Where Marketing Ends Branding Begins
Where Marketing Ends Branding Begins
Marketing is the total of activities that you use to promote your business or products. However, some people tend to confuse this with branding. The brand is the message and rules that are representative of your business. We at http://bitgale.com/ would like to help you understand the difference so that you can achieve the success you desire.
We will list some of the misconceptions about branding and marketing. We hope that you will not make them in future.
Branding Equals Marketing
As we already mentioned, this misconception results from the fact that branding is much broader than marketing. In reality, advertising, marketing, and all promotional activity only communicate your brand’s message. Your brand is, in fact, your voice, personality, and message. The branding process is where you firmly establish these traits.
You Are The Sole Authority On Your Brand
It could not be further from the truth. However, it is quite prevalent amongst startups. The fact is that while you will set the guidelines that your organization follows as you grow the brand, it does not make you the final authority on your brand.
The customers are the ones who define the brand. The way they perceive your branding efforts is what sticks in mind. Thus, it is essential to select the values of your brand carefully. Otherwise, customers may end up with a distorted view of your brand. In the end, it could even result in a lack of repeat customers since they fail to identify with your brand.
There Is Specific Formula For Getting Branding Right
Just because you can quantify your online marketing efforts does not mean there is a formula for creating a strong brand. Every company is unique, even those in the same industry. While such a process may work for a business in the same industry, each one will still need to develop a unique identity.
The truth is that branding is all about customizing and improvisation. However, that does not mean it is impossible the success of your brand. That can be done by examining the behavior of your customers.
The Rules Of Success
Now that you understand what a brand is, what can you do to succeed? When creating your brand here are a few rules to keep in mind.
Do Not Offer Too Much
When you offer too much to customers, it tends to dilute your brand. Let the customers identify your services and products with certain specific products that you provide. An excellent example of this mistake is McDonald’s.
When the famous food chain first started out, they used to offer just about nine items. However, they now provide almost everything that you can expect to find at a local diner. The result is that it has had to reinvent itself over the years to compete with new players in the market who offer fewer items.
If You Plan To Expand, Launch A New Brand
It is another mistake, which you need to avoid. It is quite common in the tech industry. A company launches a highly successful product and then starts expanding into everything. When this happens, other companies with a specific brand come in and take over the company’s initial niche. If you must expand the products you offer, just start a new brand.
Promote What You Do Not What You Sell
Most small startups fall into this mistake quite often. They try to tell customers what great products they have in stock. Unfortunately, most customers are not able to relate to it. They already know many other companies that probably have the same product.
For them to identify with your brand, they need to hear that it can fulfill their needs. In short, when creating branding material, show them what it can help them to achieve. In short, you need to send the message that you can help them achieve something.
Rating Matter
When selling products, many businesses tend to believe that they are most qualified to tell the customer what to buy. Unfortunately, that is not how things work. When customers purchase from you, it is essential to ask them for a review. The more glowing reviews you get, the better it is for your brand. In short, always incorporate your customers into your branding strategy.
Think About The Name
If you want to succeed, you need a name that people can remember. It needs to be something that they do not hear in their normal lives. Otherwise, it will disappear from mind after a while. Come up with a team that can help you chose a name for your brand. If you think about it, some of the most prominent brands have some of the most exotic names you have ever heard.
With this bit of information, we hope that you will understand how to brand your business. Do not just focus too much on marketing and forget to come up with a unique and impactful branding strategy.
