A constant mistake I see companies make is over-tinkering with their brand. Companies are always coming up with new reasons that they need to change their brands. The market is changing. Customers expect something different. Or…it’s just been a long time since we’ve done anything with the brand.

The truth is that brand shouldn’t change. Yes, times change and it’s important that your brand stays relevant, but that doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Brands should only be tweaked slightly to maintain relevance in the current marketplace. Their basic characteristics and message behind the brand shouldn’t change significantly.

Why?

Because consistency is how brands are built. Your customers can’t connect with your brand if it’s always changing. They won’t know who you are or what you stand for. And more importantly, a brand that’s always changing will never earn the customer’s trust.

Think about it like this. You meet a new person. The two of you get a long great. You like the same things, stand for the same values, etc. Then, you go to hang out with the same person a week later, and they’re completely different. They look different, talk different, believe different things…they’re not the same person. You wouldn’t feel the same about them anymore, would you?

Successful brands aren’t built overnight. They take years, even decades to build. And they’re built through consistency. Through years of consistent messaging, customers start to connect with brands and build relationships with them.

Consider Lexus. The brand has been a leader in luxury vehicles for years. Their branding hasn’t changed significantly the entire time. They’ve always stood for luxury and innovation. The endless pursuit of perfection.

It might seem boring that the brand has stayed the same, but that’s what works. When consumers want a luxury vehicle, they’re going to likely at least consider getting a Lexus.

If Lexus were to suddenly start releasing cheap cars for the average person, their brand would be diluted. Consumers would be confused, and the Lexus brand would inevitably suffer.

Consistency is the key to building your brand. Never forget that. And never change just for the sake of changing.

When you create an identity as a blogger, you separate your blog from all others in your niche. You also give your readers something to connect to, creating important relationships that keep people coming back time and time again. But without a personality, well, your blog will just blend in to all the millions of other blogs, limiting how far your blogging efforts will take you.
So, how do you go about creating an identity as a blogger? Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Offer something new—The first thing you need to do is figure out what you do differently and better than all the other bloggers in your niche. Until you can identify this key difference, no one will have a reason to read your blog. Maybe you know more about a particular sub-niche than other bloggers. Or maybe you just have a different way of looking at things. Find something that clearly makes you stand apart from your competition, and build your blogging identity around that.

2. Turn it up to 11—Every blogger has their own unique traits, thoughts, and style of writing. The key is to identify your unique traits and then to turn them up as loud as possible. If you’re the sarcastic misanthrope, amplify that trait in all of your posts. Similarly, if you’re the happy-go-lucky, half-glass-full blogger, play that up in your writing. The key is to amplify your personality so that it’s immediately obvious who you are.

3. Stay consistent—I’ve noticed that some bloggers have a disconnect between how they write their posts and how they respond to their comments. This hinders your efforts to create an identity as a blogger because you’re always coming across differently. Whatever personality traits you decide to play up, use them everywhere, including your blog, the comments section, your Twitter profile, etc.

4. Be yourself—At the end of the day, creating a blog identity is all about being yourself. As cheesy as it sounds, we’re all different. Each of us looks at the same things differently, and we all have unique characteristics. So, don’t try to sound like all the other blogs in your niche. You’ll only end up coming across as a phony and generic. Instead, focus on connecting with readers by being yourself. This will help you build those important relationships that create lifelong readers.

Do you think it’s important to have an identity as a blogger? Share your thoughts in the replies.

Your brand is your company’s personality. It’s the thing that separates you from your competition and that gives customers a reason to do business with you. Without a strong brand, your company is just another indistinguishable face in the crowd, floating aimlessly while hoping for success.
If you’re interested in creating a successful brand, be sure to avoid these common mistakes.
1. Thinking a brand is just a logo—Your logo isn’t your brand. Neither is your tagline. Or your website. Your brand is everything from the logo to the quality of your products and services. It includes your customer service, the design of your website, your social media profiles, and the packaging of your goods. Everything plays a role in shaping the image of your brand. So, instead of just focusing on the logo, take a look at the bigger picture to create a powerful brand.

