Your brand is your business, so make sure that you do the best that you can for your brand. Here are some mistakes to avoid making when developing your brand into something memorable.
Say what?? Your name must be easy to remember, and easy to pronounce – and this goes for your domain name too. You might think your name is great, but if it’s hard for someone else to say it or spell it, you are already losing potential customers. I find that people are quick to put contact numbers on their marketing material, but the chances are that people will remember an email address before they remember a phone number.
DIY! Don’t design your own logo (if you aren’t a designer!) Your logo is your most visible part of your brand. Make sure that it’s done by a professional who has the skill and eye for an amazing logo that you can live with for a long time. A logo that you’ve put together in MS Word is not going to cut it if you’re in this for the long haul. Spend the money now- your brand is worth it!
Social media is great – but check yourself. I think a lot of businesses have endured steep learning curves when it comes to using social media and having it work for them. Make sure you have a strategy before you embark on any great social media adventures for your brand. It’s not as easy as you think to get a “like”, but when you’ve irritated your social media audience with too much information, incorrect information or no real information at all, they will “unlike” you in a flash. Have a plan.
Consistency in your message is vital. What do I mean? Your logo is only the start of the story that is your brand. You have this great logo developed, but when you send an email, does your logo get dumped at the end of it? Or does your email signature tell more of your brand’s story? What about gmail? Are you still using a gmail account for email? Many small (and not so small) businesses have not spent a small amount of money registering a domain and email addresses that tell more of your brand’s story. Every aspect and element of your brand should be consistent it telling your story. Be professional, be consistent.
It can take years to establish your business in the market. Don’t lose the ground you’ve gained by making mistakes that could easily have been avoided.
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Reference: Scott Mickelson www.scottmickelson.com