If you have ever ventured into the concepts of the world of marketing, you have certainly heard about Branding.
However, do you know the importance of this concept for a brand and the connection the word has with inbound marketing?
Follow the text on the subject!
Branding: what is it?
Before anything else, it is important to understand what is branding. And, if you already know the importance of digital marketing Currently, you are certainly looking for ways to stand out among so many brands on the market.
And look: there’s nothing like having good branding to make this happen!
Branding: translation
Literally, the word branding means brand. But what does this mean?
The concept encompasses the entire set of actions that will generate value for the brand, such as its positioning, what the brand believes in, and the experience that the company will provide to the customer – that is, everything that the consumer 5.0 would you like.
With the digital transformations that have occurred in recent years, there has been a change in consumer behavior, which is no longer satisfied with just the product or service, but rather with the experience.
This is because there are many brands on the market, with very similar products and services. And what will make that customer choose your brand, and not your competitor's, is the generation of value from the first contact with your company, until the final moment, when he decides to close the purchase.
Branding: meaning
Now that you know the definition of branding, it's time to learn its meaning.
To do this, do the following task: when you think of Coca-Cola, the brand logo, what comes to mind? Can you see the company's values? What are your perceptions?
Most likely, your answer refers to moments with family, special dates, celebrations, or even that Sunday lunch. All of these carry enormous sentimental value.
And that's where branding comes in, managing the brand. It takes care of all the information that is in the minds of consumers when they interact with a particular company.
After all, a brand is nothing more than a perception and the result of its customers’ experiences.
How important is branding?
We know that each person can have their own perception on a certain subject, generating a doubt about the importance of branding, faced with this issue.
However, collectively, it is possible to form perceptions about a product or service and ensure that people understand what you want to convey.
And it is worth highlighting that, even if the company is not implementing a branding strategy per se, branding is already being done, as consumers are having perceptions of the brand at all times.
Therefore, in the face of broad competition, it is essential to have differentials and ensure that people know about them, ensuring that they do not focus solely on your price, but rather on your value.
When a brand knows its value and truly expresses what it believes in, it is common for the price to lose all of its weight when making a purchasing decision, as the customer feels safe and knows that they will receive exactly what they need.
Have no doubt: a strong brand that guarantees a positive consumer experience sells more.
Branding and inbound marketing: what is the connection?
Although the concept of branding emerged before digital marketing, it has never been more important to apply the term in the digital environment.
If before the channels were restricted to TV, newspapers and radio, today there is an infinite number of options that the brand can use, in a personalized way, to relate to its ideal customer.
In addition to creating your own visual identity, which ranges from the colors used to the brand logo, it is important to create ways to stand out on the web.
And if you know How Inbound Marketing Works, and that content is a fundamental pillar of this strategy, you must have already realized that its use is essential for building authority in your niche. Do you agree that good content production is the best way to convey your brand's values to the consumer?
Inbound Marketing is understood as the set of virtual strategies that aim to voluntarily attract potential customers and transform them into leads, based on consumer relationships and education.
The brand will offer relevant and quality content on the channels where its ideal customer is, as well as adding value at all stages of its customer's purchasing journey – from the first contact with the brand, until they truly become a customer.
This is called touchpoints – or touchpoints – and they will be responsible for creating the set of perceptions that the customer has of your brand.
Once you apply the concept correctly, satisfying your customer's needs, the consequence will be an increase in the number of sales and opportunities.
Here, the marketing automation will be essential to help you on this journey, assisting you in the process of capturing qualified leads, as well as identifying sales opportunities, among other aspects. You benefit from the possibility of scaling processes without losing sight of the message that the brand wants to convey.
Personal branding: stand out in your niche!
Anyone who thinks that branding is only used for big brands is mistaken.
Imagine you are a doctor:
- What makes you unique compared to so many other doctors in your city?
- How do you determine this positioning for other people?
- Who would you like to reach with this?
O personal branding will help you manage your personal brand. Among so many professionals, you create an experience at the time of sale or service provision, making that customer want to come back again and again.
Furthermore, it is about creating value in your service, since what has no value becomes expensive.
And, once again, digital marketing plays a fundamental role in this journey. With it, you can find out who your ideal customer is, what their pain points are, and how your service or product meets that customer's needs.
To do this, we have separated some tips:
Define your positioning
How do you want to be perceived and differentiate yourself in the market? It is important to define this question and, of course, sustain it in the long term. Marketing is not a sprint, but a marathon, consistency is very important.
Update your identity
Your visual identity should reflect your positioning. Here, it is worth studying the psychology of colors and seeing what most closely resembles your positioning.
define your persona
Knowing exactly who your ideal customer is will help you understand the content they want to consume, as well as the appropriate language to speak to them.
Analyze your competitors
Know who your competitors are and understand what sets you apart from them. What do you offer that they don't? Ensure the perfect experience for your customer!
Define which channels will be used
Once you know who your persona is, you need to find out where they are on social media. In other words, which channels do they use?
Knowing this, you will also be able to define what types of content that customer likes to consume.
Make a plan (and stick to it!)
Make a plan and be consistent with your posts. Define which topics will be covered that month, based on what your persona would like to consume.
Learn how to understand if your strategy is working
Knowing how to monitor metrics is essential to reverse the situation as quickly as possible when faced with negative results.
Branding: strategy must be thought of in the long term
It is important to remember that the process of building a relationship with a customer takes time and does not happen overnight.
Keep in mind that branding must be worked on throughout the life of the brand or personal career. Therefore, it requires planning and consistency.
Construction may be more labor intensive, but once these processes are established, they are easier to carry out over time.
Are you still not working on your company's branding? Don't waste time! If you need help, contact GS2 Marketing Digital.