10 Common Branding Mistakes to Avoid as an Entrepreneur

Many of the mistakes businesses make regarding their branding come from not understanding what branding encompasses and the importance and power to grow your business. Here are some of the most common mistakes companies make regarding their branding and what to do instead.

#1
Jumping into creating brand visual design instead of starting with your brand foundations.

We’re all guilty of browsing Pinterest, swooning over beautiful brands, and attaching to a look right away.
But there is a super important step you need to take first to be successful. You need to get clarity on your brand foundations — who you are, what you offer, who you’re offering it to, and why it matters.
Also known as your brand statement, promise, personality, traits, tone of voice, and story.
You also need to define your mission or purpose, vision, values, unique value proposition, and target audience.

#2
Mistaking your company name and logo for your “brand.”
The truth is that while your name and logo are important, they represent your brand, they are not your brand in its entirety.
Your Brand is the sum of all of your customers’ experiences.
Branding is a collection of touchpoints that give a feeling and makes people remember your business beyond your company name and logo.
How do you make your customers feel?

#3
Confusing Branding and Marketing with each other.
Branding is the identity you create for your business.
Marketing is the actions you take to connect with your customers and get them to buy your products or services.
And how you portray your brand identity to consumers.
Branding and Marketing go together like peanut butter and jelly. You cannot be successful in your marketing without a solid branding strategy.

#4
Not being consistent, i.e., confusing the F*!cK out of your customers.
Let me put it this way.
There’s that dude in accounting who is always giving you a different answer, so you're never sure if you can really write off that expense or not.
Do you trust him? Heck no! Branding is the culmination of all the different touchpoints your customers' experience. Right? So if you're visuals and messaging are all over the place, how do you think that makes your customers feel?
Are you following me?

#5
Thinking that branding only matters for big businesses with big bank accounts. Wrong.
Branding matters for everyone.
While you will need time and money to invest in your branded materials, the essence of branding lies in the overall experience. How you treat your customers. How you talk to them.
And how you make them feel.
Honestly, all businesses, especially startups, need branding. Even if initially you focus on how you treat your customers every day, that is an important place to begin.

#6
Trying to do too many things.
You don’t need to go overboard when building your brand, especially when you’re just getting started. If you branch out into too many directions, you risk overpromising and underdelivering your products or services. Instead, focus on the value you can provide to your customers. Let your brand strategy foundations inform how you extend your brand into your communications and customer touchpoints. 

#7
Not being intentional with your brand.
The success of your business depends on how much your customers trust you. And to build a loyal base of customers who keep coming back to your products or services, you need to ensure you are being intentional. Your values are critical in building a brand, so be sure to highlight and carry your brand values throughout your messaging. Customers stick with brands they trust, and if you are not working to build that trust upfront, you are missing a huge opportunity and could be damaging your business in the long run.

#8
Thinking strategy is one-size-fits-all.
Despite what people may think, the brand strategy that works for one company may not work for another. Your business is unique, and it is important to approach your brand with the same mindset. Identify your strengths and play to them. 

#9
Thinking your brand must remain the same forever.
While consistency is essential to the health of your business, you are not tied to your brand decisions. Newsflash: Your brand constantly evolves and doesn’t need to remain static forever. In fact, a good business will ebb and flow as customer needs and trends change — so be flexible!

#10
Not hiring a professional branding expert to help.
While you should feel empowered to take control of your business and make the hard decisions, there’s also no harm in asking for help when you need it. Hiring a brand coach, brand strategy consultant, or design team can help you navigate the sometimes-challenging branding process and give you a different perspective that comes with their expertise. 

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