top of page
Writer's pictureAnkit Awasthi

Where Marketing Ends, Branding Begins

Updated: Feb 1, 2021

So you have a business and are ready to push your branding efforts online. The first question you encounter is "How do I go about branding?"


What I have seen in my years of experience in online marketing is that you probably think that branding includes the following:


● Logos, color schemes, and website design - What should my logo look like? Which colors best represent my business? How do I go about my web design?

● Product mention, links, and public interest - I should be visible online as much as possible, as this promotes product memory

● SERP visibility, advertising campaigns, and other promotional efforts


If you answered any of the above, then you are looking at branding incorrectly. The things I have said are all marketing tools and strategies, and only scratch the brand mark.


What is the difference between marketing and branding?

Marketing is a set of processes and tools that promote your business. These include SEO, social media, PPC, local search, mobile advertising and cultural methods. Commenting, on the other hand, is a culture in itself, a complete message and controls the entire process of your business.





Common misconceptions about Branding


Mixing marketing and branding is one of the most common misconceptions about branding that you will encounter. Many businesses and vendors manage branding activities and make the following misconceptions:


Myth # 1: Marking marketing / advertising / promotion / anything about it.


As mentioned earlier, this is a misconception because branding is deeper than marketing. Marketing, advertising, and other promotional activities only relate to your product and message personality. Your product contains your personality, your voice, and your message; Marking is the process of establishing these qualities.


Myth # 2: You have the final authority when it comes to your brand.


This is a common misconception, especially for first-time entrepreneurs. The fact is that while you set the tone and roll the ball to speak, you set the guidelines your organization will follow and live by as it works with your product, this does not automatically make you the final product authority.


Your customers are the ones who ultimately define your product. Their vision for your product is what sticks to the people they influence. This is why it is so important to choose your product prices carefully; If not, your product may be misused - or worse, you may fail when you do not see repeat customers.


Myth # 3: There is a formula for success when it comes to branding.


That everything in online marketing can be measured does not mean that everything has a formula. No two companies are alike. While the same product-building process may apply to businesses in the same field, for example, these businesses will still have different ownership and requirements.


The fact is that there is no formula - branding and it will always be a custom experience. The good news is that you can measure the success of your product easily. What you need to look for in this case is the behavior and interests of the target audience.


Proper marking


In order to build and establish a solid product, you will need to ask the most important questions after its development. Before you can start planning your online marketing strategies, you need to do the following first:


Establish Your Purpose

The first thing you need to know is why you are doing what you are doing. You will not find the answers right away - you will need to ask yourself why many times before you reach the goal, the core of your business. Start with questions like these:

  • Why am I building this business?

  • Why do I want to help this particular group of people?

  • Why is it important for me to have these things done?

As you continue, be aware of the answers you give each one “why” - these answers will shape your purpose. Walt Disney answers that question well, and is a good example of a company that knows why they exist: they want to bring happiness to children everywhere. This is full of everything they do.


Choose Your Personality and Voice

After asking why you are doing this, ask yourself: What is my product? This will help you to start shaping your product, into bones where you will attach it to all other ideas, prices, and messages. In this product development phase, ask yourself the following:


  • What kind of tone do I want to use for my product?

  • How do I want to be seen - do I want to be approachable and inclusive, cooperative and orderly, etc?

  • Will I be able to remain loyal to this anonymity throughout this type of product?

The last question is especially important because your audience will be looking for a strong, consistent identity. Your ability to remain loyal to your product is one of the most important factors that will earn you customer loyalty.


Define Your Values

Once you're done wondering what you are, it's time to ask yourself "who am I?" The values ​​you get in the previous step will determine who you are as a product. Write down these things and explain these values ​​in terms of your business model.


Zappos does a great job of explaining and explaining their values. They have some very basic values ​​that they live by, and if you look at their blogs and their website, you will see these values ​​permeate every process they have. You will also notice people who follow these principles by heart, from blog posts, their performance, and their customer engagement. Defining a beautiful, solid set of values ​​will help you to be consistent and serve as the guiding principles of your company's mission.


Describe Your Customs

Your sincerity as an organization is very much dependent on the culture you cultivate in your business. Happy employees are productive, loving and cohesive, which makes your business stronger and your processes more manageable. That’s why it’s important to establish what kind of culture you want to instill when you are established.


Google's culture is best known for promoting innovation and innovation by giving its employees time and resources to explore new things. Their 80/20 policy paved the way for innovation like Google Glass and Android. Although it is no longer used as a policy again, their engineers are still encouraged to take side projects that allow them to innovate. You can see how culture stays despite the fact that the goal has been removed - that is the power of culture.


Talk About Your Product To Your Audience

Finally, you get to the point where marketing is coming in - now you have to decide how you want to raise awareness about your product. Previous steps, combined with market research and analysis, will play a major role in determining how you interact with your product to reach your target audience.


The following will be the most important points to consider when planning communication strategies:


  • A statement of your company's equipment, which you can easily access for your purpose;

  • The benefits your customers will receive from your business, which are also addressed at the beginning of this process (answers to why)

  • Your selected platforms and individual media

  • Your calls to action - what are your goals, and how do you plan to entice your audience?

Conclusion


Branding is not the same as marketing - branding is the foundation of your marketing strategy. To create an effective product, you need certainty and clarity about each of the steps discussed earlier, which allows your target market to see your personality and values ​​more effectively.


The last thing you need to remember - and the most important point - is that branding is not a one-time thing you do at the beginning of starting your business. It’s an ongoing effort full of your processes, your culture, and your development as a business, and it requires your dedication and honesty to reflect on your work. At the end of the day, the real measure of your branding success is gaining the trust of loyal customers and being your brand ambassadors.


Need help making a unique brand for your product? Contact us at business@entrepreneurly.in or click here.



Comments


bottom of page