Top 10 mistakes to avoid in your branding
If you are like me, you want to avoid any missteps in what you are doing in your business. I know it is impossible to go through your entrepreneurial journey without any mistakes. After all, we are all just making things up as we go sometimes. But, you sure want to do your best to avoid at least the most common ones. So you can always work with your dream clients and charge what you're worth.
Not too long ago, I asked members of business Facebook groups how many times they rebranded over the years before they decided to hire a pro. The numbers were pretty high. Some even lost count. Shocking because it is not very good if you want people to remember your brand. You need to show up consistently across all your platforms over a long period to get people's attention.
Now I know this is not the way you want to build your brand. I know you want to create an impact on every single viewer you have. So based on their answers, I gathered the top 10 mistakes these entrepreneurs made when they were DIYing their brands that lead them to rebrand over and over and lose years before they could take their brands to the next level.
Without further ado,
Top 10 most common mistakes to avoid in your branding
Not being consistent
Not being clear on who you want to work with
Not knowing why clients should choose you
Not showing up in line with your values
Not being clear in your messaging
Not evoking the right emotions
Not pricing yourself right
Not building a step by step customer journey
Not delighting your clients
Not inviting your past clients back for more
Let’s dive deeper into each one!
01. Not being consistent
Consistency over time is necessary when you run a business. You come across confident in who you are. By being consistent, you can show your potential clients that you are worthy of their trust. You position yourself as an industry pro who can lead them to reach their goals. They won't question your process.
02. Not being clear on who you want to work with
Let's be honest here. You are not everyone's cup of tea. As much as you want to work with and please everyone on this planet, you won't be able to. That's ok. You only want to work with those who energize you and inspire you to do your best work. And probably you see by now that if you do your best work on all of the people you work with, it is more likely they will recommend you to someone similar to them. Like attracts like.
03. Not knowing why clients should choose you
The questions clients ask before they invest money to work with you. "Why should I choose you?" "What is it going to say about me if I work with you?" "What tribe will I be joining?" Know your answers to these questions! So when they find you, they get these answers in your copy. They will feel like you are reading their minds!
04. Not showing up in line with your values
Know your values and show them in your business. We are in a "Human to Human" business. Showing what you stand for and believe in will reveals a human side that people can relate to and form an emotional bond. The more you show them, the more you will attract like-minded people and deter those you don't want to work with anyway. Stand for something!
05. Not being clear in your messaging
Derivative of the mistakes above, you are not clear in your messaging. If you don't know who you are talking to and don't know why clients should choose you, you cannot address these in your messaging. Hence your clients will be confused and will keep other alternative solutions in mind. Most likely, they will decide on price if the other options made the same mistakes or go with the one who did the groundwork and had a clear messaging.
06. Not evoking the right emotions
Just like messaging, evoking the right emotions won't happen unless you are clear on all of the above. Filter emotions you want to portray in your business through your branding efforts as well. If you wish to work with high-energy and exciting clients, you can't use luxurious colors and write posts in a flirty voice. See? It is always about that gut feeling.
07. Not pricing yourself right
"How much should I charge?" "Is my work worth $5k?" "What should I be doing to be able to charge $10k?" Pricing is a biggie in all industries. If you price yourself too low, you attract nightmare clients who are not loyal and always decide based on price only. If you price yourself too high, you won't have clients. Do a bit of research amongst your peers. Find the people you feel are on your level of expertise and find ones who are a few years ahead of you. Knowing this will help you see what your work is worth right now, and it will give you the inspiration to grow and better yourself to be able to charge more.
08. Not building a step-by-step customer journey
Having step-by-step frameworks always help processes. They not only speed up things but allow you to be consistent in your work. Ask yourself, "What steps do I want my client to take at each stage?" "What will be the next step I want them to do to gain more trust and purchase my high ticket offer?". Begin with the awareness phase, when they first learn about you, then move onto the next consideration phase followed by the trial phase.
09. Not delighting your clients
You're probably asking. "Delighting clients? Why do I need to do that?" Well, if your clients are happy with your work and feel delighted, your retention and referral rates will go up. So now think of each happy client as money in the bank over time. How can you brighten their day? A thoughtful client goodbye package? A free class if they invite a friend? A coupon for coffee after a hard day? You decide! Small, thoughtful acts can go a long way over time.
10. Not inviting your past clients back for more
You always want to invite your client back for more! You create loyal fans over time who will share your social posts, download your newest freebie, and jump on your newest offer without any hesitation about price. How can you invite people back to your brand? What else can you offer?
Do you see? The most common mistakes in branding are not all about colors, fonts, and pretty images. It is much deeper than those finishing touches. It is the relationship between the core of your business and your clients. The rest is to help you amplify your true essence that potential clients first see.
Do you need some help? Let's hop on a virtual coffee break and chat!
