Whether you’re starting a new business from the ground up or trying to reinvent an old family company, you’ve probably heard of the term “brand” before. Your personal brand is so important because it is your presentation to clients and customers. It is what tells them, “Hey, this is who I am, and this is what I’m about!”
With all that being said, if you’ve found your brand failing then you’re not alone. There are so many variables and reasons why a brand may fail, from faulty marketing to posting too many memes on social media accounts.
If you’re wondering why your brand is failing or trying to be proactive to make sure that it doesn’t, you’ve come to the right place! To take some of the leg work out of it, we’ve compiled a list of ten things we commonly see that cause a brand to fail.
1
Your Offering is Not Clear or Doesn’t Make Sense
An offering in marketing terms is the total package that you’re offering to the client or customer. This goes further than just the product you have and includes aspects like customer service availability, convenience, technical support, shipping speeds, and anything else that encompasses the entire experience of doing business with your brand.
When your offering is not clear, it is confusing to potential clients which can result in the loss of revenue. No one wants to dig through a website for twenty minutes to try to figure out how long it’ll take for a product to arrive. If it’s not clear whether you provide water bottles with stickers on them or just the stickers to go on water bottles, it may be time to reassess your offering.
2
Your Name Isn’t Catchy Enough
Imagine Walmart being called Wally’s Grocery Store. Though it may have still been successful, that name would’ve been shorted to something like “Wally’s” eventually because the prior is a mouthful! Can you imagine walking around with your coffee shopping at Dayton Dry Goods Company? Because that’s what Target used to be called before they went through a rebranding!
When you think of all of the biggest and most profitable businesses out there, they all have names that accurately describe their brand. Starbucks, Best Buy, Coca Cola, all of these names provide a certain feeling and when you hear them you know exactly what you’re getting.
A strong business name describes what your business is offering, the feeling of your overall brand, or what you stand for. If your name doesn’t do any of these things, it may be time to think of a new one!
3
Your Website Does Not Look Professional
With all of the scammers out there today, the quickest way to turn off potential customers is by having a website that does not look professional. To a lot of people, this is a red flag that a company is not legitimate and will actually prevent sales from occurring.
When searching through branding how-to information, having a professionally built and beautifully designed website is absolutely essential. It is one of the things that the most time and money should go into for your brand, especially if you are an online business. Cutting corners here can quite literally cost you your business.
Go to some of the competitor’s websites and compare them to yours. Does yours measure up? Are your features accessible? Is everything in easy-to-read fonts and is the information put together in a way that is both stylish and practical? If not, it may be time for a website redesign!
4
What You’re Offering Isn’t Unique
If the initial title of this one offends you, stick with me.
In marketing there is something called a USP, which is short for unique selling point. This is what sets you apart from other companies and is why customers purchase from you as opposed to someone else. This is not as much about the product as it is about the entire offering.
For example, if you and your competitor are both selling tee shirts that are shipped in the same mailers and they both have free shipping with a 30-day return window, a customer is going to go with the cheaper option. Both products and offerings are identical, so why wouldn’t they? But if your tee shirts come in a stylish mailer with a handwritten note, you offer a 60-day return window, or even work on getting custom images for your products that make them look more luxury, your offering is more unique than theirs and thus it is worth the extra $5.
5
You Aren’t Investing in Your Brand
Businesses take time, effort, and money.
To get the most out of your brand, you have to be willing to invest all three. If one is slipping, it can cause the entire thing to crash. If you’re just starting out, you’ll have to invest way more than someone who has been at it for a while. But if you’ve had a business for years and you’re not seeing results anymore, it may be time to take it back to square one.
6
You Don’t Utilize Social Media
As we move into a more digital and virtual society because of recent events, word of mouth just isn’t good enough anymore!
When people want to know who the best person to do the job is, they Google. When they Google, they look at social media accounts. Having an active social media presence is vital to your business and these days, you can’t survive without one!
An old school approach to business doesn’t work anymore. If you aren’t utilizing social media, it’s time to start!
7
You Used the Wrong Approach
What works for one doesn’t work for all, and if you use the wrong approach to market or introduce your business, it can cost you big time!
Launching a pool float business at the end of summer doesn’t make sense. Handing out flyers to market for a digital conference doesn’t make sense. Knowing your audience, your goal, and your brand is crucial here.
8
Your Social Media is Messy
The only thing worse than no social media at all is social media that is messy.
Irrelevant memes, tons of generic quotes, and a lot of content that doesn’t have anything to do with your brand is NOT good for your business. Anyone that follows you on social media follows you because they want information about your business. They don’t want to see fifteen story updates a day or twenty pictures of your cat in a week (okay, if your cat is cute, they might but still!)
9
Your Marketing Tactics Need Work
If you’re just attaching fifty hashtags to the end of your posts in hopes that it’ll attract new clients, calm down friend.
Successfully marketing your product and business is crucial because without marketing, you have no business. What good is a product if no one knows about it or buys it? The best cake in the world doesn’t mean anything if no one tries it!
Researching competitors and your ideal client base is crucial in determining marketing tactics. If you’re struggling with this, it may be time to take a step back.
10
You Need to Consult a Professional
So, you’ve made an awesome product, or you have a great skill, but you are struggling with your branding. Who says you have to do it all?
Bringing in a professional to relieve the burden is a great way to take stress off of you while also elevating your business to the next level. It can take years to properly educate yourself on marketing and branding. If you’d rather put that time into your actual business and products, that is okay! We are here to help!
In conclusion
We have over 15 years of experience helping businesses like yours prepare for launch and grow. Whether its branding, website design or marketing, we are well positioned to ensure success for your business goals. Give your business the best chance of success and connect with us for a free 15 minute consultation.
