6 Pitfalls Entrepreneurs Fall Into When Branding Themselves

Entrepreneurs spend oodles of time and money getting a brand off the ground. The bitter truth, however, is that a slight branding mistake can cause insurmountable damage to a company’s credibility, and jeopardize even the most established brand across the globe. Of course, not all branding pitfalls are created equal.

While an entrepreneur can fall into a branding pitfall accidentally or deliberately, either way, the ramifications are far much worse for those starting out. Why? Because there’s a good reason a newbie entrepreneur has nothing to fall back on after such a repercussion.

Below are 6 branding pitfalls that could sabotage your company.

1. Getting too Creative with the Brand Name

There’s nothing wrong with a creative company or brand name. In fact, if done right, a creative name can resonate well with your target market. However, going overboard with it can confuse your target audience. The reality is, if your target customer cannot tell what you stand for and who you’re from your brand name, then your business will lose prospects from day 1.

You see, potential distributors, retailers, and customers have no time to figure out your brand, so make it effortlessly easy for them. After all, wouldn’t be nice if your brand name could do all the marketing for you? The bottom line is that you don’t have to push the envelope too much when it comes to coming up with a brand name.

2. Poor Copywriting

Too many newbie entrepreneurs fall victim to poor copywriting. If your copy is not good enough to accurately define your brand, it’ll become difficult to position your brand in the market. More than that, poor copywriting is a major setback when it comes to making your brand stand out in a sea of competition.

3. Thinking that you aren’t part of the brand

Most entrepreneurs often forget that they are part and parcel of the brand. It doesn’t matter how great the products are, if the entrepreneur has a bad public image, the customers will run out of the door. If you cannot maintain a character that’s in line with your brand, you’re doing more harm than good.

4. Not hiring a pro designer

A logo is an important piece of branding, and there’s nothing that can damage your brand quite like an amateur looking logo. It should be stylish, on-brand, and high-quality. Low-res logos are not acceptable if you want to grow your brand. That’s why it pays to hire a professional designer to whip up a logo that’ll get more eyeballs from the target market.

5. Thinking that your brand/product has no viable competition

This is perhaps one of the most common pitfalls entrepreneurs fall into when branding themselves. While your brand might not have a direct competitor, there’s always someone else on the market that can opt to fulfill the needs of your typical customer. It’s never a bad idea to be prepared for potential competition.

6. Inconsistent Communication

Some entrepreneurs fail to be consistent in their communication. As such, you should always think of power positioning your brand. That means every aspect of your business, from the website to brochure to social media, should convey the same message to the customer.