Branding Mistakes You Are Making And How to Fix Them

2020 is a weird year for businesses. But if your business was slowing down before 2020 happened, it's more likely that you are doing something wrong. It may be because of your branding.

It may not be so obvious, but branding does a lot to your business. To name a few impacts, it makes your business look professional and trustworthy. So if you haven't put effort into branding, now is the time to make a quick audit and stop the most common branding mistakes you are making.

Inconsistent branding

I have said it before and I will say it again, consistent branding is a must. Inconsistent branding is hurting your business growth. Consistency allows you to establish credibility and trust with your audience. Everything in branding must tie back to your business, its values and its missions.

Pleasing everybody

If the reason why you haven't niche down is you need every business you can get your hands on, you better change that mindset. You can’t please everyone. Focus on a few people that not only buy from you but become your avid supporters. Don’t worry how many followers you have, worry how many people actually interact with your brand.

Lacking of personality

Ever wonder why until now, no one is paying attention to your business? Maybe they find your brand very common. To be unique, brand personality is your most effective weapon. Identify the personality you want your business to have and infuse it into your brand element. Reflect your brand personality by picking the right colors, fonts and communication style. Don't forget to take your audience into consideration. You must find a common denominator to align with.

Ignoring your competitors

Paying attention to your competitors has benefits. You are able to see what kind of audience they are attracting, which strategy works for them, what weaknesses do they have and how you can improve your own strategy to get ahead of them. If you're deliberately ignoring them, pay attention to them now. Study your competitors and do things they do but better. 

Ignoring your target audience

This is especially important to a new business. You can't serve them well if you don't know their pains. Research their pains, beliefs, buying behaviors, demographics and even their digital footprints. Gather everything you can to effectively communicate with your customers. Don't know where to start? Look at your competitors audience. What complaints do they have?

Not using your brand guidelines

If you have a logo, you must have brand guidelines. It's a document that tells you how to use your brand elements such as logo, color scheme and font combinations. If you're haphazardly using brand elements, you are failing to create consistent branding and are basically shooting yourself in the foot. Your brand guideline is there for you to use. Take advantage of it.

Not seeking for professional help

Did you DIY your logo? If yes, it’s more likely that your logo is missing a lot of elements that allow you to translate your business visually. Why do you need a professional designer to make your logo? A professional logo designer has proven and tested processes to give you the best, effective and unique logo. Not to mention we spend a vast amount of time mastering our skills. If you have the resources and capabilities to give your business a professional look, ask for professional help.

Let's recap

You are hurting the growth of your business by (1) having inconsistent branding, (2) not having a niche, (3) lacking a brand personality, (4) ignoring your competitors, (5) not researching your target audience, (6) not using your brand guidelines and (7) not seeking professional help. But don't worry, all of these mistakes are reversible and you can definitely make a change today!