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Building and growing a brand is not for the faint of heart. While some may think the only (or sometimes final) step of branding is simply creating a logo, it’s an ongoing process. From your brand identity to audience engagement to sales, branding requires quite a bit of nurturing. With so much to juggle, it’s possible you’ll find yourself dropping a ball here and there. BUT, let too many balls fall at once and you may just find your brand in the doghouse.
Keep reading for seven brand dangers to avoid.
Lack of Strategy
If your ultimate goal is to grow your brand, you need a strategy. No ifs, ands, or buts about it; without a well thought out brand strategy, it will suffer. A brand strategy is valuable because it impacts the way you market your brand and how you interact with your target audience.
When building a brand, you need to clearly define your brand’s values and mission, as well as what makes your brand unique and different from the competition. These are key pieces of your brand story, which gives it purpose and can leave a lasting impression on your audience.
A clear brand strategy will:
- Make it easy for your audience to understand who and what your brand is
- Impact why and how you engage with your audience
- Differentiate your brand from competitors
- Create consistent brand messaging
- Provide employees with an objective
- Lack of Consistency
What do the big dogz like Nike and Under Armour have in common? They’re easy to recognize! Nike fan or not, when you see a swoosh symbol or hear the phrase, “just do it,” you IMMEDIATELY think of Nike. So, how did the Nike brand become so recognizable? Consistency! Like a dog with a bone, Nike remained steadfast in their brand’s identity and message.
Consistency doesn’t just apply to big brands like Nike. It’s essential to building brand awareness for companies of any size. Every interaction with your audience has to do with your branding in some way. Whether a logo, tagline, or message, each element needs to be cohesive and align with your brand identity.
Your brand also needs to be PRESENT. That means showing up consistently and interacting with your audience. How? Post regularly to social media and create high-quality content for your audience on a consistent basis. Having a presence impacts your audience by building trust, encouraging engagement, and breeding loyalty.
Producing Low-Quality Content
Think of your brand as a way to build relationships with your audience. Focus solely on selling to your audience and you’re sure to wind up chasing a car you have no chance of catching. Instead, flip it head over tails with a serve first, buy later mentality.
Serving your audience means providing them with helpful and informative content for free. Yep, you read that right; for FREE! Just what kind of content are we talking about? It all depends on your strategy and goals but tried and true classics include blog posts, email marketing, and social media content. Deliver high-quality content to your audience and your brand will soon become a resource they trust. It’s a win-win!
Breaking Brand Promises
Brand loyalty is built on trust. It’s what drives consumers to reach for one brand over another and it’s what keeps customers coming back time and time again. While there’s always room to grow, you don’t want to stray too far from your original mission statement. Make it a point to deliver on your promises and if you find your brand has begun to shift, make sure it aligns with your new goals.
Underestimating Online Marketing Opportunities
For any brand to succeed, it needs to be SEEN. We’re living in a digital age and most, if not all target audiences can be found online in some way. One of the easiest ways to get your brand in front of your audience is to take advantage of online marketing opportunities. From paid ads to quality blog content, employing online channels expands your brand’s reach. The bigger the reach, the more your brand grows.
Not Listening to Your Audience
Every branding decision should be made with your audience in mind. Listening to your audience sets your brand up for success, creates new opportunities for growth, and can help you determine what to do next. Spend time where your audience hangs out, gather feedback from reviews and surveys, and scroll through comments. Are they struggling with something? Provide a solution. Is there a product or service they want but can’t find? Listen and fill the gap. Don’t waste time creating products and content your audience doesn’t want. Tell them who you are, what matters to you, and why you’re relatable to them.
Poorly Designed Website
Have you ever landed on a website and just thought, “NOPE”? First impressions matter, especially when it comes to your branding and website. No one wants to hang out on your website if it takes forever to load or looks like it hasn’t been updated since 1995. A good, high-quality website that loads quickly, is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly is key to attracting customers.
Feel like you’re always chasing your own tail when it comes to branding? The Cyberdogz team can teach you some new tricks! With a wide range of skills, we have the expertise to bring the vision of your brand to life and have you feeling like a top dog in no time. Contact our team to get started!