Without knowing you, I can guarantee you’ve been a consumer for almost your entire life. Businesses compete for your attention AND your coins. Now, as a business owner, you’re on the other side of that contest. It’s imperative that your branding is in tip top shape so you can differentiate yourself from the competition.
If you want to be successful, you have to make sure your branding is on point. Think of it as a GPS; if you nail down your branding, you’ll lead your dream clients straight to you and your offers.
So, how do you know if you’re leaving your audience hanging? Check this list for signs your branding is not hittin’.
14 Signs Your Branding Needs Help
1 | Your logo is too busy.
Why is this a problem?
A lot of intricate detailing, while beautiful up close, can get distorted or lost entirely when scaled on larger touch points.
2 | Your logo looks old (and not in the cool retro way.)
Why is this a problem?
Your logo looks outdated and not in the cool nostalgic retro way. If your logo doesn’t look up with the times, then your audience will assume you aren’t either.
3 | Your logo is too on the nose.
Why is this a problem?
Trying to distinguish yourself and your brand by creating a logo that directly ties in and symbolizes what you do can backfire, because that’s what everyone else in your industry is probably doing. The name of the game is for your brand to be memorable. It’s kind of hard to do that if your logo resembles other brands in your industry.
4 | Your logo is too vague.
Why is this a problem?
A lot of intricate detailing, while beautiful up close, can get distorted or lost entirely when scaled on larger touch points.
5 | Your logo is unappealing.
Why is this a problem?
If your logo is, well, ugly, then it’s less likely to attract anyone – least of all your dream clients. Don’t let your desire to be unique, trendy, or minimal push you into choosing a logo that would be a disservice to you and your business.
6 | Your color scheme is boring.
Why is this a problem?
Remember, the name of the game (or at least one of them) is differentiation. You want to set yourself apart from your competition. One way you can do this is by thinking outside of the box and not doing what every other brand in your industry typically does when it comes to their color scheme.
7 | Your color scheme is too much.
Why is this a problem?
You’re doing the most and it shows. Bucking convention can be ok, but when you overdo it, it can come off as inauthentic and “out there” and you run the risk of losing leads or turning off your dream client.
8 | Your color scheme was chosen solely based on your personal preferences.
Why is this a problem?
Even though your branding is reflecting you as a business, you can’t forget that it is for your target audience. Choose a palette that you can live with but that also will appeal to your dream clients.
9 | Your color scheme isn’t accessible.
Why is this a problem?
Your audience is on a vast spectrum of ability and experience. Creating a visual brand identity that takes into account visually impaired individuals is a sure-fire way to not let anyone fall through the cracks when it comes to your visual identity and brand messaging.
10 | Your visual identity is inconsistent.
Why is this a problem?
Visual inconsistency creates a disjointed brand experience across the various marketing touchpoints; creating confusion, where your dream clients want and need clarity.
11 | You don’t have a brand style guide.
Why is this a problem?
This asset is your brand’s manual; the standard that guides content creators, marketing directors, and other team members in their efforts to market your brand consistently and effectively across every platform and touchpoint. Without this document, you risk inconsistency, and you already know that’s a big no-no!
12 | Your branding lacks storytelling.
Why is this a problem?
People don’t always buy based on what they know. Brand storytelling is an excellent way to make emotional connections with your audience, and it’s a great source of brand recognition. Without brand storytelling, who you are and what you do is falling by the proverbial wayside because your audience isn’t tethered emotionally to your brand AND you haven’t distinguished yourself from the competition in any way.
13 | You don’t know who your target audience is.
Why is this a problem?
You can’t market or speak to your dream clients if you don’t know who they are. You can’t create messaging that appeals to or resonates with them. Without targeted messaging, you might as well be talking to everyone and when you’re talking to everyone, you might as well be talking to no one.
14 | You don’t know who your competition is or what they’re doing.
Why is this a problem?
You can’t set yourself apart from your competition if you don’t know who they are. From setting your prices to creating services that benefit an underserved market to launching when your competitors aren’t, there are numerous advantages to doing your competitive research.
So, What’s Next for Your Branding?
If you noticed that more than 2 of these things are true about your brand, it needs a little TLC.
So, what do you do next? Weigh your options.
You can work with a brand designer, brand strategy consultant, or a branding agency.
Explore how your brand can go from meh to mesmerizing with some help from the pros.
If you know you’re ready for that TLC, schedule a brand audit with me, Vivid Visual Solutions’ Executive Brand Artisan.
