Brand vs. Sales Marketing: What’s the Difference? 10 Questions to Determine Which Marketing Strategy You Need
A long, long time ago, marketing was considered a catch-all. Your promotional swag, event planning, social media strategy, email funnels and website design were all handled by one department (and sometimes by one person, especially if you were in a start-up or a non-profit). Now, you often have to look for entire companies (called a full-service marketing agency) to provide that type of work.
But that is often not in the budget for small businesses. So how can you make the most of your marketing budget while still reaching your goals?
We recommend knowing what you need (not necessarily what you want) and moving forward with a reliable partner while your team handles the items internally that you should never outsource (keep reading to learn more).
Sales Marketing: The OG System
Now, if you need or want business like, yesterday, then you’re going to want to focus on your sales marketing. Sales marketing is similar to planting shrubs in your front yard. You can see and enjoy the results right away.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself. If you answer “No” to more than two, then perhaps it’s time to consider your next steps for sales marketing:
Sales Marketing Questions
Are my products/services already known, but I’m not getting enough customers?
Do I need more direct-response advertising, such as PPC or email marketing?
Am I targeting customers who are ready to buy now?
Do I have a strong brand, but I’m struggling with closing deals?
Are my competitors out-marketing me with aggressive promotions or ads?
Most people know and understand this system. But in today’s marketing world, it has become slightly more nuanced. Sales typically mean advertising. You will need to spend a significant investment to see a return. This investment could look like:
Purchasing email lists
Paying for Google Ads
Paying for social media ads
Is this something you can outsource to a partner? My Spam inbox would say yes. But my gut says - meh, to a point. Yes, you need to pay to play in a lot of the big pools (like Google and Facebook), but will an ad alone secure new business? Nope.
You need people inside the business who can speak to the nuances that make your brand better than your competitors. In B2B marketing, a good campaign will get people to your door, but you and your team need to convince them to walk over the threshold. You’re selling a service - and the collective intelligence behind your organization that will execute that service - and no amount of advertising will make up for that.
Brand Marketing: The Long-Term Play for Authentic Connections
What’s the goal of brand marketing? Long-term growth and brand awareness. Here, you are building trust with your audience. In a recent blog post, we compared your brand and content marketing strategy to “planting bulbs in the fall.” You won’t see the fruits of your labor until the spring, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t happening below the surface.
Is Brand Marketing your next move? Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer “No,” to more than two, you may want to consider dedicating internal resources or external support to meet these needs.
Brand Marketing Questions
Do potential customers understand what my business stands for?
Is my business struggling to differentiate itself from competitors?
Do I want to position my business as an authority or thought leader in my industry?
Am I developing long-term client relationships? (Or are my transactions one and done?)
Do I have consistent touchpoints with my community including daily or weekly social media posts, regular blog posts and regular email campaigns?
Not so fun fact: All of us are inundated with content the moment we wake up in the morning. In fact, two-thirds of the content that we consume is digital. So staying top of mind is not just a “nice to have,” it’s a necessity. And in an increasingly distrustful digital world (Is this AI? Is this fake news?) consumers are more and more skeptical of the content they see. It will take more than one post to build their trust.
The Perfect Marketing Strategy: It Does Exist!
If we continue to use the landscaping analogy, the best plan for a beautiful yard that will be the envy of your neighbors is to have both shrubs for immediate curb appeal and bulbs for a pop of color in the spring. The same can be said for your marketing strategy. Sales and brand marketing complement each other in the same way. But few small businesses have the resources to execute both at the same time. So where do you start then? Review the questions above on a quarterly or bi-annual basis. Sometimes, there is a need to pursue one avenue over the other for a period of time, and then reallocate resources later. Whether you need a short-term boost or a long-term presence, making informed, strategic marketing decisions will ensure sustainable growth. After all, the most effective marketing strategy isn’t just about what works today—it’s about building a brand that thrives for years to come.