When I say the word brand, what comes to your mind?

It could be a company name, a product or even a person’s name. Many entrepreneurs start by branding their name first before moving into a product or company brand.

No matter what brand you are trying to build, there are certain mistakes you do not want to make. Some of those mistakes can decimate your brand. Other mistakes can cause enough problems that you will have to make some major moves to “fix” what the mistake caused. And other mistakes can come back and “haunt” you after you have built the brand to high recognition.

So instead of learning by experience, why not learn from other entrepreneur’s failures and mistakes?

Don’t make these 6 mistakes and you can build a solid brand.

Build A Solid Brand #1: Not Being Consistent

The whole idea in building a brand is being recognizable from others. Consumers will not remember your brand if you are changing

• colors
• fonts
• logo designs
• backgrounds
• and your voice

Keep it consistent and your brand can become a household name.

Build A Solid Brand #2: Not Knowing Your Competitors

While your primary focus should be on the consumer, you DO need to know the competition. There are 2 areas you need to focus on in regards to competitor knowledge:

1. Doing it better
2. and even more important, How is your brand different?

Build A Solid Brand #3: Not Having Visual Appeal

Your brand needs to have a visual appeal in that, it attracts members of your target market. Just think of the pink and blue razors… How many men buy the pink ones? Only those guys who were ordered to buy their wife or girlfriend razors!

Visual appeal takes in many factors. Not only coloring, but packaging, shape and even the material can play a huge role in brand awareness.

Many businesses use A/B testing to find the perfect appeal system.

Build A Solid Brand #4: Being A Clone

Let me start off by saying that there are many businesses doing great numbers and they are essentially “clones.” They are “knock offs” of well-known brands.

Maybe there sales are great but what happens when that product is no longer a fad or needed? The known brand will create new products and will be recognized because of their brand, but the clone will have to work twice as hard because no one knows who they are.

Build A Solid Brand #5: Not Enticing A Brand Lifestyle

When you consider major brands, what about them makes you remember them so well?

The most recognized brands have created a complete lifestyle…

• John Deere makes great tractors, but also has cool hats, toys and much more. Some people have their house decorated in John Deere Green.
• Coca Cola has the soda people seem to be addicted to. But the Coca Cola lifestyle has given their brand a wholeness.

You can really get your brand recognized by putting your colors and logo on

• T shirts and other clothing like hats
• Coffee mugs
• Artwork
• Etc…

Build A Solid Brand #6: Not Thinking Before Talking Or Posting

I like to say there is a “fine line” between being true and authentic to potential customers and brand building.

A great example is the recent situation with Papa Johns.

Just because of one “slip of the tongue,” the brand now has the original founder and spokesman abandoned and the brand has taken a strong hit in revenues.

Before you post or speak, consider how it could be perceived. That means looking at all potential perceptions because what you mean may not be perceived that way.

It is usually wise to keep politics and religion opinions to yourself.

Conclusion

If you are currently making any of these brand building mistakes, I suggest you HALT!

There are many other mistakes and I intend to follow up with more in future posts.

In the meantime, I want to say that one huge brand builder is a highly motivated entrepreneur behind the “brand wheel.” So click here and get the free course, 7 Days To Unstoppable Motivation.

That’s it for now as we take your business… Your brand…

To The Top!