“A brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organisation. Branding is about shaping that perception.”
-Ashley Friedlein

Your branding is often the first thing customers notice…whether they are landing on your website, seeing your flyer or scrolling your social media. It’s your business's opportunity to make the right first impression and to let your customers know straight away that your business is for them. 

Through the way we present our brands, we have a unique opportunity to curate the way in which we want our businesses to be perceived. This is an incredibly powerful tool that can be utilised to boost your business. 

In the same way it can be used to make a positive impact, it can however also unintentionally hinder our businesses if not used correctly. Flex Marketing’s brand specialist Steph has detailed three common branding mistakes below. She has also shared some valuable tips on how to fix them so that your brand can shine online. 

Mistake 1: Using fonts inconsistently through your branding

We all know the feeling of needing to get something done quickly. This often results in people reaching for the nearest available font when creating something for their brand. This can then span across the business as other employees do the same. Or alternatively could you sit down two weeks later and have completely forgotten what you used on your last social post so you pick something new for now. Unfortunately, this can result in your brand appearing in a disjointed way, can confuse your audience and also subjects you to missing out on the brand building benefits of consistent font usage. 

Solution > Choose one heading font and one body font and stick to them

To do so you will also need to share these with anyone else who creates assets for your brand. We know this is easier said than done; however, the benefits of getting consistent with your fonts will far surpass the extra minute it takes to double check you are using your fonts consistently. When used correctly fonts help a brand feel professional, cohesive, and become more recognisable, building brand awareness. 

Mistake 2: Using a blurry version of your logo or having it cropped

This might seem self-explanatory but you would be surprised at the number of businesses who use a blurry low resolution version of their logo or display it in a way that crops part of it off. This can make the brand appear lower quality, messy or unprofessional. 

Solution > Reformat your logo

If your logo is cropped off - reformat this onto a bigger background so there is enough space for your logo to be fully and clearly visible. If you are struggling to manage the resolution of your logo, reach out to the original designer and ask them to supply you with a high resolution version. Or if you are a DIY’er, have had a play around with your export settings to remedy this. 

Mistake 3: Not being proud of your brand and lacking clarity 

This might not seem like a ‘branding mistake’ however it could be more detrimental to your business than you think. I commonly see people holding themselves back from showing up on social media, creating promotional graphics or posters. This is because they lack clarity on how to create something that looks good for their business, so they don’t create anything at all! You would be surprised at how many people feel this way. 

Solution > Get more visible and/or call in a branding expert

If this mistake feels familiar to you, or someone in your team, you have two options here: 

Revisit your branding with strategy in mind, put on your DIY hat, get clear on who your target audience is and the personality you want your branding to have. Then utilise colour, font and style psychology to create an aligned identity that you feel confident sharing. Then be bold, proud and start sharing it!

Or 

If the thought of this induces stress - it might be a sign it’s time to reach out to a specialist.

So, if you are making some of these mistakes and are unsure where to go from here - it’s time to connect with a graphic designer. 

When is it the right time to work with a brand designer to address your branding?

If you are feeling unsure of whether this is the right move for you or your business, here are some indicators that it’s time to work on your branding with a specialist: 

• You have a team of people who create assets for your brand and no existing ‘guidelines’ detailing your branding 
• You lack confidence in your branding and consider it to be a weakness of your business
• You find yourself apologising or excusing the look of your brand when sharing it with others
• You utilised a stock image/ canva logo to begin with but have outgrown this now
• You are ready to feel confident and utilise your branding to boost your business, build recognition and connect with a wider audience 

Flex Marketing has a range of solutions and ways in which we could help you with your branding today. Feel free to reach out if something in this article resonated with you, we would love to hear from you. 

About Steph

Steph, the author of this article, is a freelance graphic designer specialising in branding. She has been helping Flex Marketing for the past couple of years and has a wonderful ability to visually transform brands with her unique touch of simplicity and style. Helping businesses communicate their core messages and values through a graphic designer’s toolkit results in better visibility, authority, and impact. With stronger branding, a business is better poised for growth – we are delighted to have Steph ready to be part of that transformational journey for our clients.