Good branding is a key part of attracting customers to your business, while doing it poorly may drive them away. Keep reading to find out how to avoid common mistakes in this process.

Mistake 1: Lack of Consistency

All branding efforts should fall under pre-established guidelines that cover elements such as tone, spokespeople, imagery use, colors, taglines, and typography. As Forbes.com puts it, “company visuals” should “match across all platforms, including your website, social media accounts, print materials and ads.” Messages that come from the same company yet lack consistency can confuse potential customers and lack the punch they need to stick in people’s minds.

Mistake 2: Complicated Elements

Somewhat similar to the consistency mistake, companies that make their brand too complicated are making an error. Keep your brand on the simple side, because complicated logos or messaging are less likely to stick in customer’s minds. For examples of simple yet effective branding, take a look at the iconic logos of companies like Volkswagen and Coca-Cola.

Mistake 3: Vague Elements

While you do not want your brand to be complicated, you also do not want your messaging to verge on vagueness or rely on cliched catchphrases. Think about what product or service your company provides and then boil that down to a clear, direct message.

Mistake 4: Not Responding

Branding is not unidirectional. Especially with social media efforts, customers and potential customers will be tempted—even encouraged—to interact with your company. Highlight praise from commentators and take steps to constructively address criticism.

Mistake 5: Not Guarding Your Brand

An often-overlooked part of branding is playing defense—that is, protecting your brand. Once a company’s brand becomes successful, imitators may seek to steal elements of it to push their own goods and services. On the less-insidious but still-damaging side, partners or media outlets may misuse your brand. Legal action is not always necessary in these instances, but you should still keep an eye out.

To learn more about other business topics, visit the rest of the blog posts from Avery James.