps

There are so many moving pieces in the world of marketing, but don't worry. If no one has told you lately, you're crushing it, and we're here to help with whatever you take on next.

In our next blog post, we'll talk about how you move your audience from being aware of your brand to considering becoming an active customer.

The Marketing Journey: Measuring Awareness

Understanding the Marketing Journey

Understanding the Importance of Awareness Metrics

Defining Awareness Metrics

Relationship Between Awareness and Business Growth

How to Measure Awareness

Main Metrics

What Can You Learn?

So... What Does Awareness Look Like For Me, The Marketer?

Cultivating Data Curiosity and Trust within Teams

Next Steps

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The Marketing Journey: Measuring Awareness

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