(via TNJ) Contrary to what most people believe, a brand is more than just a logo, a name or a tagline. It is a representation of what your business is all about, and what it aspires to be. It also embodies all the promises you make to your customers. Needless to say, your brand can be one of your company’s most valuable assets so invest some time and effort in developing, nurturing and protecting it.
Unfortunately, some small businesses do not understand how powerful a brand can be so they do not give it much thought. There are also some that know the importance of building a strong brand so they give it a try. The only problem is that they don’t know how to do it. As a result, some end up doing more harm than good.
Beware of These Common Branding Mistakes:
To avoid doing irreparable damage to your brand and putting your reputation on the line, you need to be aware of the most common mistakes most small businesses make when developing and building a brand. Here are some of them.
•Sloppy brand logo design and tagline. Your brand logo is one of the very first things a potential customer notices so you need to pay particular attention when creating one. In the same manner, you need to come up with a catchy tagline to attract potential customers’ attention and increase your profits.
•Inconsistent branding. Consistency is key to branding success. While it is perfectly okay to play around with several messages during the early stages, you need to deliver a consistent message once you find one that works for your business. Live up to your brand message and avoid constant rebranding since it may reduce and damage your relationship with your customers and affect your bottomline.
•Neglecting customer experience. Your customers are the lifeblood of your business so keep them on top of your mind when developing your brand. Understand what they need and keep them interested by providing positive customer experience.
•Failure to establish a social media presence. Small businesses that fail to connect with their target market in social media are leaving money on the table for their competitors. Without a strong media presence, you can’t showcase your expertise, establish yourself as an authority in your field, and highlight what your brand is all about.
•Trying to appeal to everyone. You cannot please everybody so don’t even try. Instead, try to appeal to your core customers since it will give you more value for your money and produce better results.