Branding vs Marketing. What’s the difference?
Before we jump in, we need to talk about what branding is. And if you haven’t read our blog post on Branding, check it out here!
When people ask me, “What’s the difference between branding and marketing?” I try to explain it by comparing them to dating and getting married…
Dating is a lot like marketing. It’s someone taking you out for a steak dinner because they want to impress you. It’s that invitation to a free event or to a concert of your favorite band because they know you can’t resist. It’s that free course to learn about XYZ so they can introduce you to a bigger product or offer.
Marketing is that clever way of getting someone’s attention so they can slow down enough to learn more about you and check out what you have to offer. It’s all the ways people can find more about a service you provide, check out that new item in your shop, how to drive traffic to your business, or how to get someone to sign up for your email list…
Think about that last freebie you signed up for…
Or the last pair of shoes you bought…
How did that company get the attention that led you to buy their product? Was it through an ad? Was it through a freebie? Was it through a course you enrolled in that promoted another product?
Branding, on the other hand, is what ultimately gets someone to buy, enroll, or invest in what you have to offer. A brand is not just a promotion or gimmick…it’s all the tangible and intangible ways that make you irresistible to someone. And your brand, if done really well, differentiates and positions you to stand out from the competition.
So once someone learns about you (through marketing), your brand, and the way you brand yourself, are all the reasons WHY someone would say yes!
Your brand encompasses your set of values, what you have to offer — whether you sell a product or a service…it’s your reputation, the impression you make on people, how you make your customers feel, your visuals, your process, how you deliver your products, what organizations you support…it’s who you are, what you offer, and everything you represent all rolled into one. It’s all the ways that make someone say, “Dang, I love this brand! I want to be a part of it!”
Branding your business is not just about creating the right logo. It’s working on the strategy, the experience, the offers you provide..all the elements that make up your brand. Marketing is the way you get someone to pay attention to you. You could market your brand through Facebook ads, how you market yourself on social media, or any promotions you’ve planned out.
If you’re having trouble distinguishing your brand from your competitors or making it clear to people what you do and what your business is about or even WHY someone would choose to work with you, please connect with us! We’ll talk through what you might be struggling with or see if there’s anything misaligned in your business…
Branding isn’t just about making a logo or picking out your colors. It’s more than just creating a website, but how that website is set up to represent your brand so that people become customers. Branding involves a lot of strategies that affect how you run your business, how you market your products and services, and how you can position yourself to stand hands and feet above your competitors.
People want to invest in brands they trust, and establishing a great brand strategy helps you do that. Because even if you spent all the money in the world on marketing, if you don’t have a great brand, people still won’t buy your product, enroll in your service, or invest in your business.
Remember, marketing is all about getting people to pay attention, but it’s your brand that turns potential customers into actual paying clients.
If you’re interested in working together, book a call with us!
Until next time,
Happy Branding!
