Carl Willis

The Difference Between Branding and Marketing

branding vs marketing

branding vs marketingOne of the biggest conversations taking place in the online space is the difference between and .

Everyone marketing themselves online is concerned about themselves just right, while others are concerned about whether or not their marketing is effective.

Is there just one way to determine what is what? How can you separate the two and make them two different ideas while bringing them together to accomplish the greater good?

Today, I’m going to talk about and how it’s different from marketing. You’ll soon discover that both are necessary, and there are two very different ways to go about using both in your business.

The Distinct Difference Between Branding and Marketing

Do you view branding and marketing as the same thing?

Answer that before you go any further.

This question is what trips marketers up all of the time, and they often fail to see that there is a significant difference between branding and marketing.

As it turns out, they are two VERY different things. Yes, they work together, and yes they both play very important roles in your business.

Do you remember learning in school that cattle are branded? The method by which they are branded doesn’t matter as much as why they are branded and what it means.

Branding sets the cattle apart from the cattle of another farmer. When cows wander off, they could end up on the land of another farmer, making it near impossible to single them out. Branding takes care of that.

Branding a cow gives them a unique identity, and it allows the cattle to be separated and taken back to the rightful owner.

This is the key to branding. Here are three important questions to ask yourself.

  1. How will someone find me?
  2. What will my reader remember about me?
  3. When the customer has a problem, will they think of my brand?

The difference between branding and marketing is that branding gives your audience something to remember you by, while marketing gets you noticed.

Marketing helps you cut through the noise when there is a plethora of competitors. Getting noticed when you have 50,000 people that are all competing in the same arena is critical.

The Strategic Difference Between Branding and Marketing

Ah, the use of the word “strategic”. It can come at you ten-fold if you aren’t careful. Strategy is talked about often, whether it’s used in the military or whether it’s being used to talk about social media and business.

Most often, this word is associated with branding. Let’s go back to WHY “strategic” relates to branding. Here are some points to clarify where I’m going with this.

  1. The brand had to exist before the marketing plan was created.
  2. Marketing is an effort, but a brand is what directs that marketing campaign.
  3. Brands encourage loyal customers, while marketing attracts them to buy a particular item, one over another.
  4. Marketing attracts buyers and gets them to come around to your way of thinking. In other words, marketing is the activator.

Are you getting the point?

The two are different, but yet they work together. Marketing is the word used most often, but the brand is where many online marketers fail. What is your brand? How will you execute your marketing plan to drive more buyers?

Do some homework today, and research many different brands. Look at Toyota, Frito Lay, Kellog’s, and any others you can think of that have been around for many years. You’ll see what they do and who is drawn to them.

You’ll see the difference between branding and marketing with the best companies.