Four Common Branding Mistakes Made by New Businesses

Common Branding Mistakes – Branding is the visible component of any business, and in this superficial world that we find ourselves in, how your business looks has an enormous impact on how interested people are going to be in it and whether or not they want to part with their cash. Especially if your target market is a younger one, consider how many services and retailers will be offering a very similar product to your own. With such fierce competition, standing out from the crowd is the difference between business success and lacklustre forecasts. Read on for the common mistakes made by newbies in the vicious world of branding.

Lack of Consistency

Before you send something out, way before your website goes live, you want to know what your tagline is, who your audience is, what kind of copy you require (keywords and phrases that will identify you), what your colour scheme is and finally, who your business is. Treat business development the same way that teenagers treat their outfit choices; you will want to experiment with a number of different styles and identities before getting your template. The only difference is, that once you’ve created your brand, you have to stick to it.

Of course, tweaking happens, as does a rebranding, but so long as the core themes of your brand remain stable, you will still be recognizable. Think about all the successful companies, such as Kit Kat, Apple and Google. They may have adapted their packaging or gimmicks, however, most things are kept the same.

Single Platform Launches

The key to being visible is to operate over as many different platforms as possible. Gone are the days when all you had to do was put an advert in a local newspaper. Now, you need to look into Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and, of course, you also need a good website. The latter is perhaps the most important as it is where your customers will be directed to, and unless it is convincing, they are not likely to part with their dollars. Your website is the stable aspect of your multi-platform approach; all the other mediums are changeable and subject to decisions beyond your control. With the availability of design software, making a convincing looking website is now far more attainable than it has been previously. You also need to ensure that you do not let yourself down when it comes to hosting; make sure to use a well-known and comprehensive service like bestwebhosting.co.uk for affordable and reliable web hosting.

Trying to Please Everybody

If you know your business, you also know your target audience. There is no point trying to appeal to every single person because you just won’t, and you risk losing your core customer assets by being too vague. Think about other popular businesses, and how they got there. Make sure that a bit of personality shows through, as nobody likes a bland person, and nobody will pay for a bland business or service. Even if you have a consistent, local customer base by not making yourself distinct, you are likely to be forgotten if a competitor with a good sense of humor and online presence comes along.

Overexposure

Yes, you read that correctly. Phineas Barnum had it wrong when he said that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Whilst you want to get your brand out there, you still need to be choosey about where you put it. In other words, use your brand, company name and logo sparingly and with consideration. When you attach your brand name to something, especially to sponsorships or events, it must comply with your brand’s voice and values. If it does not, you risk devaluing the message of your brand and you will seem inconsistent and perhaps even untrustworthy.