Why Strategic Marketing Is As Important As Branding

Honestly, have you ever thought about the differences between marketing and branding?

Hint: you can’t effectively do one without the other.

Marketing. Branding. These words are used interchangeably so often, most people think they mean the same thing. There’s a fundamental different that every organization should know:

Branding is who you are.

Marketing is how you sell your brand.

Your brand is how you are perceived by customers, potential customers, the media, business partners, vendors, and even your own employees. Your brand is your reputation and while that truly lies in the hands of these various audiences, there is a lot you can do to guide the narrative.

  • Your mission, vision, and values. These must be consistently expressed in everything from your logo and color palette, to your website and social channels, to your packaging and customer service. An audience should never have to guess why you exist and what is important to you. Today’s audiences make decisions based on being in sync with and trusting brands.
  • Your products/services. Is your brand logo prominent or subtle? Which approach is better suited to your goals? How are they delivered to the customer? What are your standards for products and for customer service? These are all reflections of your brand.
  • Your target customers. Audiences are looking for others like themselves, and will engage with brands where they see people like themselves. Are you attracting the correct audience for your growth goals? Will they attract others like themselves to help your business grow?
  • Your competitive edge in the marketplace. Does your brand, especially your logo, stand out in a crowded marketplace? It should be reflective of who you are. It should be timeless. It should be quickly-recognizable as a sign of your competitive edge.

Being thoughtful when developing a brand strategy will be an investment that pays great dividends. Your strategy should include the visual elements of logos, colors, word marks, websites and style guides. But most importantly your brand should live throughout the organization in packaging, customer service, hiring and management practices, and community relations.

Marketing is executing on that brand strategy. Marketing provides the tactics to make your brand elements really work for you.

If your brand strategy is to establish, or maintain, your position as a high-end, luxury goods retailer, then your marketing tactics need to execute on that. For example,

Yes: Host a private VIP trunk show and invitation-only shopping experience. Send printed invitations, rather than an email blast.

No: Email and text message “50% discount for the first 50 customers on Black Friday!” While you may gain a little traffic, these are not your people. They will only follow price-points, not brands.  You’ve weakened your brand and probably lost some income potential from your loyal customers and potential VIP customers who shop with you because of quality, not price.

Branding is the horse. Marketing is the cart.

Your brand is what pulls you through. It is consistent and something your audiences can rely on. It has meaning and value. Your marketing carries the load, but only if it fits well with the brand.

Marketing wins the day. Branding wins the lifetime.

Developing an effective brand strategy pays for itself through the long-term reputation you build. Work with a creative firm that not only develops beautiful, meaningful logos, but also offers you the brand strategy and marketing know-how to make it work for you.

 

Take Control With A Content Management System

The World Wide Web can sometimes feel like the Wild Wild West when trying to keep your website up-to-date. Much like the cowboys of the early American West, updating your website can feel like a complicated landscape with rivers to ford and cattle rustlers to avoid.

Luckily, today’s content management systems (CMS) make it easy to update your website with nary a dust storm or snakebite in sight.

What is a content management system?

Content management systems are applications that allow users to manage their website without needing to write code. They allow users to add and manage content, promotions, calendars, contact information, and all the other simple infrastructure pieces of your website.

So…. Why would I need a website designer?

We’re glad you asked. The internet still is a bit of a Wild West environment and an experienced website designer can help you safely and successfully navigate it. There are three important reasons why a website designer should be part of your team:

  • You want your business to grow. A website designer will offer a scalable solution that grows with your business. You’ll still have access to easily update the site yourself on the fly, but major renovations are built in when you work with an experienced website professional.
  • Your website has to be mobile-friendly. It’s the twenty-first century and no one is without a mobile device. If your website doesn’t fully deliver in a mobile environment, you might as well hang out the “closed” sign. Professional website designers and developers ensure your visitors always have the best experience, regardless of how they access your site.
  • Your website is a direct reflection of your brand. You want visitors to move through your website with ease while subtly leading them to a conversion. Professional website designers conduct usability testing, and have experience developing the tools and features that visitors didn’t know they wanted, but can’t live without.

Hiring a website designer is a business investment. You’re paying for someone’s experience and expertise in areas like: user-interface, accessibility, e-commerce, digital marketing, SEO, and design.

Will I Get Roped-In To a Long-Term Service Contract?

No. Website designers will create a site using a CMS, then show you how to manage the day-to-day upkeep on it so you have control over the content that’s delivered. When you’re ready for major upgrades or custom features, you can reach out to your website designer for a new project quote.

Using Research to Create Impactful Websites

Jeffrey Zeldman was a featured speaker at An Event Apart in Washing, D.C. and gave a presentation called “From Research to Redesign.” It got us think about the ways we counsel our clients when redesigning their websites.

Zeldman, who you may recognize as the founder of e-magazine “A List Apart” is an acknowledged leader in all things websites: coding, design, US, accessibility, copy, SEO, etc. so when he said “research” BEFORE redesign, we sat up and listened.

