Are you the one who is thinking branding and marketing are the same things?
No, they both are totally different concepts. As many people have misconceptions about branding and marketing, it is quite crucial to understand these concepts thoroughly.
As a business owner, you need to know the difference between branding and marketing, its importance for your business.
In this article, you will get all your doubts cleared with an in-depth understanding of what these two terms actually mean.
Branding Vs Marketing
What Is Branding?
The basic definition is that branding is the marketing practice to differentiate your business from your competitors and shape your brand to show who you are.
Branding is simply creating your unique identity to seize the attention of your ideal customers. And also helps them to convert into customers and keep coming back for a lifetime period.
The key elements that differentiate your products or services from others and help you stand out are your logo, your slogan, your website design, and your brand image.
Branding helps to create a great impact on the customers and allows them to identify what they can expect from your business (brand).
For example: What do you think when you come across Apple products? Obviously, you tell that Apple is a brand and they never compromise with their products and after-sale services. Meanwhile, the logo itself speaks about the brand. This is called branding.
Meanwhile, Branding is one of the best ways to succeed in your business. It illustrates how you are better than other companies.
What Is Marketing?
Marketing is the process of promoting your business to attract consumers towards buying your products or services.
In other words, marketing is simply utilizing a set of tools, methods, or strategies to get in front of your customers and convey your brand message.
The common online marketing methods or strategies used now-a-day are Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Pay Per Click Advertising, and Content Marketing.
It also includes offline methods such as Radio, Television, Print Ads, and other traditional methods.
For example: Let’s imagine that you are willing to open a carpet cleaning business. Your living area is a town comprising many residential homes and commercial offices. By gathering funds you buy a carpet cleaning van and start the business.
After three to four months, you are still in the business. But you are not getting as much business to operate it smoothly. Your savings are drowning slowly.
At this point, you might think of marketing your small business. How can you market your carpet cleaning business to attract customers and generate more leads? Here arises the need for marketing.
Initially, marketing starts with market analysis, knowing your customer’s interests, seeking their attention to your products or services, and preserving long-term relationships with them.
Marketing trends keep on changing from time to time. As per your business, you need to select the best marketing strategy that leads to your success.
Difference Between Branding and Marketing
Now you might be aware of these two terminologies, what is branding? What is marketing? Next, let us head on to the difference between them.
1. Branding is what makes you unique, while Marketing is to convey your message
The primary reason for your existence is your brand. It is the trustworthy, exceptional, and extraordinary value you can give to the consumers.
Each and every marketing effort that your company does to convey your message leads to your brand. Therefore, it is vital to decide on the most beneficial strategy.
2. Branding comes first while Marketing comes second
Only having a logo and slogan for your business does not make you a brand. These are only the marketing materials that you have created.
The first and foremost step is to define and decide who you are as a brand (your core values) in the market. Then you can move further to develop your brand strategy. And then proceed to your specific marketing strategies or methods.
3. Branding is forever while Marketing strategies changes with time
Marketing methods and strategies will change as per current market trends. They are temporary. While branding lasts forever. It remains the same.
If you make some changes to your brand, it will still lead to the growth of your business because of your core values and principles.
For example: Let us see the pandemic time. The marketing strategies for each and every business is changing to overcome the crisis. Meanwhile, the brand always remains a brand, because of its name and the standard of products or services.
4. Branding helps to retain customer’s attention while Marketing helps to get the customer’s attention
The best way to gain a customer’s attention to your products or services is with the help of marketing.
Now you have sought customer’s attention but how to retain it for a long time. This can be done through branding. Thus, branding helps to build long-term relationships and keep them coming back.
5. Branding provides customer loyalty and brand awareness while Marketing produces sales
If you want to drive more sales, then you can do it by implementing marketing strategies, because they are designed to produce results.
But if you are looking to build customer loyalty and increase brand awareness, then branding is the most suitable option.
Importance of Branding
Branding is an essential part of your business. It can greatly affect your business and can change the way people recognize your brand.
1. Branding can help you stay ahead of your competitors
If you have a small-scale business or a mid-scale business, so as you have competitors. In order to stay ahead of the competitors, branding can help.
Branding shows your customers why they should go for your business and not the competitors. It helps you distinguish yourself from others.
2. Branding can help to build trust
People trust the business they know more. Therefore, to build trust, branding is very important.
Keeping your branding consistent and providing an exceptional customer experience increases customers’ trust in your brand.
Your brand determines trust by fulfilling the promise that you have kept for your products or services.
3. Branding gives your business a unique identity (brand image)
The primary aim of any business is to get its identity in the marketplace. This can only be possible with branding.
Branding can help your business create a distinct identity that can be easily memorable and recognizable.
Meanwhile, with branding, your products or services can stand apart and speak about your brand in an efficient way.
4. Branding motivates your employees and increases productivity
Once you are a well-known brand, people naturally get attracted to your business. This can help you provide talented and skilled staff.
