Wondering what big mistakes you’re making in your brand? Dr. Chelsea Shields is a brand strategist who focuses on finding ways for brands to make a bigger impact on their target market. In this episode, she lays it all on the table with 5 of the most common mistakes that businesses are making and her surefire strategies for fixing them. Trust me on this… You do NOT want to miss this episode that is packed full of mind-blowing knowledge for ANY business. Hit play!

The 5 Biggest Mistakes that Brands Make:

1. They make it about themselves, not the customer. Most don’t even talk to the target customer to build the brand. 

“A brand isn’t what you say it is, it’s what they say it is.” You can understand your brand goals, but you can’t control how the world comprehends that. One big way to tackle this is by asking your top 5 clients/customers to tell you about their experience with you. This is a great way to uncover things that you may not realize are your strengths, weaknesses, and how you’re being perceived. Go a step further and have a friend (or brand strategist) reach out to people you know AND don’t know.

2. They don’t go bold or narrow enough. They are still trying to be everything to everyone. 

“If you’re everything to everyone, then you’re nothing to no one.” You may represent a lot of things, but you have to be able to convey that to your customers and clients really simply. Think of it as if you’re arriving to a party with cowboy boots and a flat-bill hat on. This can be confusing. You need to simplify and narrow. Try to figure out what you do well and then be able to explain it in one sentence. Then never vary from that!

3. The appeal is logical, not emotional. People need to “feel” to make behavioral adjustments. 

Our brains process emotion before they process logic. We use our logic to explain why we feel a certain way – therefore, evoking an emotion is the best way to market your brand. Certain emotions can predict certain outcomes (for example: sadness predicts generosity, anger predicts action, etc.) Part of your job as a brand is what behaviors you want your audience to do when experiencing your marketing. Do you want them to take action? Donate? Believe? Guilt? Nostalgia? Etc. Once you decide that, you need to figure out what emotion you should convey to convict those behaviors.

4. The brand is not distilled enough down to the Least Common Denominator. It takes too many brain calories for customers to process, understand and remember. 

The online world is so overwhelming and oversaturated with information. You have to be able to be distilled and more bold in order to even create a ripple effect. How can you say things quicker, more effectively, or in a visual way that people will understand and remember easily.

5. They don’t invest in good design, photography, and content strategy.

A “brand” needs to invest in many, high-quality, attention-grabbing assets. This is the way to become consistently recognized in your market!

Check It Out:

• Chelsea’s Ted Talk