Branding mistakes and how to avoid them
Branding strategy is important for corporations and small businesses alike. In most cases, large companies have the resources to hire professionals. Newcomers to the DIY sector have to do everything themselves. This leads to branding mistakes that negate all efforts.
For those in creative niches, such as handmade goods, online promotion opens up a wide range of opportunities. The use of social networks, blogging and website development helps to present products to the public. Here, it is important to choose the right visual design that will help attract consumer attention.
The most common mistakes in design
The website or blog design is an important part of the branding strategy. When developing it, you should be aware of potential mistakes that can reduce promotion effectiveness. These include:
- Complication. Often, entrepreneurs want to incorporate many elements into the design at once, hoping for a quick result. However, overload has the opposite effect and discourages users.
- Lack of a consistent style. An important part of branding is corporate identity. And it should be consistent across all consumer touchpoints.
- Structuring. Complex templates, clutter of blocks and elements create visual chaos that makes navigation difficult. It’s important to provide a logical structure, a clear hierarchy and an intuitive user experience.
- Universal template. Using off-the-shelf solutions from Canva or Instagram is convenient, but doesn’t reflect your brand’s uniqueness. A bespoke design allows you to take into account the features of your product or service, target audience and positioning. If your budget is limited, you can customise the template by adding a logo, corporate colours and unique elements.
- Follow fashion trends. Creating a ‘trendy’ design may temporarily increase interest, but frequently changing visuals weakens brand identity. It’s better to stick to timeless solutions based on a brand identity that remains relevant regardless of trends.
Tips and advice
Keep the design simple to avoid potential errors. It is recommended to use 2-3 basic colours and a limited number of fonts to ensure visual clarity and recognisability. Ideally, the design should be developed from scratch, taking into account the uniqueness of the brand. However, with limited resources, it is acceptable to use off-the-shelf templates with the mandatory supplementation of brand elements. In addition, all visual content must adhere to a single corporate style that remains relevant regardless of design trends.
The modern consumer appreciates the authenticity of a company. This can be demonstrated through branding that communicates the company’s mission to its target audience. An active stance, a unique vision and an identity will help attract consumers who will follow similar principles. The result is a community of ‘your people’, which strengthens the emotional connection to the brand and drives growth.