2. Not understanding your true strengths—Before you can begin the branding process, you need to understand your true strengths (and weaknesses for that matter). Let’s suppose you run a dry cleaning business. If fast turnaround time isn’t your biggest strength, don’t focus all of your marketing and advertising on your turnaround time. Instead, focus on what you truly do well and better than the competition (e.g. getting stains out of delicate fabrics or something along those lines).

3. Not getting outside help—Going back to the last point, the reason many people don’t understand their business’ true strengths is because they’re too close to it. Sometimes, you need a fresh perspective. Consider working with an experienced branding agency. Their experience and fresh set of eyes will help you to find the best way to position your brand in the marketplace.

4. Having an inconsistent image—Remember earlier when I said your brand is more than a logo…it’s everything? Too many businesses forget about this, and they end up creating an inconsistent image. Everything about your brand should be working together in harmony. Your copy should all use a consistent tone. Your imaging should match the tone of your copy and the overall theme of your brand. Consistency is key to building trust with consumers and to cementing your brand image in their minds.

5. Being different just to be different—If you want to be successful, you need to be able to differentiate your company from the competition. However, some businesses take this overboard by being different just for the sake of being different. Cutting mattresses in half with a chainsaw isn’t branding, and it doesn’t give me a compelling reason to shop at your furniture store. The thing that makes your brand different needs to be something that provides a tangible value to your customers.
Which branding mistakes would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the replies.

Branding is a word that gets thrown around commonly in marketing discussions. Sure, you know you want to create an identity that your audience immediately associates with you, but do you know how to do it? How can you create a brand that consumers actually marry to for life? What follows is a list of 7 branding mistakes companies make that hold them back from creating memorable, lasting brands.

1. Being a Me Too Brand- Just because you offer the same basic services as your competition doesn’t mean you should create the same brand as them. You can create a unique brand even if your product isn’t all that unique. Think about it—McDonalds and Burger King sell essentially the same products, but they have completely different brands. Burger King is all about flame broiled and having it your way. McDonalds has the familiar arches and the “I’m loving it” campaign. Consumers see them as the creators of fast food. It’s two completely different brand images, but both have been successful in the same field.
2. Not Understanding Your Audience- You can’t please everybody. Too many companies try to target the world when they should just be targeting a tiny niche. You need to identify who your true target audience is. By getting to know them, you can create a brand that they can connect with. In the end, this is far more profitable than trying to be all things to all people.
3. Not Knowing Your Strengths- Successful brands always play up their strengths. Dominos was successful because they could deliver your pizza in 30 minutes. FedEx became known as the company that could get your packages to you overnight. Figure out the strength of your company, and build your brand around that.
4. Failure to Commit to Branding- Branding is more than just images on a piece of direct mail. It’s your company’s identity. It should be reflected in everything you do. This includes everything from your product packaging to your social networking profiles. If you want to create a truly memorable brand, you have to commit to it fully. If you fail to do so, your image will be inconsistent and your branding efforts will fail. Consistency is something consumers can connect with.
5. Ignoring Reputation Management- If you want your brand to be healthy, you need to monitor what others are saying about it. That’s why I recommend regularly doing ego searches. By searching for yourself in the major search engines, you can see what comes up in the results. Remember, these search results are the same things your potential customers will be seeing, so you need to monitor them to ensure your reputation isn’t damaged. Address any potential reputation issues to keep your image clean.
6. Jumping Ship Too Early- A successful brand isn’t built over night. It takes years to create a brand that consumers connect with. Just because you aren’t seeing any results after a few short months doesn’t mean you should abandon ship. You have to commit fully to branding for it to work.
7. Refusing to Ever Jump Ship- On the flipside of the coin, you also need to learn how to read the writing on the wall. Sometimes, your branding strategy simply won’t catch on. Don’t stick with a brand that doesn’t work out of obligation. Instead, take the time to rebuild it into something that works for you. Always be testing!