Brand strategy, content marketing, brand identity, logo design, and visuals often get intermingled and mixed up. So what I want to talk about today is the real difference between brand strategy and brand identity. Additionally, I want to skim the surface of when content marketing comes into play!
First, when it comes to your brand strategy, you need to view it as an entire ecosystem around your brand. This includes your brand core, who you are, what you do. vision, mission, values, and purpose.
Second, you’ll also examine who you serve, and what personas you have, your brand voice and brand perception. Your brand strategy also includes your messaging, your value proposition, any tagline or brand stories that you have.
Another way to understand brand strategy is to consider it the big picture.
We start there as your big game plan of what you’re trying to do and how you’re going to communicate that to the world.
Questions you should be prepared to answer:
- Who do we aspire to be and what do we want to accomplish?
- Who are we? What do we care about?
- Who are we trying to engage with and how can we reach them?
- How is your brand perceived internally to your employees or to people that are working with you?
- What is the external perception from your audience?
- What is your unique value proposition?
- How does your messaging convey your value and connect with your audience?
Brand Identity: AKA the fun visuals everyone loves to start with first
We can all relate to creating a vision board on Pinterest that we think, “Oh, this is so cool!!” You may even love the colors and the vibe, but without strategic planning and intention, it’s easy to miss the mark and create visuals that lack a strong foundation.
For instance, your Brand Identity is also more than colors and imagery. It’s your brand voice, tone, logo suite, creative direction, mood, feel, etc. Every visual component should align with your overall Brand Strategy.
Where Does Content Marketing Fit?
Your content marketing strategy will be heavily influenced by your brand strategy. Think of it as the blueprint of how you’re going to support your brand strategy and reach your goals (as defined above!)
- Brand visibility + authority
- Lead generation
- Testing personals
- Sharing brand messaging
- Educating, Engaging, and Inspiring your audience
- Storytelling opportunities
Brand Strategy > Brand Visuals > Content > Platform of your choice (think YouTube, Podcasts, Blog, LinkedIn, Instagram, Email Marketing, Digital Ads, or Physical Marketing Collateral)
The bottom line: Every piece of content should support your brand strategy.
To Recap:
Brand Strategy = Your Plan to Achieve Your Big Goal
Brand Identity = The visual elements that communicate who you are
Content Marketing = The avenue to implement your plan to achieve your big goal
I want to know that there are SO many resources out there sort through your brand strategy, create marketing content, and even to DIY your brand visuals, however, there will come a point where it’s wisest to engage professional brand and marketing strategists who can help you align your vision and your strategy so that it connects with your audience and furthers you towards your goals.
If you're ready to breathe new life into your brand, my team at LMC Agency would love to partner with you!
In the meantime, be sure to save this blog post for later. You might also check out our post about How to Build A Business Around Your Big Life Dreams and From $0 to YAY! Why You Should Define Your Own Success.
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