Digital Branding & Digital Marketing: Why Both Matter Today

As a digital nomad involved in IT for many years, my take on digital branding is that it is the process of creating valued electronic assets to establish a digital brand or online brand identity. The crucial element of digital branding is the interconnection and the process of content sharing between these assets, ensuring alignment with how algorithms interpret your website. Digital branding may encompass your website, social media profiles, online or digital ads, content marketing, and more concerning Search Engine Optimization.

With the advent of websites, digital marketing truly began in the ’90s with the internet. However, the phrase was coined later with the emergence of social platforms, summarizing online marketing. Ultimately, it was the promotion of brands connecting with potential consumers or customers using the internet or other digital communication forms to be heard in the digital world.

The everlasting goal of many businesses is to be seen, heard, and found, attracting the attention of searchers or potential customers as they surf the net. While in the past, shopping malls were filled with print media, posters, magazines, or billboards, today, we approach our reach and connection differently. Our targets are the computers, tablets, or mobile devices owned by many.

Touchpoints via email campaigns on a regular basis (monthly or weekly), online advertising campaigns with various objectives for reach or action on search/Google platforms, or social media platforms for targeted marketing campaigns. Influencers/YouTube for video—our list of reaching customers has certainly changed over the years. AI may simplify some aspects, but in my opinion, digital marketing nous is still required to lead online.

As more businesses turn to the internet and marketing campaigns become suddenly accessible to many, noise becomes real. Consumers have started tuning out marketing speak considered too pushy or irrelevant.

While digital marketing exists to capture leads and sell, digital branding focuses on building value-add relationships and engaging with current or future customers in the online space. But can Digital branding and Digital marketing work together?

Consider this—Digital marketing is the car/bus/train, the vehicle needed to create the digital brand. It allows sharing brand identity on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or X (Twitter). However, for these digital assets to be impactful, you need to create a brand—a memorable tagline, client-oriented speak, enticing consumers to consume your digital material as more than just an advert.

Reaching customers takes experience to allow these two divas of digital to meet. But when marketing and branding come together, you can engage, keep reach alive, and avoid being considered as noise.