Brand management is one of the most important parts of marketing. It can be a time consuming process and require a lot of work to create a brand image that people like and trust, but in an instant, all that work can be completely undone.
Here are our top 10 common oversights which can severely damage your brand
1. You’re unaware what your customers think
By conducting market research, you are giving yourselves a head start in directly understanding exactly what it is your customers think of your marketing campaigns and how your business is portrayed as a whole. Find out what it is you’re doing right and what can be improved. In time, when you’ve made sufficient improvements for the general consensus to provide a positive review, you can then reap the rewards by sharing the reflective testimonials on your website and social media.
2. You have no logo
It sounds obvious but there are people who will avoid paying for a professional logo design so that they can invest in other areas of their business. In making this choice, you are wasting an opportunity to start raising awareness and building your identity. Although we advise against purchasing an off the shelf package which notoriously cost very little, you don’t have to blow your entire marketing budget for the year on a logo. You just need to realise that investing in an agency who take the time to learn and understand your business and your market really is money well spent.
3. There is a lack of cohesion
By setting simple standards within your business for your staff to follow in terms of a brand guideline, you will ensure the same message is consistently delivered to your clients when describing who you are and what you do as well as avoiding a less than professional looking image in important correspondence with prospects and customers.
4. Your branding is inconsistent
Over time, it’s inevitable that you’ll make changes to your brand. As your audience grows, you need to adapt. But don’t be tempted to make changes too often. You’ll undoubtedly have branded material in circulation and constant updates will render inconsistencies, leading to a weakening of recognition. The occasional refresh is okay but ensure when you do make updates, you implement these changes universally throughout your business wherever any of your branding elements appear.
5. You’ve not refreshed for a long time
Tired looking signage that you use at events or display outside your office sends out an unintentional message that your agency is not performing well. First impressions count for a lot so if these suggest that you lack care or attention to detail, you’re going to find it much more challenging convincing others to do business with a business that seems to have stopped caring.
6. You don’t have a branded email signature
Email signatures are another opportunity to increase recognition for your agency but are often undervalued as a part of your branding but if anything, they’re one of the most important. It’s highly likely that it will be circulated more than any other aspect of your marketing collateral so naturally, careful consideration should go how it appears. Keep it simple. Rather than listing every phone number or location, a small logo with the most important information will provide much more impact and clarity, ensuring people can quickly find it and connect with you.
7. Your website is outdated
In the digital age, an effective online presence is the backbone for any business. It therefore must not be overlooked or neglected at any point. You must commit to keeping it up-to-date and fresh. Fail to do so and you risk losing prospects to your competition. Arrange to have your website reviewed on a regular basis, consistently making it part of your regular marketing activities so you won’t miss updating stale or missing information.
8. You lack a social media presence
Similarly to your website, social media serves a crucial role in the digital marketing success for your business. Even if you have varying usage preferences for certain platforms, it would be foolish to totally ignore any all together. With all the options available, it is important to form a strategy to ensure it doesn’t become a drain on your time. Various tools are available that can help you manage your social media profiles to schedule posts ahead of time.
9. You lack originality
When starting out in business, it’s only natural to observe your industry and aspire to be like the guys at the top; the benchmark for success. Although you’ll be desperate to make your mark and get noticed from day one, using intimidating tactics by mirroring their strategies is not a good idea. Differentiating yourself on the other hand will accentuate what makes you unique and give you an opportunity to showcase why being different makes you better.
10. You’re trying to be everything to everyone
It’s understandable that you want to be known as a business who is there to help all; that you are a generalist – because you don’t want to lose out of potential clients. But the truth is this generalist approach means you are ultimately spreading yourselves too thin and will fail to convince potential new customers that you are experts at anything. If you want to hire any professional, you want to know in confidence that you are hiring the best in their profession. Identify a niche for your business and you’re much more likely to bring in more sales.