As a small business, we have the ability (and the curse) of being flexible with our brand. I’m not talking about your logo – I’m talking about your brand.
We can easily make changes to our business, and visual identity that can massively shift the way consumers see our brands.
But is this ok?
Not really.
Here’s why.
As a new brand in the market, you’re already competing against multimillion dollar budgeted brands to stand out. Therefore, consistency is key.
You may only have a few seconds a day, if lucky, to showcase your brand proposition to target consumers.
Think about it. A consumer sees maybe an image, or a post from you among hundreds of messages they see every day. How are you memorable?
The second you start mixing things up too soon, you may start confusing consumers and decreasing your memorability factor. This is creating the beginnings of a brand identity crisis.
3 Signs You’re Having a Brand Identity Crisis
1. Every day a new font emerges.
A telltale sign of a brand identity is tied to your visual output. Do you have 3 or more fonts on your website? Do you use a different font in graphics every week? Visual cues play a huge role in subconscious brand messaging. Be consistent.
2. You have NO idea what to post on your blog Staring at your blank blog screen is an everyday challenge.
I posted about how to get 10 blog ideas in 10 minutes earlier this week, however lack of clarity of content is also a symptom of brand identity confusion. A clear brand knows exactly what they will (and won’t) write about on their blog. A confused brand, writes anything they feel like.
3. Your collection or product assortment is not cohesive.
Just because you have an idea to create a product, doesn’t mean anyone will buy it. Or conversely that you should sell it. This includes developing products and collections that fit in the brand that you’re offering. For example, if you’re selling ethically made jewelry, adding made in wherever sweatshop t-shirts isn’t a good idea even if you think you can make money. Over time, decisions like this erode your brand value.
If someone can’t land on your website, and immediately know, what you stand for, and what you’re selling and why. It’s not good.
Do you think you’re having a brand identity crisis? Post your website below!
I’m happy to take a few minutes to look at your website and provide some input on the message you are putting out online to the world.
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Happy selling!
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Hi Eimee!
Alright! I had a look at your website. Beautiful colours!
Immediately on landing, I was trying to figure out what “Derisecyclingbin” is. I thought it was something eco (and just realized that’s your last name melded with another word). Can you tell me more about your site and who you are targeting?
Are you targeting an eco customer? To me, it looks like styling ideas for women for their body shape. If so, I would look at changing your company name to something more intuitive AND buying a domain without wordpress in it to reaffirm your branding.
Your About Page
I love how you describe yourself but adding a photo would really help bring you to life on your blog
Dead links – this link does not work…
http://derisecyclingbin.wordpress.com/category/services/
Lastly, have you considered switching to wordpress.org? A lot more flexibility to customize than .com!
Hi Eimee!
Thanks for reading the blog. I’ll pop onto your website today and send you some feedback :)
With gratitude,
Kristi
Retailbilss.ca
Would love your input on message I am bringing to the world.
http://derisecyclingbin.wordpress.com
Thank you!
Eimee DeRise