10 Branding Mistakes Startups Need to Avoid
Branding is an essential part of building a thriving startup. You can’t do without having a strong brand!
However, in the process of branding your startup, you shouldn’t make some branding mistakes. A little branding mistake can go a long way in sabotaging your brand’s reputation.
Credit: Giphy.com
Branding mistakes spread faster, and you have to do all you can to avoid them.
Not clearing defining who you are: First, before you clearly define who you are; you need to have an appropriate name. The name you pick has to be meaningful and clearly represent your company. You also need to ensure that the name you choose doesn’t have a negative meaning in another state or country. Likewise, you need to start your vision, mission, and core values so that
Not having a clear target audience: Your target audience is important because they are the ones you want to get their attention. And so, if you haven’t clearly identified who your target audience is, their location, their likes, and dislikes, their needs and wants, then that is a mistake as your communication would be lopsided.
Not thinking long-term: When you are choosing a brand colour, a name, a logo, or any other thing for your brand; you need to think long-term. Think about the long-term effects of your choices.
Brand inconsistency: How consistent is your branding across all platforms? How consistent is your messaging? Do you confuse your audience with your communication or is it easy for them to recognize your brand when they come across it?
Not having a clear USP: Your USP is your Unique Selling Proposition; it is what stand you apart from your competition. And so, if you don’t find out what your USP is, it would be difficult to convince your target audience why they should buy from you.
Not investing in your brand: If you don’t invest in your brand, how do you expect to get the right returns? Don’t pay for an awful logo when you can invest in a proper logo. You have to learn to pay to play.
Not having a clear brand guideline: Your brand guideline is always helpful. Imagine you are trying to onboard a social media manager for your brand, with your brand guideline it would be easy for the person you are onboarding to know all he or she needs to know about your communication and brand.
Not thinking globally: When choosing all the required brand elements for your start-up, you need to think globally. Think about the relevance of your choices in the global scene.
Not engaging with your audience: Your audience is important, and you should always seek to engage with them. For instance, on social media, engagement is the currency and if you don’t engage your communication would be one-way.
Lack of innovation and research: Your brand should invest in research, and you should keep evolving. An evolving brand is a thriving brand. You have to keep researching and staying up-to-date in your field.
What branding mistakes have you made before now? We would love to hear from you below.
