10 Things Brands Often Get Wrong (And How To Fix Them) - Part 2
Kubix | Shopify Plus Partner
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Last week we highlighted five of the most common branding mistakes and how they can be fixed and used to your advantage. We looked at audience, influencer marketing and even sales and discounts - head here if you missed part 1.
Let's get straight into part 2:
6. Social media
Oh, we could wax lyrical about this one. The responsibility of your brand’s social media should not be given to your newest intern, nor should you be aiming to cover content on every type of platform under the sun. Pick the platforms on which your customers are most active, and make your content engaging. Engagement is always the aim of the social game. Scheduling posts and reels is a great way to get organised, but it doesn’t mean that you should send your update off without checking in to reply, comment and interact with your following.
The world’s best brands have dedicated social teams who spend hours crafting content that stays aligned with their vision. Whilst your team may not have the resource and time to produce TikToks every week, consider how social media could play a role in driving sales and if it’s worth investing in for your business. Whilst not every brand relies on social media for generating sales, you’d be hard pressed to find a business that doesn’t exist on at least one of the platforms.
Make time to post relevant, authentic content. What do we mean by authentic? Speak to your audience in a way that they understand. Audiences are increasingly looking to connect with brands like never before. Show your customers behind the scenes of photoshoots, or get influencers involved to give their honest feedback on your latest pieces. Social media is about telling a story - don’t post for the sake of posting. The more fun you have creating it, the more fun your audience will have consuming it.
7. Environmental awareness
Whilst it’s not exactly a mistake if your brand makes no mention of its environmental impact, it’s certainly an untapped source of potential if you don’t. There are many ways to reduce your brand’s impact on the environment. One company who do this incredibly well is Who Gives A Crap - a toilet paper company who use both recyclable packaging and sustainable materials for their products AND donate 50% of their profits to help build toilets in lesser developed countries around the world. Of course, you don’t need to start giving away half of your profits to make a difference. Look into reducing your company’s plastic use, or how to off-set the carbon impact of your shipping. Given that consumers are 4 times more likely to purchase from a company with strong brand values, sustainability is one easy way to show that your business is conscious about its impact on the world. Shopify themselves listed that a substantial 77% of customers are concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy.
If you ship small items like accessories or parts, then take a look at your packaging. Could you find smaller boxes, or go for fully recyclable packaging? You can even get biodegradable labels nowadays, so there is less of an excuse for brands who don’t take the time to become more sustainable. If you run a small business and get lots of local orders, then consider whether you can cycle or even walk to drop parcels off.
Not all of these steps need to take up lots of time or money either. Product returns, for example, double the carbon emissions of shipping your stock, but can be easily avoided. If you’re a brand with a high volume of product returns, then adapt your website accordingly. Make sure that all your product descriptions are clear and that any sizing information is accurate to help people make the right choice and are less likely to send it straight back.
8. Personality
As an agency, we’ve met hundreds, if not thousands of business owners over the years. And it’s often incredibly easy to spot who has the passion and drive to change their customers’ lives, and who is there to make a quick buck.
Building a brand is about putting time and energy into the right areas. Don’t be afraid to put your face to your brand and share your story with the world. Go live on social media, talk about the latest product updates, and have a passion for the customers who shop with you. The most successful brands in the world have or had iconic leaders - think Steve Jobs at Apple, Jeff Bezos at Amazon, or Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook. They might not all be the most popular characters, but they weren’t afraid to take risks, put their own name on the line, and - in the words of Apple’s 1997 brand campaign - Think different. Having a passion for what you do will connect you with your audience and encourage sales more than a faceless brand ever could.
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9. Thinking in the present
Think about the future of your business. Where will you be in a few years’ time? Perhaps you’ll have expanded your product range to an entirely new audience. Perhaps you’ll have gone international. Perhaps you’ll have pivoted to introduce something completely new. No matter your business goals, it’s important to keep dreaming big and not get too focused on the present.
The best brands in the world have stayed at the top because they’re constantly wondering: what next? Many businesses get caught in the trap of short-term thinking, and this can damage your brand in the long term. Yes, some days aren’t going to be great. Your business might have a poor sales day, or a product launch might flop. Economic trends will always affect business performance. Instead of focusing too much on metrics, consider the part your brand plays year round, and start preparing for your most lucrative periods. Do you have a plan to ride out low seasons, and cash in on the highest performing months? As your business grows through the years and decades, you’ll have more and more insight as to what trends to expect. Read your data carefully, and make your business decisions accordingly.
10. Brand guidelines
When it comes to effective branding, consistency is key. If you’re constantly switching up your fonts, colours and imagery style, your audience is going to feel like they’re lost at sea every time they land on your website or visit your store.?
Put together a branding pack - even if it’s just for your own reference. You can refer back to it if you need a reminder of fonts or colour palettes, and it provides a vital reference point to new starters to your business. Set down your mission and vision statement, tone of voice and even milestones and goals, and use it as the yardstick for how your business shows itself to the world.
Naturally your brand will shift and change as you grow, but your guidelines should keep you on the right track and - most importantly - remind you of why you started in the first place. Software company Asana is a beautiful example of this when they rebranded in 2015.
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