The Three Biggest Branding Mistakes & How To Avoid Them

NOT BEING STRATEGIC WITH YOUR BRANDING

Often times I see messages from people who are looking for a designer to create “a pretty logo” or work out a design they made up for their brand or business. And I think that’s such a pity because the whole added value of creating branding for a brand or business is creating something that is strategic. It shouldn’t just be pretty or cool or stunning, it should represent your brand or business.

For me there are three important factors that go into creating a consistent branding for a client:

• It’s based on the uniqueness — or unique selling points — of the business

• The why & goals of the business are clear

• It attracts the right dream client

“In other words, you need to be strategic about your brand if you want to attract your ideal customer.”

In other words, you need to be strategic about your brand if you want to attract your ideal customer. Best way to avoid this branding mistake this is to hire a professional graphic designer or brand stylist that can help you identify the three factors above and turn them into a brand that creates awareness and conversion. And you will see that you’ll end up with a visual identity that’s not only pretty to look at but will also help you lift your business to the next level.

NOT BEING CONSISTENT WITH YOUR BRANDING

It sounds like a cliche that every designer will tell you: a brand isn’t just a logo. It isn’t just your visual identity. It’s your tone of voice as well. It’s the images you use. It’s even the filter you use on Instagram or the filter you don’t use, it’s all depending on your branding, your business why and your ideal client.

One of the branding mistakes that I come across often is businesses being inconsistent with their brand. This devalues the brand you’ve worked hard on creating and mostly, it creates confusion with your dream clients. By being consistent you will be easier recognized by your ideal client and it creates trust. Being trustworthy is an extremely important part of the relationship you build with your dream clients — no matter your target audience. If the client can’t trust you, why would they hire you or pay you money? It pays to have a consistent brand and increases the added value of your business.

“By being consistent you will be easier recognized by your ideal client and it creates trust. Being trustworthy is an extremely important part of the relationship you build with your dream clients — no matter your target audience.”

Ways to avoid this branding mistake is to create an easy to use brand guide where every element from which logo you use where to the tone of voice to the description of your brand or business is laid out. It’s something that I make with every branding project I create. This way everyone within your business knows how to use the branding and keep it consistent. It’s also super handy when you hire people from outside your business to help with things like social media or advertising. That way they have something to reference when they work for your business.

NOT UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF A BRAND

Having a strategic, consistent brand is very valuable. It gives a face to your business that creates brand awareness, makes you trustworthy, attracts your dream client and turns them into a loyal client.

It’s often underestimated what a strategic brand can do for your business and conversion. The power of good branding is the client pull it creates. Where marketing pushes your ideal client to your company, branding pulls them in.

“Where marketing pushes your ideal client to your company, branding pulls them in.”

This also means the power of how you can pitch your brand. The more clearer you can tell — wether in writing or when you talk about your business — why your brand or business does what it does and how it does it, the better your ideal client understands why they need to work with you. Branding has the power to make you stand out.

WHY YOU NEED TO AVOID THESE BRANDING MISTAKES

If it wasn’t clear from the article, you need to avoid these three branding mistakes that I still come across often. If you want to get the most out of your branding — from your visual identity to your pitch to your strategies — you need to avoid just looking at it as needing to be pretty, being inconsistent in using it and underestimating the power that branding has to increase your profits and succes.