Building your brand’s reputation as a leader in the marketplace takes strategic outreach. Once you succeed in making a consumer aware that you exist, your branding needs to stand out in their mind so your company is the first one they think of when they’re considering making a purchase in your space or industry or looking for the specific type of product or service you offer.
There are many media channels you can utilize to maximize the reach of your PR, advertising and marketing efforts and build your brand. Here, 15 members of Forbes Communications Council share the best media channels they’ve found for creating exposure among target audiences and building a brand story. Read on to see which media channels they believe work best for brand-building and learn the reasons why they feel these particular touch points are so effective.
Forbes Communications Council members share nontraditional media channels businesses can use to build a brand.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Influencers On Video Platforms
Using influencers on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and others is great, and the Reels and videos can be repurposed on other platforms and websites. With today’s “three-second attention span” world, it allows you to illustrate your brand proposition for the service/product through the eyes of a user/consumer in short intervals for better consumption of the message. - Caroline Lyle, Driven-Brands.com
2. Micro Influencers
Micro influencers are often overlooked by businesses. Everyone wants to work with someone with millions of followers. However, the larger their audience, often the weaker their real influence on everyday consumer decisions. Campaigns that work with dozens (or even thousands) of micro influencers have the power to form faster, deeper connections with potential new customers. - Kurt Uhlir, Showcase IDX
3. Press Release Campaigns
Press release distribution is a great centerpiece for a media-focused campaign. Not only does it help you to focus your message and simplify the audience, but it can also be utilized to generate media coverage and repurposed to impact SEO, email marketing, lead generation and outbound sales. A well-thought-out press release campaign is an effective integrated asset for any marketer. - Charlie Terenzio, Newswire
4. Bylined Article Placements
Media outlets are increasingly on the hunt for original content, and there is a huge opportunity to place byline articles right now. When done well, brand spokespeople get to provide meaningful content to readers of that particular outlet, and the brand gets those coveted impressions in a natural way. - Lisa Walker, Fuze
5. Company Blogs
Company blogs are such powerful tools that are underutilized by many. All of the content marketing in the world is fantastic, but the goal is to get your audience coming back to your home base. Make it so great it is a must-see. Add an RSS feed to let them know what you are thinking! - Mollie Barnett, S.M.A.R.T. Company
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6. #Bookstagram
Instagram is a surprisingly great platform for authors and writers. Using #bookstagram or #bookgram can be effective, as you can share beautiful book covers and images of your book as well as excerpts. You can tag media and publications as well as using literary handles. Short, one-minute promotional videos of your book or sound bites from interviews make Instagram really effective. You also get to engage directly with your readers. - Preity Upala, The Omnia Institute
7. Empowered Employees
Employees aren’t a concrete “media channel,” but in many ways, they are today’s best brand ambassadors. Today more than ever, employees serve as important brand influencers both internally and externally. Treat them right and empower them to bring their whole selves to work, and your brand will shine. - Steve Cox, Cisco
8. Trade Shows
Trade shows bring together media, influencers, vendors, customers and others, and although they’re not traditional “media channels,” they provide an exceptional opportunity for building a brand along with powerful human connections. My team was hoping to see trade shows make a strong return this year because they have been valuable to us on many levels, but so far, their full comeback has been stalled by the Omicron variant. - Jim Hardeman, CMX
9. Social Media Advocacy Programs
Social media advocacy programs allow your employees and supporters of your company to help spread the word on social media. With the rise in paid social advertising, companies are finding it more challenging and expensive to get exposure on social channels. Social media advocacy programs make it easy to post prewritten or custom content and also allow your people to personalize your brand. - Jennifer Best, AAE Speakers Bureau
10. Print Magazines
People do still read print magazines as long as they have a household name behind them. Take the time to find one that would speak to the customers you are hoping to reach. - Christian Anderson, Lost Boy Entertainment Company
11. TikTok
With the rise of TikTok, we’re seeing a ton of brands turning to this newer media channel to get their message across in a fun and engaging way. Although TikTok may not be the right or appropriate choice for all brands out there, for some, it can lead to success in any campaign or product launch. - Lynn Kier, Diebold Nixdorf
12. Nonpromotional Podcasts
People most often hear from you about your company, so I recommend shaking things up with nonpromotional content that still elevates brand awareness. Podcasting is an excellent platform for this; it allows you to engage with experts, drive industry conversations and create an archive of content to reference in sales conversations, networking, hiring, internal initiatives and more. - James Freeze, Interactions LLC
13. Direct Mail
While direct mail used to be a traditional channel, today it is often a missed opportunity. It brings conversion rates higher than many marketers today are used to and is being used in omnichannel strategies in nontraditional ways that yield five to 30-plus times return on ad spend. Further, the opportunities for postage savings are greater than they’ve ever been. - Melanie De Caprio, SG360°
14. The Metaverse
We are still in the early stages of companies using metaverse or alternate-reality platforms to enhance their brands, but today’s opportunity is one of a kind. While I wouldn’t advise anyone to drop everything and go all in, taking the time now to research and understand how consumers are engaging in the metaverse will put a company ahead brand-wise well into the future. - Mike Neumeier, Arketi Group
15. YouTube
YouTube is a great medium to build your brand because there are many different ways to use it. You can create a channel to upload videos of you doing trades, tutorials or demonstrations, or any other type of video you want to upload. You can also create a channel to upload product reviews, interviews with experts or anything else you want to post. - Gala Grigoreva, Adsterra
