Branding is a marketing term.
It refers to the set of activities and operational strategies a company uses to stand out from its competitors.
Put simply, to make a name for itself.
What branding means
Of course, to explain what branding is, we first need to start with the definition of a brand.
Be careful: it is a fairly complex concept, or at least not an obvious one.
Contrary to what many people think, a brand is not the same thing as a trademark or logo.
In other words, it is not just a company’s name or label.
It is everything related to how the company communicates: the values and expectations it conveys to consumers.
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.Seth Godin
And branding? Now we are getting to the heart of the matter.
Branding is a process. It covers all the techniques (including brand identity) a company uses to promote its name in the market.
In other words, how that name is managed and developed.
How do you do it?
To sum up: branding means building your brand.
Knowing how to tell your story. Understanding what customers want and getting there before they ask. Coming across as the best in your field.
Easier said than done. So what does it look like in practice?
Let’s dig a little deeper.
Any branding strategy has one primary goal: raising brand awareness, meaning how well known the brand is.
Here are a few useful tips that are well worth following if you want visible results.
- Analyze your target audience Every marketing campaign or activity starts with research, and branding is no exception. Build your buyer persona as a solid starting point on which to base every decision.
- Focus on content marketing Today you have to get noticed, because competition keeps growing. But quality content never disappoints: it wins over potential customers and encourages word of mouth.
- Check your results To move forward, you need to understand where you stand. Is your message working? How many unique visitors does your website get? How many new contacts? How many social shares? Leave nothing to chance. Data analysis is always essential, whether you need to adjust course or scale up your growth.
Personal branding
Now let’s introduce another well-known expression: personal branding. What is it?
Essentially, everything we have discussed so far, applied to the professional image of an individual.
Instead of a company, you position yourself in the market.
You promote your career or personal strengths through marketing, mainly digital marketing.
For example, through social media campaigns, blogs, webinars, free e-books and so on.
Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency and reliability. Jason Hartman.
Think of Chiara Ferragni or, in a completely different field, Marco Montemagno.
They are two clear examples of successful personal branding, both from Italy.