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August 18, 2021

Branding vs Marketing, what's the difference?

We get it, we’re a Digital Marketing Agency and that means that we know all the lingo.

You hear “branding” and “marketing” thrown around like there’s no tomorrow, especially in the digital world we live in! But...what are they? And what is the difference between them? 

We’re here for you, don’t worry. 

The truth of the matter is that they are very different things but you can’t have one without the other. The two go hand-in-hand. 

Is there a difference? 

The short answer is YES. Definitely, yes. 

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Branding is letting people know WHO you are. What do you want to be known for? What is the character of your company? What does your business focus on? Think, logos and websites, fonts, colors...etc. 

Marketing is the action of reaching people so they can see your branding and figure out who you are and if they want to support you. It’s HOW you let your people know who you are. 

Let’s dive into what each one entails. 

What is Branding?

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Just as you buy the clothes you wear, choose the style of hair and makeup, the car you drive...branding is choosing how someone will perceive your business. How will your customers recognize you? 

Branding is the actions you take to cultivate your brand.

When we meet with our clients, we have specific questions we ask to understand how they want to be perceived by their audience. 

We make sure that there is a cohesive “branding” among their digital marketing presence once understanding has been established. 

Some examples of “branding” are:

  • Creating your logo
  • Finding your brand voice
  • Establishing the tone of your messaging 
  • Figuring out your brand colors and fonts 

To name a few. 

Branding is crucial for businesses because it creates brand recognition. Brand recognition then leads to your audience trusting your business because they know you. You're consistent with who you are, consistent with showing up and the audience knows what to expect.

Think, Nike or Disneyland. You know exactly who they are, because they know exactly who they are. Their brand identity has been securely established and there is no questioning. 

Let’s Talk Marketing 

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Marketing is utilizing all of that hard and intentional work of cultivating your brand, then creating a strategic plan to distribute your branding with the intent of getting the right people to see it. 

This is why cultivating a marketing plan is so important to us at The Social Brand, if you’d like some guidance on creating your own, check out our Marketing Plan Mini-Course and get access to it today!

CTA: Take the Marketing Plan Mini-Course  

Some forms of marketing would be:

  • SEO
  • Blogging
  • Social Media 
  • Print Marketing
  • TV & Radio 

These tactics explain and show what your branding is. When your audience sees your brand’s marketing, they should automatically identify your intentional branding.

When brands are creating a strategic marketing plan, they are taking into account what their current efforts are and if they are operating effectively. 

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Conclusion

You can’t have one without the other in order for each to be successful. But, branding will always come first. In order for your marketing strategy to be effective, you’ll need a firm grasp on your branding. The same is true for your branding. If you want your branding to be worth the time you spent developing it, you’ll need a marketing strategy to let your audience know who you are!

Take our marketing plan mini-course or schedule a consultation with us to learn more!

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