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Can you imagine having the ability to make other people buy your product/ service just by positioning your brand in the market?

That’s exactly what a brand strategy does.

Think of the last time you paid for a product because of the reputation made or your loyalty to it. That’s a brand strategy and marketing in action.

This is more common on social media networks.

Companies invest their time and money in getting a brand established.

The reality of the matter is that a branding mistake would sabotage your brand. The case also applies to the most popular brand in the world.

So, it’s all about positioning your brand.

As human beings, we respond to what influences our thinking and decision-making process. For example, we’re more likely to do the same thing as what we see people doing.

So with the right strategy to promote your brand, your products would sell like crazy.

That said, there are some pitfalls to avoid when creating a branding strategy.

It’s not as simple as just picking a design agency and throwing money at them. If you do that, you could waste thousands of dollars.

If you’re interested in branding strategy, this article will help you figure out what not to do.

 

The 7 Most Fatal Branding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

All branding mistakes are not created equal. It can be done deliberately or unknowingly. Either way, when you’re just starting out, repercussions can be much more serious than that of an established business because chances are, there’s nothing to fall back on.

Being aware of the most common branding mistakes can help ensure your brand avoids them in the future, so with that in mind, here are some of the biggest mistakes brands routinely make.

Below are the most common branding mistakes that could kill your brand.

 

1. Branding without focusing on experience.

Without a doubt, having a strong brand is always advantageous. It can create a positive perception among your customers and make it enormously easier to sell.

While branding can help to create a positive perception about your product, your customers? experience with your product/service is even more important.

Unfortunately, many mistakenly perceive the brand as a logo, an ad campaign or the beauty of product packaging. Ultimately, your brand is the emotion that a customer feels when thinking about your product.

To improve the customer experience focus, be timely in resolving customer service issues. Whether it’s being implemented on a live chat on your website or responding to emails within 24 hours, establish a quick response to customers.

 

2. Inconsistency across different platforms

A brand style guide is one of the prescribed documents by design agencies, designers and digital marketers in ensuring consistency in all forms of communication.

A big mistake is the inconsistency of company, organization, and brand ruining the positive reputation developed appearing unprofessional and losing identity, making your brand less trustworthy.

Managing brand consistency across all marketing channels sets you apart from your competitors and helps you to accelerate the growth of your brand.

A consistent identity for your brand will not only create a sense of trust and comfort for potential customers, but it also plays a vital role in influencing your customers’ purchasing decisions.

Secondly, consistently follow the brand’s style guide on all your marketing campaigns across different channels, including your website, social networking profiles and printed materials.

 

3. Not Contracting a professional Design Agency.

Nothing can hurt your brand worse than an amateur-looking design.

No matter if you feel OK with the logos of the graphics standards of your brand, it’s always worth taking the time and spending money to hire a professional design agency specializing in branding and logo development.

Ask your the contracted design agency or designer to create a brand style guide that defines the colour palette, typography, visual style, imagery, etc., so that you can follow consistently on all your marketing channels.

Point to note, creating a style guide is one thing, while proactive monitoring of how the guide is being used is another.

 

Related: How Design Mistakes Could Hurt Your SEO Effort and How to Avoid

 

Many people just pick any agency in their niche and reach out to them.

This is a pretty bad approach.

The agency you choose has to fit your brand. They have to share your values and believe in your product.

You wouldn’t want to make the worst marketing mistake when a design agency goes against the values you stand for as a company.

So it?s crucial that you find the right agency for you.

 

4. Underestimating content and relevant messaging strategy

To make your brand stand out, understand the one thing that makes your brand unique and explains it clearly and accurately.

Marketing demands you reinvent your approach while targeting your customers. But this must not be at the expense of losing the core messaging of your brand.

A loosely-planned marketing initiative can be made a compelling one by merely coming up with suitable content, targeted at customers. Analyze your audience profile and keep their preferred content along with the relevant messaging strategy at the core of your marketing initiatives.

So, content plays a vital role in customer acquisition and retention, and so does brand positioning.

Too many brands fall victim to poor copywriting that doesn’t accurately define the company.

Using vague copy to describe your brand can be a major setback when it comes to positioning your brand in the market and distinguishing yourself from the competitors.

While it might be difficult to express clearly, the all-time marketing advice for good copywriting can be applied – focus on benefits, not features.

Below are a few more tips that you may find helpful when describing your brand:

  • Use a conversational tone of voice that reflects how your customers actually speak.
  • To make a positive perception, get to know what makes your customers tick, and try to tap into their psyche.
  • Avoid repetitive language.

As a single mistake can derail your branding efforts, fixing it in the early stage of establishing your brand may save a lot. The simple truth is that it can be harder to reverse your branding efforts.

Related: How to Building A Strong Brand Identity For a Startup

 

5. Neglecting the relevance of mobile users

When it comes to digital marketing there is an increased shift to use of mobile phones.

Mobile phones now comprise 65% of total digital media consumption (Source:) and are coming to the forefront more strongly with increasing smartphone penetration and internet adoption.

Irrespective of your preferred channel, mobile must reflect strongly in your short-term and long-term branding strategy.

 

Conclusion

Leveraging the power of branding is really no different from any other marketing strategy.

Utilizing analytics can ensure your brand avoids detrimental branding mistakes.

As brand marketing moves to a high pace, there’s a tendency to always overlook the next move and focus on the less important factors. But developing an awareness and understanding of the audience is one of the best ways to pave a path to the growth of your brand.

 

Have you made any of these mistakes before? Share in the comments below how you tackled it.

Paul Simiyu

Founder and Team Lead of Simpaul Design, a brand strategy and design agency in Nairobi, Kenya. Here at Simpaul Design, we work with brands across various categories with a focus on connecting with consumers and building brands that people want to be a part of. We specialize in brand identity and strategy, UX/UI, and brand transformation.