Marketing and advertising has turned into a significantly large industry and has created a whole field on its own. Marketing has become such a huge business and covers a wide scope of elements that would take pages and pages to discuss. Due to the complexities of marketing and advertising, there are various sub-sections that are important to understand. In this particular article we will focus on branding and what different forms of branding there are. There are essentially, on a very broad level, two main divisions of branding.

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Branding Type #1 – Personal Branding

If you think about it, you will begin to notice how much personal branding is employed in the business world. As the name implies, personal branding involves advertising certain products or services through the popularity of a certain individual. This usually is in the form of a personal endorsement or perhaps a known expert in the particular field. Think how often celebrities are used to advertise sports brand, hair products, fashion or cars to name but a few. Personal branding can be particularly affective when generated and promoted online. Imagine what a consumer would think before they consider trying your product or service? They want to know that they are receiving their money’s worth. That what you say about your product and service is in fact what they will get. The best way a customer can feel confident is by knowing that previous customers were satisfied and that the people they look up to in the industry can highly recommend it. A lot of these reviews and recommendations can be submitted online within various social media portals from blogs to websites, facebook and/or twitter. Also, due to the nature of online communication, such as with blogs, personalized branding can expand due to readers and customers willing to promote brands they believe to be high quality. The right personal branding can elicit confidence and surety for customers that they are indeed getting good quality. A through personal branding, customers may also feel patriotic encouraging them to further promote your product or service voluntarily.

Branding Type #2 – Internal Branding

When a business is created with its own mission and statement – it is the people employed that will be carry this through and across to the outside world. It is therefore important to consider their views and perspectives when it comes to branding your services or products. You want your employees to be proud, loyal and passionate about what your business is all about. However, this will only be achieved if they are included in the bricklaying of your business and this involves branding too. In order for your employees to feel patriotic and proud of the services or products they are promoting, it is essential to include their thoughts and opinions in the process. This will encourage your employees to feel included and part of the bigger picture. This will help to create a sense of unity and will enable them to work together as a team. Therefore, when it comes to your marketing campaign and branding strategy, it is always important to include internal branding as well.  The most solid form of marketing is to start with the heart of your business, including its ideas, values and people. This way your branding will have a solid foundation which elicits confidence in what it stands for and solid identity which will speak positively to potential customers and clients.

Understanding this broad differentiation within branding is prudent for any business to be aware of should they be embarking on a marketing campaign and branding strategy. For those who are starting their own business, this is very important to know. By understanding these different forms of branding, you will be able to choose which fits with your business the most. You should also consider whether or not your business will make use of online marketing opportunities. Online branding can be very effective due to the fast growing online community that opens many doors in terms of business marketing potential.

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You may be starting up a new business, a new product or service or revamping your old branding – whatever the reason, branding is an important tool to help move your business forward in a very competitive marketplace. While the reasons for branding are numerous but all point in the same direction; how important branding is for any business. With that understanding in place, the next step is how to begin branding your business. This ‘how’ can feel daunting and challenging but when broken down is a lot more manageable. Branding can encompass both online and offline marketing. The way businesses are being conducted nowadays is influenced by our technology run economy. Online marketing is definitely the way to go. However, that is not to say the print marketing has not value left – on the contrary. And remember, it is never good business to place all your eggs in one basket. So while focusing on online branding is important, to not ignore the more conventional methods of offline branding either. So where do you start?

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Branding Stage #1 – Create a Logo

Firstly, the logo of your business is one of the first things a potential customer will notice – or not, depending on the effectiveness of it. No matter the size of the business; be it a company or entrepreneur, every business needs to have an eye-catching and gripping logo.  This logo will help to keep your business in that person’s mind. Simple logo can be the most effective. For example, whenever you see a ‘tick’ sign – how often does it make you think of Nike? That is what you want from your logo. People are better a remembering simple images that are vivid and memorable rather than words and names – therefore, your logo is an essential start to successful branding – be it online or off. Creating the right logo can be very difficult as you want to be able to incorporate effective simplicity while also enabling it to symbolize what your business is all about. With the right logo design, you will have already accomplished half of the branding process!

Branding Stage #2 – Network

Now that you have created your logo and the foundations of your business are coming together – you need to begin connecting with the people around you. You need to get noticed and provide opportunities for potential clients and customers to know you. Networking can often be viewed as being an unsavory form of marketing your business; however this depends on how you network. When marketing yourself online – communicate with bloggers, websites etc that you do genuinely find interesting in connection with your business. When marketing yourself offline, find people that you have some common interest and ground with. Hand out business cards to people you would sincerely like to do business with. By networking with honesty and sincerity, you will begin to form real and solid business relationships that will help both theirs and yours in the long run. By forming these solid relationships, your business and logo will also begin to develop a reputable image.

Branding Stage #3 – Be Consistent and think outside the box!

You need to feel so confident about your logo and brand name, that you are happy to have in included in every piece of communication you send out. From emails, newsletters, flyers, business cards etc. Each and every piece of communication needs to display the same branding. This consistency is the key to getting people to know and understand your brand. This consistency also helps to communicate confidence and expertise in what your business is all about.  Also, when it comes to branding yourself try to think creatively how you can market your brand to the public. Think of unusual ways that will get people to notice your business. Target your audience specific to the service or product you are selling and think up ways to promote your brand that will get this group of people to sit up and take notice. Calendar magnets for example, is a creative way for a business to promote their brand combined with usefulness – i.e. the magnet will most likely end up on the fridge to be displayed for a prolonged period of time. Perfect!

Branding yourself does not have to be daunting. Immerse yourself in the endless possibilities successful branding can create with both the online and offline market. Be creative, think outside the box and don’t make hasty decisions. Work your way through the process bit by bit and you will have a solid business foundation with an equally solid branding strategy to work with that will help to propel your business forward.

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