Branding and marketing are not the same thing.

They overlap, they assist each other, but their roles are different. Branding is essentially what your story is, and marketing is sharing that story so people can relate to you.

Marketing and sales are not the same thing.

Marketing creates awareness and leads, sales turns the leads into customers.

Your logo is not your brand.

Your logo is a piece of your brand, but a brand is much bigger. What you look like is important, but not the only thing that communicates what you do, why, and for whom.

M arketing is not a list of features and benefits.

Benefits that result from your features solving pain points are a piece of your marketing, but marketing is much bigger. It involves identifying your ideal client and reaching out to them where they are.

You don't control your brand - your customers do.

What your customers say about you (good or bad) has more impact than what you say about yourself.

Not e veryone is your client.

Whatever you sell, your marketing message will be stronger when directed to a narrower, more relevant audience, than sending a generic message aimed at a broader market.

Your story is what sets you apart from your competitors.

No one can have the same story as you - even if they do the same thing. Your background, values, service delivery, and experience combine to make you unique. Use this to your advantage.

You don't need to convince people to buy.

They learn what they need to know and then convince themselves to buy. Resonate with them, show you can solve their pain, and they will convince themselves they have to have it.

Customer experience is usually the most neglected part of your brand.

Most people spend too much time worrying about their logo and not enough time ensuring that their customers experiences match their brand promise.

Consistency beats creativity.

Creativity is great, but if it holds up the process of communicating consistently with your audience, it becomes a liability.