Branding is one of the most important parts of running a business. Businesses without a strong, recognizable brand don’t tend to last long. Building a sustainable brand should be one of your primary goals as a business owner. Check the following branding mistakes below and make sure that you aren’t committing any of them.

Failing to capture attention with taglines or elevator pitches

Taglines and elevator pitches are essential for capturing the attention of new audiences. A tagline is a quick and easy way to cement yourself in the minds of your audience, a catchphrase that helps consumers recognize your brand and the fundamental concept that defines it. In the case of Nike for example, people think about shoes or the athletes associated with them. If people think about Google, they think about their search engine and other platforms like YouTube. Work on developing a memorable tagline or pitch for your brand.

Failure to leverage existing audience for branding

Word-of-mouth advertising will always be relevant. When growing your brand, you should be taking advantage of your audience’s existing dedication. Customers and clients can hold significant sway in the direction your brand is going, and some fail to leverage the power of their existing clients. Work with your audience. Ask their opinion on ads or ideas you want to introduce. Use them to extend your reach on platforms like Facebook or Instagram by encouraging them to post about your product. Give your audience the impression that they are a part of your brand’s identity.

Not launching with enough fanfare

Brands should make a big deal when they launch. Even small startups should make it a point to generate hype before they begin. Don’t fail to introduce your brand with a formal launch. A launch event doesn’t have to be very grand and expensive. But make sure that the people you want to reach are aware that your brand is doing something significant. The same applies when introducing a new product or service. Make sure that the event leading to the said launch is built up with hype.

Failing to consider how your brand is viewed globally

When identifying what your brand is about, don’t just think locally; consider your brand’s identity in a global setting. Think about how you want your audiences from across the world to see and recognize your name. Even if you have no plans to operate internationally, it’s important to consider how people from other cultures or countries will view your brand. It’s best to be safe. Take care that your brand isn’t offending anyone.

Straying from initial concept

Some businesses make the mistake of straying too far from their initial concept. Brand redesigns are sometimes necessary, but this can be a problem if brands fail to stick to their roots. Your audience should have no trouble recognizing your brand even if you perform a redesign. Your brand’s identity should also remain consistent even if you change how it looks.

Inconsistent visual identity

Consistency is important. If you want to make your brand memorable, you’re going to need to keep its image consistent. That is especially important if your brand has a presence on multiple platforms. Your audience should have no trouble recognizing your name on Twitter as they do on other platforms. You can establish consistency in a few ways; the easiest is through your brand’s visual identity. Your brand should have a unique, recognizable style that is visually consistent across everything from its products to its website.

Branding is a complicated concept to grasp. A damaged brand can have a difficult time recovering. Consider these tips to make sure that yours stays relevant.