5 Crucial Branding Mistakes to Avoid?

Digital Marketing
#1

Start-ups and small businesses are often too caught up in the technicalities of the business—customer acquisition, sales, overhead costs, product quality, the list goes on. Branding, among other equally important things like digital marketing, is often put on the back burner.

Without a proper branding strategy, businesses risk selling and marketing products without a clear vision of who they are. The quality of they communicate to consumers will also be compromised, and create ripple effects on brand recognition, customer experience & loyalty, and profitability. The same goes for established companies. Straying from the brand could cost millions in lost sales.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been in business for decades, here are crucial branding mistakes you should avoid:

1. Not Having Brand Guidelines

A [survey performed by LucidPress (in partnership with Demand Metric) revealed that organizations with consistent branding experience three to four times better visibility than those that are inconsistent. Among the study’s 200 participants, 71 percent agreed that the creation of confusion in the market is the biggest negative impact of brand inconsistency.

2. Underestimating the Importance of a Logo

The logo is the face of the company. It’s the most recognizable feature of your brand. If you don’t do it properly in the beginning, changing it in the future may become a problem, especially when you haven’t fully established your presence in the market yet.

3. Using Vague or Inaccurate Copy

Unclear or over-the-top copywriting is a common mistake many brands make. All too often, companies publish copies that don’t always offer an accurate description of who they are. Some would resort to buzzwords, jargon, and generic content as opposed to personalizing content to their audience.

4. Not Proofreading Before Publishing Content

When you’ve become too familiar with your work, there’s a tendency to overlook errors. These can be minor spelling mistakes or offensive content that tarnish your brand reputation. But whatever it is, not reviewing your content before publishing is a mistake you need to avoid.

5. Neglecting Customer Experience

Know that logo designs or ad campaigns are important, but how your audience reacts to them is just as crucial. Branding is all about creating the right image of your product. But knowing how your customers feel about should also be a big consideration.