Before a customer makes a purchase or becomes a loyal customer, they start at the awareness stage. It’s the moment your brand first appears on a customer’s radar. But how do you make that first impression count?

The awareness stage is about more than visibility. It’s your opportunity to begin building a connection that can eventually turn into long-term engagement. That starts with understanding where your audience is, what matters to them, and how to spark curiosity that invites them in.

Why the awareness stage matters

 

At this point in the customer lifecycle, your audience may know nothing about your brand. No expectations. No assumptions. That’s a powerful opening. Whether it’s through organic search, paid ads, influencer content, taking an online quiz, or a blog mention, your message needs to land quickly—and meaningfully. 

But awareness isn’t just for brand-new prospects. It’s also about re-engaging existing customers with different parts of your brand that they might not know about. Maybe they bought skincare from you, but haven’t explored your haircare line. Or they booked a hotel stay, but never signed up for your spa package. Strategic awareness campaigns can help expand customer relationships in new directions.

3 Ways to strengthen your awareness campaigns

 

1. Know who you’re talking to: Start with your data. Segment your audience by demographics, interests, past purchases, and channel preferences. The better you understand your ideal customer, the better you can tailor your message. Lean into what you know about your customers when designing your content and creative.

2. Double down on what’s already working: Look at your highest-performing channels and reverse-engineer what’s driving results. Did most customers discover you through Instagram ads? Was SEO your top traffic driver? If you don’t have those answers yet, start asking—whether through quick surveys at checkout or subtle polls in your newsletter.

3. Attract similar audiences: Once you’ve identified your core customer profile, expand your reach by targeting lookalike audiences. That might mean using social platforms to reach users with similar behaviors and interests or adapting your content to speak directly to their challenges and aspirations.

What success looks like in the awareness stage

 

Success at this stage isn’t always immediate conversion—and that’s okay. Metrics like engagement rate, click-throughs, time on site, and content shares can all be signs that your brand is resonating. More importantly, the awareness stage should focus on creating brand affinity and curiosity. It’s about leaving a lasting impression that encourages your audience to come back for more. 

The key is to strike a balance between brand storytelling and strategic targeting. You want to show what makes you unique—while also making it easy for the right people to find and remember you.

Make an impression and get customers interested

 

In the awareness stage, speed, clarity, and relevance are your best tools—you have a limited window to show who you are and why you matter. But with the right data, the right message, and the right timing, you can turn a glance into curiosity, and curiosity into connection.

To learn more about how you can seize opportunities at every stage of the customer lifecycle, download our book, Relationships aren’t built on one send: How to drive engagement throughout the customer lifecycle.