3 Signs You Have Branding Problems

Posted on March 5, 2018 in Branding

Many people fail to realize the impact that branding problems can have on their business as a whole.

It’s easy to see the benefits of a strong brand, and to chalk up a business’ success to their excellent image.

It’s trickier to see the ways a weak brand is hurting a business. All too often, we meet business owners and executives who don’t realize that many of their issues can be addressed through updating their brand or rebranding.

Here are three signs that your brand needs help, as well as a brief discussion of how it affects your company as a whole.

#1 Sign You Have Branding Problems: You’re consistently getting the wrong types of inbound leads.

Many business owners treat leads like weather. It’s great when you get the type of leads you want, but when you don’t – oh well, not much to be done about it.

If you think you don’t have any control over the type of leads you get, you’re completely wrong. Getting the wrong types of leads is a BRANDING PROBLEM.

Your inbound leads are a direct reflection on how you present your business to the world – in other words, your brand.

Say you run a boutique Etsy store that sells fine, custom jewelry. If you’re getting leads all the time from people who want cheap, budget items, then you have to ask yourself: What is it about my brand that signals I’m selling budget jewelry?

If your brand is clearly and accurately telegraphing to your audience WHO you are and WHAT you do, then by the time someone calls you, they should know exactly what your business offers. In other words, you’ll get more qualified leads that actually convert into sales.

Our two cents? Stop wasting time on leads that aren’t a right fit, or that will never advance. Tweak your brand and start getting leads that will convert into more sales.

#2 Sign You Have Branding Problems: Managing your reputation is challenging.

Managing a reputation isn’t always easy, but if you’re having an especially hard time with it, there’s a high probability a weak brand is the core of the issue.

Poor Google reviews? Complaints online? Disgruntled comments on social media, or in your storefront?

Many of these issues cycle back to what we were discussing in the earlier point. If your brand is inconsistent, weak, or otherwise inaccurately conveying the spirit of your business, customers are going to find that your products don’t match their expectations.

When your product falls short or differs from what they had in mind, they’re going to complain about it. Inconsistency is a common source of these issues.

Many brands struggle with inconsistency in their products or services. One storefront may have a harder time adhering to cleanliness standards, or different franchise locations may not carry the same stock.

Or maybe it’s inconsistency in your advertising: if you’re advertising your low prices in one ad and your high-quality products the next, customers will be confused – is it a luxury brand or a budget brand?

No matter the source, inconsistency is the sign of a weak brand and contributes to customer dissatisfaction.

Work to tighten up your brand and keep things consistent. Keep your messaging in line with your service. Meet customer expectations every time, at every location, no matter what – see if your reputation doesn’t improve.

#3 Sign You Have Branding Problems: Your digital presence does not accurately or quickly convey what you do.

Have you ever logged onto a business’ site, stared at the home page for a minute, and realized you still have no idea what the business does?

Yeah…you do not want that to be your site. We live in an extraordinarily fast-paced world, so audiences need to be able to understand your brand as quickly as possible. If you can’t do that, you’re going to fall behind.

You should be able to describe what you do in 10 words OR LESS. Beyond that, your website, social media, email marketing – your entire digital presence – should communicate your brand in 10 or 15 seconds.

Sure, it’s great to elaborate when you have time, but every brand needs an elevator pitch for the time-pressed visitor. Once they’re hooked, you can describe your business more in-depth.

Another common issue is that a business’ digital presence USED to be accurate…but isn’t anymore. Your digital presence needs to communicate who you are IN 2018, and why you’re relevant in the here and now.

Your business has probably changed a lot in the past five or ten years. If your digital presence doesn’t reflect those changes, you’re not accurately conveying who you are – you’re conveying who you were. And nothing says “failing brand” like one that’s visibly outdated.

Branding is no walk in the park, but nobody said success in advertising and marketing was easy. However, a successful brand can address problems across the entirety of your business. You would be surprised at how much smoother things go when you iron out those branding issues.

How do you spot branding problems? These are just a few of the dozens of issues that come with troubled branding. Are there any warning signs that you’ve noticed that we missed? Call Drive today to talk about branding challenges – we love this stuff!