Whether we’re creating a brilliant new website or designing holiday postcards for a client, research is the key to success. Learning, planning, and preparation determine the success of any project or campaign.

Understanding your market better than your competitors is key to becoming the solution to your audience’s pain points. Here’s a simple overview of what you need to ask before beginning your next website update:

Know Your Audience

Where are they at today and where do they want to be tomorrow? What is preventing them from moving? What do they value? Based on your quantitative analytics from applications like Hotjar and Google Analytics develop qualitative questions to understand their website user behavior.

Listen and Ask Questions

Effective communication is more about listening than speaking. Hold a focus group and have ask open-ended questions that allow for a free flow of discussion among your stakeholders. You’ll gain valuable insights from their organic responses. As Zeldman says, “You don’t have to be an expert to have a conversation.”

Define Goals

What is it you really want for your business? You can’t develop an effective website if you’re focused solely on its features. A website is a business tool to help you achieve your larger business goals. If you don’t know where you want your business to go, your website won’t take you anywhere.

Clear Direction

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work on that beautiful new website. You’ve gathered insightful information and established clear goals. Let’s figure out exactly how to put that information to work for you.

Measurement

Before you ever launch your website, you need to establish metrics. How will you know if your website is delivering for you? When, and how often, will you measure? How will you measure specific campaigns? These are all important measurements to take on a regular basis to ensure your website remains a vital business investment.

Zeldman’ s three-day conferences are an annual event and bring to life what you read about in “A List Apart” through engaging speakers and presentations. We originally attended an event in July 2018, and have since updated this post reflect current trends.

Facebook Advertising for Fun and Profit

No advertising venue in history has affected the advertising industry as much as Facebook. As it has evolved, so has our understanding of how to maximize ad spending and reach highly-targeted audiences on this platform.

Not only does Facebook give you a lot of creative fun with multi-media components, it allows you to develop deeper relationships with your customers, create communities, and the Facebook Business Manager tool gives you deep insight into your customers, your creative, and your ad spending.

A solid Facebook advertising strategy is a marketing investment that pays great dividends.

Super-Specific Targeting

Facebook knows a lot about its users. The platform stores basic details like age and location, but it also catalogs hobbies and interests. As an advertiser, you can get as granular as you want. You could reach accountants who live within 50 miles of your business and drive sports cars while listening to 80s music, if you wanted to.

Maybe you don’t need to be that specific. Maybe you already have a dedicated group of Facebook “friends.” In that case, you might find success expanding your market by using Lookalike Audiences.

A “Lookalike Audience” connects you with people similar to your existing Facebook friends. These audiences are more likely to want your product or service because they share similar interests, age, occupations, etc. as your current Facebook audience.

Flexible Spending & Detailed Reporting

If you’re hesitant to leap into Facebook ads, you’re not alone. It’s a powerful tool that reaches millions every day. The good news is you don’t need much time or money to dip your toes into the Facebook pool.

Unlike other ad buys, there’s a low barrier to entry. You can spend as little as $1 on a Facebook ad, just to see how it works. You’re not locked into any set dollar amount or timeline. There’s a lot of flexibility to adjust your spending any time.

You shouldn’t start seriously spending on Facebook without first having a solid strategy. Have a plan in place to follow up with new leads through every stage of the marketing funnel.

For example, it’s not necessary to collect someone’s email address via a Facebook ad, if you don’t intend to contact them later. As a best practice, be respectful of the data collection about your customers. Treat Facebook ads as a valuable part of your marketing and sales cycle, nurturing your leads along the way.

Facebook gives you in-depth analytics to help you strengthen your strategies. They are easy to test and track. You can run A/B tests to see which ad creative or audiences work best. You can see detailed reporting on how Facebook ads are helping you engage customers.

You can also stay in front of your website visitors, thanks to the Facebook Pixel. This code allows you to show ads to Facebook users only after they’ve visited your website. Now you can stay top-of-mind as they make their purchase decision.

It’s a Pay-to-Play Platform

Beyond Facebook’s targeting and testing capabilities, one major reason to pay for ads is that it truly is the only way to reach potential audiences on this platform. Organic content on Facebook doesn’t get you very far.

Every time you post, only a small percent of your followers see your content. Some suggest Facebook’s organic reach is as lows as 2 percent. They know the value of their News Feed and if you want to be there, you’re going to have to buy some space.

Facebook has numerous built-in features to enhance your marketing effort beyond organic reach. For example, Facebook Messenger Marketing has a fantastic open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate. No only does it enhance your Facebook ad spend, but augments what you’re doing with your email marketing campaigns. Strategically using these tools can enhance your marketing efforts and maximize your marketing budget.

Capitalizing on any digital advertising, including Facebook, starts with a strong strategic plan. As digital marketing experts, we’re always happy to help you plan, design, and execute on any strategy. You don’t have to do it all on your own.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in DATE and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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