Episode 103 – The 4 Most Common Branding Mistakes + How to Avoid Them

Hi, friend! Today, on the Brand Strategy Podcast, I want to take some time to talk through some common branding mistakes I see so many incredibly talented creatives just like you making. And here’s the thing, these are common mistakes for a reason. They somehow find a way to work their way into our processes and into the way we are building brands without us even noticing them. Which is why I think it’s so important that we just have an honest and open conversation about what these common mistakes are, how we can avoid them and how you can move forward and conquer them. In my years as a brand designer and strategist, I’ve worked with dozens and dozens of creatives who have fallen into one or more of these common branding mistakes and trust me, it doesn’t do them any favors. It causes you to not connect with your ideal client and allows you to get in your own way of conquering those big bold dreams of yours. So let’s dive into the four most common pitfalls to avoid in your own business. MISTAKE #1 2:50 – The first common branding mistake is one that I have the most experience with when working with branding clients and that is the mix and match brand. 3:00 – This pitfall occurs when you see someone else’s successful brand and you think, I really like how they do that one thing or man, their website is real good looking. And as a result you reach out and grasp onto that one element you like because it’s so tempting and you try to tuck it into your own brand. 3:35 – Why do we do this? Because we see a certain level of success that we aspire to see in our own business. But guess what, you can’t pick and choose a little of this and a little of that. 4:20 – In this episode, I’m talking you through what the mix and match brand looks like and how it makes you feel about your brand and business. 4:50 – I dive into the solution how to look inward instead of outward in order to build a strong brand that is founded on a heartfelt core. MISTAKE #2 5:38 – Pitfall two is one that I see often with my Illume Retreat attendees when they leave Waco and return home to their business is the post-conference rebrand. The most common thing I see so many attendees wanting to do after an inspiration and life-changing conference is to make some big changes in their brand. But I encourage you to sit on it. 6:25 – I’ve been tempted to make some big moves and crazy changes in my own business after attending conferences. But think of it this way. You’ve just left a conference on an emotional high with a notebook that is packed full of ideas and all of the new things to try. Often times, the thing you want to nix is your old visual brand. But is that really necessary? 7:05 – Don’t be in such a hurry to change everything about your brand and business that you accidentally change everything that you’ve built up until that point. 7:15 – These are my best tips and the questions to ask yourself before hiring a brand strategist or making any big, crazy moves in your brand. MISTAKE #3 8:00 – Pitfall three that I see so many creatives fall into is the trendy brand.