Some businesses think that because they already have a marketing campaign, they don’t need to worry about business branding. This indicates that they don’t likely understand the relationship between the two and they’re not connecting with consumers. Here’s Why your Branding Matters to Your Marketing Campaign.
Why your Branding Matters
Understanding the difference between business branding and marketing
Business Branding and marketing are usually spoke of in the same context, so it’s important to know what distinguishes one from the other. This B2B Marketing article illustrates that distinction:
“It can be all too easy to trash your credibility by confusing branding and marketing. This is a big mistake because no matter what your experience, if you blur branding and marketing it makes you look amateurish and calls your business strategy into question…. Branding is about trying to sell a big picture view of who you are and why you exist. Marketing is about trying to sell your products. Both need to co-exist to make sure you are human, engaging, relevant and useful.”
Another way to think of it is that branding is like storytelling, while marketing is using that story to drive sales.
If there’s one thing you need to take away from this analogy, it’s that branding comes first. There’s no way to use a story to sell your products if it doesn’t exist to begin with. Unfortunately, that’s where many businesses are currently at in relation to their marketing campaigns.
What marketing without branding looks like
Business Branding isn’t something that just happens on its own. If you haven’t invested in establishing your brand, then there’s no reason to believe you have one or know how consumers perceive your business.
Marketing without branding might look alright on the surface, but it’s hollow inside. A casual consumer won’t immediately realize what’s wrong, but he won’t connect with the company like he would with a well-known brand.
You might have seen some TV commercials, emails, and advertisements that emulate this. They’re only focused on products and prices and don’t mention the company’s brand at all. The problem with this is that it trivializes how consumers today pick the companies they want to do business with. Nowadays, it’s rarely about the best technical product or lowest price and often about the brand experience associated with it. If that idea isn’t present in your marketing efforts, then consumers will never connect with your brand.
How your business branding provides a foundation for marketing
The way to avoid this mess is to focus on branding since Day One. Don’t try posting on social media or starting a blog until you’ve already decided on your brand experience.
There are different ways to establish your brand, but the simplest and most effective is to tell your story. Explain to consumers why you started your business and how it’s grown to what it is today. Tell them what you want to accomplish and what you’ve already achieved. This doesn’t have to be a phony altruistic story that marginalizes consumers. Be honest and shows signs of transparency.
Once you’ve done this, planning your marketing campaign will come naturally. In regard to content creation, for example, you can write blogs and articles related to your specific interest of your industry. You can also curate content on social media that relates to it and start discussions with followers. Similarly, telling your story is a great way to kick off your email newsletter and give subscribers an indication of what’s to come.
Establishing your brand takes time, but it gives your marketing campaign potential. Without a brand, you’ll just be spinning your wheels trying to win consumers over with your products and prices. To talk more about branding or your marketing campaign, contact us today.
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