Building a small business brand has its challenges. But by avoiding these simple (but unfortunately common) brand mistakes, you will save your business from brand failure.
Do I know you?
Not knowing who you are marketing to is a BIG no-no. It’s vital that you are specific with the types of customers you’re going after. You can’t be everything to everyone or you’ll be nothing to no one (clever!).
Think about your ideal customer and their qualities: age, gender, geography, interests, triggers and lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to define your market in public. By having a defined position, your customers will come to think that you understand their needs.
Taking the brand journey with no direction
Your brand needs general brand guidelines (like a map) that dictate how your identity elements should be used in different situations. From online to offline your brand should appear consistent across all mediums.
Your guidelines should include:
- Brand colours
- Taglines
- Fonts and typography
- The “voice” used in your branded materials
- Imagery
Clearly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. If other branding characteristics exist that define your business, include it in the brand guidelines documentation. Without these guidelines, your branding efforts will lack the consistency and direction needed for success.
Need help building your small business brand? Let’s talk.
See you next week,
Darnelle
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