Branding doesn’t evolve by itself. It’s your business’s roadmap, guiding how the world perceives you. Even after designing their website, countless business owners make common branding mistakes that sabotage their growth. Don’t worry; awareness is the first step.
In this article, we’ll expose these pitfalls and offer practical advice to help you build a strong, profitable brand.
5 Common Branding Mistakes Affecting Your Business
Let’s face it: branding can be a minefield. It’s easy to stumble into traps that undermine your efforts and cost you valuable time and resources. Below, we’ll pinpoint some of the most common branding mistakes and, more importantly, how to steer clear of them.
Confusing Marketing with Branding
Yeah, this one’s a doozy. Branding is defining who or what your brand is – and marketing is making other people aware of it. (Marketing is mostly about distribution). They’re closely related with multiple crossovers, but not being clear on the differences means you can’t do either effectively.
Think of branding as building the foundation of your business, and marketing as building the house on top. Before you start shouting about your amazing house (marketing), you need a solid blueprint for it (branding). Develop a brand strategy document that outlines your brand’s mission, vision, values, target audience, and key attributes.
Still confused? Here’s a pro tip: take care of branding first, then tackle marketing second.
Equating a Logo to Branding
Another common branding mistake is to think deisgn = branding, even though sometimes people equate the two. Branding is bigger than one or two brand assets, like business cards or even a logo, but branding is the conceptual act of defining your business, not just making some pretty designs in the company colours.
Now, don’t get us wrong – logos are important. Your logo is a vital visual symbol, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Consider these crucial elements of your broader brand identity:
- Colour palette: Choose colours that evoke the right mood and resonate with your audience.
- Typography: Select fonts that align with your brand’s personality.
- Messaging: Craft a brand tagline and elevator pitch
- Brand voice: Develop a consistent tone across all written communication.
Skipping Professional Help
Many business owners say, “Oh, I understand design and branding, I will set things up myself.” Sure, some lucky entrepreneurs have a solid understanding of psychology, graphic design, fonts, and copywriting, but many more don’t. Branding is significantly more complicated than it first seems, which is why we think you should always hire a professional.
While DIY branding might be tempting, remember that effective branding requires a diverse skill set. A professional branding agency or consultant brings expertise in:
- Market research
- Strategic thinking
- Design principles
- Copywriting
Lack of Consistent Messaging Across Platforms
Imagine your brand as a person. If that person changed their personality, style, and opinions every day, would you trust them? The same goes for your business. Sending mixed messages across your website, social media, and marketing materials leaves customers confused and erodes trust (one major reason people outsource their social media)
Instead, develop a clear brand message and tone of voice guide. Ensure all communications stay “on-brand.”
Trying to Appeal to Everyone
Trying to please everyone is a recipe for a bland, forgettable brand. It dilutes your message and weakens your brand. Instead, conduct thorough market research to understand your ideal customer.
Also, conduct in-depth audience research through surveys, customer interviews, and analyzing social media followers. Create detailed customer personas that include demographics, interests, and pain points.
This hyper-focus guides your branding and attracts devoted customers. This focused understanding will make your branding resonate deeply with the right people.
Get Started
This is exactly what we do at EdensDigital, we are keen on ensuring we take all this stress off you and build a brand that is global, profitable and makes fewer branding mistakes
Let’s Talk about your business or Idea today, Click here to Get Started.