Meanwhile, employees like to work with a reputable brand, and with a surety of opportunities, they are excited to work hard.
This automatically increases productivity and leads to the growth of your business. Therefore, branding is very essential for every business.
5. Branding can help to expand your business
Along with branding, your business can become a reputable brand. And along with reputation comes several opportunities for business growth.
Once you are a powerful brand, you can effortlessly expand with new services or products with the same brand.
Note: How is SEO Useful for Branding Your Small Business?
Importance of Marketing
Your marketing strategies or method will decide whether your business will succeed or not. Without sales how will a company survive?
Therefore, to attract new customers and increase sales, marketing is the key factor. Let us have a look at the importance of marketing.
1. Marketing helps to boost up sales
There is a saying “No sales, no company”. You might have understood from this saying. For the smooth running of your business, you need sufficient sales.
In order to generate sales, you need to do marketing of your products or services. Once people get to know about your products or services, they are likely to become your customers.
If marketing campaigns are managed properly, you can see a gradual increase in sales.
Likewise, if customers are happy with your products or services, they will share their experience with their friends and relatives. This can literally boost up sales.
2. Marketing helps to promote your products or services
In this competitive world, advertising and promoting your goods or services is a very essential aspect of your business.
Marketing is the only means that can help to promote your products or services. Whether you want to target online or offline consumers, you can do it with digital or traditional marketing.
PPC advertising, Social Media Marketing, and Local SEO are the marketing strategies that you can use to promote your business online.
3. Marketing can help to attract customers
Everyone likes to have an offer/discount on the product or service they are willing to purchase. Therefore, to broadcast your offers, marketing is the best approach.
Marketing helps to attract customers by showing appropriate information about offers/discounts on your products or services.
If you do not have any offers, display the benefits of doing business with you. Consumers are only interested in the benefits they will receive from your business.
4. Marketing is a link between the company and the customers
Customers get to know about your business, your products or services, and how it is helpful for them, with the help of marketing.
Social media marketing can be a helpful link to establish communication between your company and your customers. This can drive more and more conversations.
By demonstrating your products or services on social media, people are likely to involve and know more about your business.
5. Marketing helps you identify customer’s need
Customers are the heart of any business. So, every business to know what their customers need the most.
Marketing your products or services and communicating with your customers can help you get an overview. You can know what they like and dislike about your products or services.
Accordingly, you can make changes that lead to an increase in sales. Therefore, marketing is very useful to identify your consumer’s needs.
Note: Digital Marketing: An Ultimate Way To Kickstart Your Small Business!
Misconceptions related to Branding and Marketing
People commonly have the misconception that branding and marketing are the same and many other misunderstandings. Let’s see in brief some common misconceptions.
1. Branding is marketing or promotion
As we discussed above, branding and marketing are two different concepts. This is a common misconception prevailing among many people. Branding is the heart of marketing.
In fact, branding is your voice, your message, and who you are. Meanwhile, marketing is to promote or display your brand message to people.
2. Branding is simply your name and logo
Branding is not just your logo and name. They are an important part of your business identity. But branding is more than that.
Branding is the promise that you make to the customer, a unique impression, and a customized customer experience.
It is the best thing that your business does for the customers to make your brand memorable and convert to lifetime customers.
3. Branding is complicated
Many business owners believe that branding is complicated. Branding is not as difficult as you think. They have totally misunderstood the concept or they might have no idea about branding.
Using the best brand strategies, a business can generate brand recognition. To develop trust and authenticity for your brand, you should know about your customer’s needs and take care of their feelings.
Branding including your logo design and brand colors helps you get a status – an identity in the marketplace. It makes your products or services identifiable in the market.
4. Marketing is only used to generate new customers
This is a misconception that marketing is only to create new customers. Then what about the existing customers?
By marketing your brand, you can attract new customers, but simultaneously remarketing can be used to maintain existing customers.
Just because of a better deal your existing customers may go elsewhere. In order to build trust among existing customers, marketing your brand in front of them is the best choice.
5. Marketing is advertising
Advertising is a part of marketing. Some people believe that to market their products or services, they need to advertise them only.
On the contrary, marketing solely does not mean advertising. There are various other marketing strategies that can help you promote your brand.
Besides that, advertising on Google Ads is cost-effective and can provide you with quick results. But, it stops giving you leads as soon as you stop ads.
The Bottom Line
I hope, now your concept is clear about branding and marketing in the actual world. The power of branding exists in being closer to the consumers rather than the actual service or product.
It is the branding that explains to the consumers who you are. Meanwhile, branding can give your businesses much more than providing some kind of services or making some pieces of products. It can help to build a timeless attachment.
Simultaneously, marketing is also essential to attract customers and engage them in your brand. By understanding the difference between branding and marketing, you can build a strong foundation for your business.
