Building a brand requires a ton of effort and time. It goes beyond just an idea. If you want to improve your branding, you must develop everything from your logo, to determining whom is your desired demographic, to your strategies, to figuring out who is your competition.
Each of these are integral parts of creating a successful brand. Having a crisp, clean, professional brand that is consistent creates your reputation. Without a solid brand, your ideal client doesn’t understand who you are – typically leading to a decrease in sales!
Here are five big mistakes that you may be making and how to improve your branding moving forward!!
You do not know who your audience is, or you do not listen to your audience
Your audience, your customers, your clients…whomever it may be, are the people who give you feedback and perspectives on what you are selling. If you can’t give the customer what he or she wants and needs, you will lose sales. Recognize what your target demographic is looking for and incorporate it into your brand. If your customer is happy, it will reflect in your sales.
You do not keep up with your social media accounts
Social media is one of the most important and influential ways of communicating, branding, and publicizing today. Without it, so many brands and organizations would have a lot more trouble getting their name out to the public. Not only is social media such a strong platform to be known, it is totally necessary to interact and engage with others. If someone asks a question via a tweet or even a comment on your Instagram photo, you must respond efficiently. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just a small fraction of all the social media sites out there, and they have become top forms of communication all around the globe.
You don’t research your competitors
How can you stay ahead of the competition, if you don’t know what your competitors are doing? It’s important to be proactive and keep up with the products, launches, and marketing strategies of your competitors. Your brand needs to be specific to you and needs to set you apart from your competitors – and show why a client should buy from you versus buy from someone else!
Your brand is inconsistent and you miss the mark to improve your branding
Everything from your logo, to the fonts you use, to how many times you create blog posts, to your website, to your overall marketing strategy all come into play in your branding. Consistency creates familiarity, and an audience will recognize your brand if all facets of it are consistent.
Your budget is too low
It is certainly worth the money to invest in a professional who is skilled in brand development to help your brand flourish. If you have the right resources from the beginning, it will save you from big headaches surrounding your business down the road.
If you feel like you are making any of these mistakes, I encourage you to do a brand audit right away!