While researching an article for Content Groove (I'm the editor over there), I realized people are confused about what branding actually is. If you are one of those people, I'll explain it.

What is Branding: Branding Definition

Here is my branding definition: Making your brand stand out from competitors with marketing that is consistent and recognizable as belonging to only your company.

It's pretty much that simple. You want everything, from your website copy to your logo to your images, to mesh together to create a cohesive message that people can remember. What people remember about you is called your branding image.

What Branding Encompasses

Branding encompasses any type of media that represents your business, including:

• Visual content such as videos, photos, illustrations, infographics, web design and logos

• Text including articles, web copy, blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, flyers, etc.

• Audio content such as podcasts, radio ads, etc.

All of these content types need to carry a similar theme throughout. Visual content should use similar colors and stylistic choices. For example, if you typically use drawn images for your content, don't switch over to live subjects.

Audio content can be cohesive by using the same voice actor in all of your audio recordings or by using the same jingle in ads.

Text should have the same tone from piece to piece. For example, if your brand usually has a fun, irreverent tone, using a formal tone in your blog posts would be jarring to your customer.

Examples of Brands that are Nailing Branding

You see branding every single day. It's everywhere. One of the biggest examples of brands nailing branding is Coke. What did you think of when you read the word "Coke?" I bet the color red and wavy white lines came to mind. Coke uses white and red in all of their ads, on products and on their site. Even the Coca-cola winter mascots, the polar bears, are white with red scarves. Thier use of consistent color usage is part of their branding.

In content marketing, there is no more brilliant branding tactic than Yoast's memorable use of staff caricatures. No matter what, when I think of Yoast, I think of their caricatures.

So, there you go. Your 101 course on branding. Have any questions? Ask away!

Photo credit: Closed Branding Iron Cookhouse in Mentor, Ohio via photopin(license)