If you’re skeptical about using brand awareness to prove content ROI, you’re not alone: 47 percent of marketers wished they could measure how much brand awareness their content is driving. Yet, it’s a top priority for most marketers in 2015.

In our tenth day of the 12 Days of Content series, Associate Director of content Marketing Deb Matteson talks about how you can use content marketing services to build brand awareness and then measure it. Check out the video interview, and read the blog for additional insights:

Identify metrics that prove brand awareness growth

You know content is the fuel for building your brand, but there’s still a burning question on marketers’ minds – how do you measure it? How can you quantify something abstract like brand awareness and track how it grows as a result of the content you’re creating? You need to be able to prove that people notice you’re publishing content online and learning about your company that way.

There are some ways you can measure brand awareness in Google Analytics:

  • Impressions
  • Traffic
  • Click-throughs

These metrics signal that more people see your content when they’re searching for answers online. An impression means your content shows up in a search result or a social news feed. The more often you’re visible to web users, the more familiar people will be with your brand. And the traffic and clickthroughs you get from those impressions provide additional visibility translates to interest in your company.

  • Social shares

When viewers see your content and do more than Like or Favorite it, but actually distribute it to their audiences online, you’re getting in front of new people and reaching consumers who didn’t know about your business before.

Create formats that build your brand

Increasing brand awareness is about creating written, visual and video that all convey a consistent style,  look and feel that represents your business.

“Over time, Google will care more about identity and social reputation.” – Matt Cutts

Search experts have said that any business can become a brand regardless of size as long as they have information and authority in their fields.

“Brands aren’t just the Cokes of the world.  A site that’s iPhoneCovers.com … can become a brand if it gives users info on the newest covers or insights on the benefits of one cover versus another,” said Danny Sullivan at an SMX West panel.

People will start to recognize your company when they come across resources online that clearly “feel like” your brand, such as:

  • Written blog posts that sound like your brand
  • Graphics that look like your company
  • Videos that show the people behind your company

Distribute your branded assets across the web

A social distribution strategy is crucial for any brand looking to increase consumer awareness and become more recognizable. You need to be everywhere that your prospects are looking for you online to reinforce the image you’ve honed.

Ann Smarty shared more details about how to ‘Be everywhere’ and why it’s valuable when you’re trying to increase your presence online. Check out her insights here

Execute social strategies where your audience is active and distribute assets consistently. By sharing your branded resources regularly, people will become more familiar with your brand and re-distribute the valuable information you offer. Ultimately, your company will become more well known for your personality, position and values.

Building a brand has never been simple, but it’s becoming more important now that people use so many mediums to look for information and interact with businesses. Your website, blog, Facebook page and print ad all need to be synced up with the same look and message that people receive when they buy from you in person to create a seamless experience drives trust and loyalty. Web content is a powerful tool that can communicate your values and style to web users to make your brand a recognizable name in your field.

To learn more about content for brand awareness,

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.