Branding Mistake 1: Not Doing Your Research

Brands need to be well-planned, specific, and unique. The only way to ensure you’re creating an impactful image is to do the right research.

Start by assessing your chosen marketplace. Look at the kind of customers likely to be attracted to your products and services and ask yourself which niches you most want to serve. A set of user personas or customer profiles will help you to better understand your audience by listing key points about demographics, behavior, and pain points.

Next, research the industry. How much has this space grown in the last few years? What kind of trends are attracting the most attention, and what kind of sales strategies make the most sense? Are people in your industry benefiting from social media sales, or partnering with marketplaces like Amazon?

Now, examine your closest competition. What kind of companies are already on the market offering similar products and services to you? What’s their unique selling proposition, and what do you do differently? How can you separate yourself from those companies with a unique voice, image, and product portfolio?

Branding Mistake 3: Using Vague Copy

Next to your design, the words you use to describe your brand are some of the most important tools you’ll have. One of the biggest mistakes companies make is using vague hyperbolic statements like “the best in the world” to describe their product or service. This rarely captures the attention of customers and can make businesses look unprofessional. When writing copy for your brand:

• Avoid using jargon or terms your customers wouldn’t understand
• Stay away from buzzwords and trending terms which don’t demonstrate your value
• Use meaningful and concise phrases that demonstrate real benefits, like “save time on accounting” rather than “the world’s best accounting tool”.

Be honest too. If you know you’re not offering a one-of-a-kind product, don’t claim you are. Instead, focus on what your business does do differently.

Branding Mistake 4: Being Inconsistent

If you’re constantly sending mixed messages about your brand, your customers will struggle to define you. Consistency starts with your brand’s design, in the use of the same set of specific colors or images when you’re advertising your company. It also applies to the kind of words and voice you use in marketing platforms, and the customer service you offer.

The more consistent your branding elements are, the easier it will be to build familiarity with your customers. Look at Coca-Cola, the style and colors of the brand has remained consistent for almost a century. Now, anyone can immediately recognize the coca-color red in an instant.

To support a more consistent experience, develop brand guidelines that help you keep your style the same in every environment. Guidelines should include everything from color codes, to advise on images not to use.

Branding Mistake 6: Your Brand Doesn’t Tell A Good Story

Excellent branding works because it builds emotional connections with your audience. One of the most crucial branding mistakes you can make is failing to have a personality or story your customers can connect with. Stories naturally engage human beings because we’re hardwired to connect with and learn from them.

Ask yourself what people are likely to think and feel about your company’s story. Do your customers know where your business started and what it’s trying to achieve? Are you transparent about your mission and visions as a company? What kind of personality do you use to supplement your story in your marketing campaigns and brand copy?

To build the right story, think about the things that matter most to your target audience. If your clients are naturally drawn to underdogs or environmentally friendly brands, it’s best to add elements of these personalities into your story.

Branding Mistake 7: You’re Not Leveraging Branding Partners

One of the primary branding mistakes you should avoid in any industry is trying to build your identity on your own. A brand is a complex and comprehensive thing, made up of a culmination of different factors, from your website to logo design and advertising copy. Each element of your brand requires specialist insight and expertise.

If you don’t have the expertise you need in-house, you’ll need to find contractors and agencies to help. Don’t cut corners when looking for the right branding partners. Take your time to find the professionals who can best convey your identity. You might need to hire:

• Graphic designers: These professionals create your initial branding assets like logos, but they can also help with website design, marketing graphics, and other visuals.
• Copywriters: Copywriters can create everything from “About Us” page copy to content for your product descriptions and listings.
• Marketing experts: Marketing professionals can assist with things like SEO campaigns, PPC marketing, and outreach, to help you connect with more customers

Branding Mistake 9: Not Having A Crisis Plan

No matter how carefully you manage your brand, there’s always a risk something could go wrong and damage your reputation. Tesco encountered a huge PR hit in 2013 when it was accused of having a supplier shipping them horse meat which they sold as beef. The brand had no strategy to respond to the issue and didn’t remove a poorly timed tweet after the event either.

Knowing how you’re going to respond to any issues with your brand identity is crucial. Which team members in your company are going to be responsible for damage control? How are you going to connect with your audience and address the issue as quickly as possible?

In most cases, being honest and transparent will help you to win back your audience.

Branding Mistake 10: You’re Ignoring Changes In Your Business

One of the many crucial branding mistakes even older companies make, is failing to update and adapt their business brand as the company evolves. Companies are dynamic entities which change and evolve over time. You need to be ready to shift your branding to suit the kind of company you’re going to become.

This could mean adjusting your position as a “local retailer” to a more global entity when your business moves into new locations. It might mean that you update your brand identity with new values and visions as you learn more about what your customers want. McDonalds did this when it discovered it customers were demanding healthier food with transparent sourcing.

Keep a close eye on your brand and the way your customers respond to it online. Regular monitoring of both your business and the perceptions clients have towards your business will ensure you’re not continuing to push an outdated brand.