How Brand Recall Can Grow Your Customer Base

When current and prospective customers remember your brand, they are more likely to convert when they need you. That’s especially true in service-based businesses.

Brand recall is invaluable for small and medium-sized companies offering emergency services like HVAC repair or plumbing and home services businesses offering longer-term services like air duct cleaning and roof installation.

Read on to learn the two main types of brand recall and how to improve brand recall to grow your home service business.

What Is Brand Recall?

As you might guess, it’s the likelihood of potential customers remembering your brand’s name, logo, and services. It’s not as abstract as you may think; brand recall is quantifiable and, therefore, a performance metric you can improve over time. Companies often invest a considerable marketing budget to measure brand recall using surveys within target markets.

The Two Types: Unaided Brand Recall vs. Aided Recall

Understanding aided and unaided recall – the two types of brand recall – helps you understand your customers’ decision-making process and how to influence that process.

Unaided Brand Recall

Unaided recall is the measure of the ability of a consumer to name your brand without additional prompting. For example, if someone asks for recommendations for HVAC business management software, and you say, “Successware,” that’s unaided recall.

Unaided brand recall is what all companies strive to achieve for their customer base.

Because the customer who recalls your business already knows you can solve their problem, it greatly increases the likelihood that they will use your services.

Importantly, it also means the primary customer will recommend the brand, amplifying your team’s sales and marketing efforts. This word-of-mouth marketing is exceptionally effective: between 20% and 50% of all purchasing decisions are based on word-of-mouth recommendations!

Aided Brand Recall

Aided recall occurs when a consumer requires a hint to recall a brand in a discussion. For example, consumers might be asked if they’re familiar with certain business management solutions and be presented with a list of a few names, such as Successware.

Aided recall is important because consumers nearing conversion are often presented with several options in their online search (or word-of-mouth recommendation from a trusted friend) and jumping out in the customer’s mind at that critical point is vital.

Consider a homeowner with a broken air conditioner on a stifling hot day. They perform a Google search and see the top five results. They’re more likely to contact the brand they recognize out of a list, especially when the issue is urgent.

Read more: Elevating Customer Service

Why Is Brand Recall Important for My Business?

Brand recall is one of the main driving forces behind consistent revenue. From boosting sales to being competitive with other companies in your marketplace, when your company is the first thought of a consumer in need, it immediately increases sales; that’s obvious. It also tends to increase average job values, as customers trust your brand’s authority and expertise.

How to Measure Brand Recall

Brand recall is a metric, not a guesstimate. Measuring it relies on surveys, quizzes, and more passive measurements like the number of branded search queries (when search engine users search for the name of your business).

Established businesses hire branding agencies to measure and report on brand recall, but small businesses can design their own measurement systems. The key is to create and deliver the survey in a way that won’t influence the results. Here’s how to build a survey that effectively measures brand recall.

• Keep it neutral. Send surveys from non-branded emails or websites. Distributing these assets from a branded platform will skew results toward increased recall.
• Keep it relevant. Only compare like-sized and relevant competitors. If you’re an independent, local business, avoid including international brands even if they have a local presence.
• Keep it timely. Consider distributing surveys several weeks before and after a substantial marketing campaign, sponsored event, or other efforts that may influence brand recall. This will help measure the impact of those efforts.

Improve Brand Recall Where and When It Matters Most

You know branding matters. The key is to build a strong, trustworthy brand in both your business practices and how you present your business to current and prospective customers. Here are a few simple tips to improve brand recall:

• Create a mission, vision statement, and goals for your company: A clear mission, vision, and goals will allow you to develop key messaging, slogans, and campaigns that your consumers will remember and associate with your company. Once finalized, ensure all your employees are aware and on board.
• Consistency is key: Consistency in messaging, colors, and logos is a way for consumers to become familiar with your brand and associate it with you, leading to a higher recall rate.
• Differentiate yourself: Consumers are constantly inundated with different brands throughout their day. Finding a way to differentiate your company in a competitive landscape is a great way to stand out from competitors and improve brand recall.
• Context improves brand recall: Position your brand in situations that link it to a particular service. For home service companies, “how-to” blogs, videos, and instructional resources are incredibly effective ways to build brand authority on topics directly or tangentially related to your work. Answering customer questions through content marketing establishes your brand within the right context and builds trust and recognition over time.

Build Your Brand Recall with Successware

Delivering fast, efficient service is the best way to build brand recall. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to create a lasting connection, and Successware is designed to position brands, salespersons, and technicians to succeed.

Anticipate repair needs, streamline schedules, and exceed expectations with field service management software built to deliver. Remain top of mind for past customers with marketing automations and recommended service reminders. Successware can help your company do all this and more.

Request a demo or call 888-272-8009 today to get started with Successware.