No one wants to make branding mistakes!

Figuring out how to get your message to the business owners who need your product or service isn’t an easy task. You can throw a lot of money at promotions and not get much out of it. The key is often to nail your branding efforts. When people need what you offer, yours should be the first name they think of. It’s easy to see why brand recognition is important but more difficult to figure it out.

What are some common branding mistakes?

The global marketing industry rose 150% in 2022, hitting pre-pandemic levels and reaching beyond. People spend years at college learning the ins and outs of marketing efforts. However, all the training doesn’t always apply to real world scenarios and much of what works for an individual organization comes down to trial and error.

Fortunately, you can avoid some of the biggest branding mistakes by being aware of the top ones other B2B businesses make.

Mistake #1: Being inconsistent

In the quest to build a name for your company, you might try a wide variety of marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, consistency can sometimes fall to the side. Customers may not trust you to mean what you say if your message is always different.

The best way to ensure you show a consistent image is to create a brand style guide. At a minimum, use the same logo, colors, text and wording across different advertising mediums. They want to know you’re steady and reliable.

Also, be aware of the promises and offers you make in your advertising efforts. You don’t want to say you are offering your biggest discount of 10% and then have an ad stating your product is on sale for 15% off. Make sure marketing and sales both know what deals are going on and what promises were made.

Mistake #2: Underimpressing employees

Your staff has a lot of say about how local people see your brand. Those who work for you have family and friends. They’ll share what they do and what they think about their employer. Some of those people may own the very companies you’re trying to market to or have ties to them in some way.

Before you try to brand your company in the eyes of customers, consider how your staff sees your brand. Do they fully understand the mission? Does your message match your core beliefs as a business?

Ask your workers to share your message with others. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways to spread the word, so tap into the power by asking employees for help.

Mistake #3: Leaning on trends

In the business world, trends come and go. One colour palette might be popular for a minute but will soon fade away in preference for another. Although it’s smart to be aware of what’s popular, don’t build too many campaigns around trendy things.

You also must know your customers. Do they concern themselves with trends or are they more traditional? It’s fine to tap into what’s important to your customers, but don’t get so caught up in a moment of popularity that you forget who you are. Having your mission and values written out helps you refer back to them when you need to get back on track.

Mistake #4: Letting others drive the narrative

Many companies don’t pay attention to the feedback on their company and products. However, you may miss out on a lot of branding opportunities if you don’t change the narrative in your favor.

One way to drive your brand image through the words of others is via influencers. Experts estimate influencer marketing is a £13.19 billion industry globally. Reach out to the ones who are most likely to work with you to drive your image the way you want it.

Spend a bit of time looking at reviews, particularly any poor ones. What can you do to make the situation better match how you want your brand to be seen? Can you reach out to discontented customers and offer to find a solution?

Use negative feedback to spur your company on to better practices. Fix any ongoing issues and make sure they match the image you want for your brand.

Mistake #5: Ignoring the power of research

Figuring out how to showcase brand image requires fully understanding the target audience. B2B companies sometimes make the mistake of not digging deeply enough into what their clients want. They may serve other brands in a variety of industries, making it difficult to form a connection on messaging.

However, with enough work, you can find patterns in the brands you serve. Be sure to dig into the analytics of past sales. What types of things were most popular with your audience? Talk to customer service about any issues customers have phoned with. How can you fix those things in the next release of software or product? If you can solve the problem before it happens, your brand image will improve drastically.

Also, send out surveys and ask your customers what they want. What are their expectations from their purchase? For example, if you sell a program that allows small businesses to offer products via an online shopping cart, perhaps most of your customers want the ability to send a custom invoice on order rather than paying for separate software to do so. Incorporate invoicing into your next software as a service update.

Look for the little details

When it comes to branding your business for the long-term, you need to be aware of the tiny factors that influence how others see you. Make sure you’re remaining consistent and repeating marketing efforts that enhance your brand image. With time, people will rely on you to remain consistent and will turn to your brand when they have a need you to offer a solution for.