👋 Hello, Branding and Marketing enthusiasts! How are you doing today?
A few days ago, I was asked the difference between branding and marketing. I found myself surrounded by marketing experts stating marketing comes before branding. The hierarchy and balance of both are always questioned and challenged. I guess it is the choice of each individual to place branding on the throne or aside from the throne. As for me, branding sets the conversation, and Marketing makes the talk possible. Our guest of today embodies that balance and wisdom, nurturing both but focusing on the stars of the show: People.
Now, what is your story of Your Branding Letter?
This letter reaches you bi-weekly or monthly, diving into many topics that are close to my heart. However, I am curious—do they matter to you as well? To find out, I have put together a short and playful quiz to uncover YOUR story of Your Branding Letter. I am looking forward to reading your answers.
This week, let's discover a new guest in the series ‘‘Marketing Buddy’’ — a great addition to our Brand Revealers. Occasionally, we will invite them to join the letter and share marketing wisdom and strategies. We have to become friends with the craft of Marketing, so let’s bring them in and grow!
👋 Marketing Buddy
Madhurima Sappatti and I met throughPolywork a few years ago. She invited me into her nurturing community Stress Busters!on Slack.I was an active member for many months. I saw her craft a safe space where she encouraged and prompted meaningful conversations. She gives great advice to founders, leaders and creatives. And she has practical tools to help you stay focused on your goals. Her expertise in stress management and her community awareness could be of great value here. So, I invited her to come on board and share her wisdom!
Who are you? What is your profession?
My name is Madhurima Sappatti. I am a Global Stress Management Facilitator. I love to support multipassionate, ambitious dreamers, manage their stress and prevent burnout. My goal is for them to do everything they dream of without their own selves holding them back!
Madhurima
Where are you located?
🇮🇳 Hyderabad, India
Madhurima
Where can we discover your work? (website, socials…).
What is your definition of Marketing? And what is, in your opinion, the main difference between Branding and Marketing?
Marketing is a great way to share your story, your mission, and how you would like to support your audience. It is a way for you to explain your drive, and bring awareness to not just your company but also the work you are doing!
Branding according to me, it is the story. It is the soul of your company. It is what people resonate with and remember. Marketing is a way to share that story!
Madhurima
Seth Godin, the marketing expert, says, "You cannot be seen until you learn to see". What do you think about this superpower of seeing what others do not see and providing a solution to it?
I absolutely love that quote. As a service provider and a coach, an important thing to understand is that while you may have an inkling of what the other person is going through, you can't let that blind you and be the guiding force of the conversation.
An important aspect of the journey is understanding that, while you might have had a sneak peek at the other person's journey, it is not the whole picture. To understand and see the whole picture, you need to open space. So that they feel seen and heard and can share where the gap exists. It is not about you figuring out the gap; it is about them telling you ''Hey! this is the gap! Can you help me come up with a solution for it?''. At least those are my thoughts from a Service Provider's perspective!
Madhurima
Do you have any tips for creative entrepreneurs and Brand Revealers to improve their marketing skills in three steps?
#1 • Understand why your audience needs your service/product. What do they get out of it? It is crucial to understand that while we create for ourselves, we can't forget about those who will purchase it. For example, you are a landscape painter. You will potentially vibe with people who are cottage-core lovers. Those who love creating an aesthetically pleasing ambience. Or someone who loves period dramas like Pride and Prejudice or Studio Ghibli movies. Understanding your audience will help you reach out to them and find the middle ground!
#2 • Be true to yourself. Your authenticity is the driving force behind your marketing journey! Don't be afraid of your weirdness; rather, embrace it and flaunt it! It will do wonders for your marketing!
#3 • Mix both the above steps. Understand your audience and reach out to them using your authentic self! See where the patterns merge, where you notice commonalities, and allow that to be the foundation upon which you collaborate with people!
Madhurima
What are the repeated words you hear about your Branding and Marketing from your audience, teams, and people who discover you? (3 to 5 keywords)
✦ Supported ✦ Stress-relief ✦ Fun ✦ Safe Spaces!
Madhurima
Do you have any recommendations for mastering marketing, such as books, podcasts, conferences, etc.?
How important is it in marketing to build a community like Stress Busters? And how did you leverage that for your brand?
Building a community was important for me. More from the requirement perspective of it, rather than the marketing/branding aspect. I have always looked for a stress management focused community, but never found it. Which is what led me to create this space in the first place. It does help with the marketing from a secondary perspective. Because, I know that these people care about stress management and would potentially love the resources being shared here! All the members got an option to grab a free coaching session with me, as thanks to joining the community. This also helped me cement the perspective and experience of my brand with them.
Madhurima
How do you create a mindful community that serves your mission? And stays engaging and nurturing?
Building a community is realising that there are periods of high and low activity, which is normal. Increasing engagement revolves around bringing the community together and hearing from them how they would like to be supported. I also have a community manager who is warming the space constantly by creating engaging content and sharing it with them.
Creating a mindful community starts with understanding the necessity behind creating a space like this. Why is it important to you? Why is it important for your audience? What will they get out of it? Will you be able to invest resources (time, money, energy) in making this a space that aligns with your community? The more detailed and specific your answers, the easier it gets to create a mindful community. But remember answering these questions is just the beginning. You need to act on it, and constantly evolve to keep the space from stagnating!
Madhurima
You can connect with her and discover her mindset and work @Madhurima Sappatti
🧠 Scale that Marketing!
🙋🏽♂️🙋🏻♀️ The Power of Community in Digital Marketing(Why should brands care about community, and how can a brand stand out using communities? A brilliant conversation about the juice of brand bonding).
📣 Founders and mental health (A report on the behind-the-scenes of building a company and how it impacts the mental health of founders).
🌱Harnessing the Power of People(A playful experiment with surprising deep conversations. It is a great tool for connecting with fellow brand builders).
I hope you enjoyed this new interview. To support proactive and engaging insights on brand building and get access to exclusive interviews consider upgrading. You can also find other ways to share the love here. Thanks for being here!
