Branding and Marketing: Do Blogs Fit In?

Marketing and branding are not an activities that manipulate the intrinsic properties of a product, service, company or a cause. Instead, they are processes by which you influence customers, both real and potential, to create in their own mind that your product or service has more value than those of your competitors. 

Many think branding and marketing are the same things.  Unfortunately, they are not.  However, the two are interdependent and intertwined, which probably accounts for much of the misconception.  It is a broad generalization (but take the leap for a moment)... but marketing has its foundation in educating people about you and branding is about taking that knowledge and making it ring emotionally.

Well.... that sounds easy, huh?

Blogs... where do they fit in?

I'm glad you asked... blogs are just one tool to help both educate and to create an emotional bond to you, your business/cause and products/services.  If done correctly, every post of a blog can be a little glimpse into you, your values, your commitment to a cause and/or your passion for what you do.  Now don't get me wrong... I'm not saying that a business/nonprofit blog should be an unfettered gush of emotion and personal musings.  Instead, I want to propose that the words that you choose to talk about something are a subtle reflection of who you are.  Everything you write gives readers a chance to understand how you think, what is important to you, how smart you are, and if you are a person that they might like.

And lets face it... people like to do business with people who they like.  If they like you, they will spend more money, be more loyal customers and tell people about you. 

How does this translate into marketing and branding... well.....blogs give folks a chance to get to know you and decide if they like you.  If people like you and your blog, this will give the emotional underpinnings for your branding efforts to take hold.  The beauty of it is that while doing all of this you can talk about your cause/products/services/company.  Business and nonprofit blogging is simply good bang for your marketing and branding bucks.

Thanks to Anosmia for the photo.

Comments

[Staci Burruel]

Blogs can be used to give updates to your customers on your products and services. Making it sound interesting rather than just plain saying it like "Here are the updates for this week" would be more effective in reaching out to your market. =D