Your digital branding matters. With brand strategy being a multifaceted effort, it’s easy to forget or not recognize things that could be done to improve it.
Here are 10 common things that are easy to overlook, but matter in your digital branding and marketing.
1. You Have No Social Media Presence
Okay, we know that it’s hard to be on every social media outlet. But having a Facebook page or Instagram can help you reach new people and interact with your customers. Not having updated a social media page for a long time can send the wrong message. If your last post was a jittery Harlem Shake video from 2013, it might leave people wondering if you’re still in business.
2. Your Website Has Incorrect Information
Maybe the hours of business have changed. Or perhaps some of your products have been discontinued. If your website is causing confusion it’s not going to build trust in your brand.
Do an inventory of all of the content and make sure everything that you’re trying to communicate is up to date. The people doing customer service or responding to angry emails will thank you.
3. Your Brand Has No Personality
It doesn’t matter what your business is - your customers want more than just encyclopedic details and monotonous verbiage. Read your messaging aloud. If it sounds boring to you, your audience will find it even more so. Your job is for your brand to inspire rather than put people to sleep.
Whether you’re a software company, hardware store, or motorcycle dealer, you need people to know the spirit of your brand.
4. You Don’t Have a Customer Email List
Spamming your customers is never good. But sending out newsletters sharing new products and other cool things that you’re doing is a solid marketing strategy. Having a newsletter sign up on your website is effective in gathering these valuable contact. At the very least, a paper sign-up sheet in your business in a low tech way to collect them as well.
5. Your Brand Is All Over the Place
Do you only post wacky cat memes on social media? Is your website’s tone of dry authority? Do you get creative using a different color palette on all of your marketing materials? If you’re doing all of these things at once, you’re exhausting your audience with inconsistency.
What are the most important things that your customers need to know? And what is the tone of the messaging? If it’s always changing, it will make it difficult for people to know what you’re all about. Stay consistent and have a strong identity so that your brand will build familiarity.
6. You Make Excuses For Your Marketing Materials
You should be happy about your digital marketing presence. Telling people, ”I know our website is out to date...” isn’t going to instill trust in your brand. You shouldn’t have to inform people that you’re sorry about your marketing materials. For those who like to pass the blame - your old graphic designer is a great scapegoat. What was his name again? I’m kidding… but seriously, take responsibility in how you present your business.
7. You’re Company Has Grown Beyond Its Digital Presence
If your business has gotten bigger - congratulations! Now that you have more money coming in it might be time to throw it at improving your website. That budget cookie cutter design may have been fine when you were first getting started, but it doesn’t reflect who you are now. Just as you may have expanded the physical space of your business, it’s time to improve and expand your digital presence.
8. Your Website Isn’t SEO Optimized
There’s a reason why you’re not ranking in organic search results. Sure, you may have a lot of competition, but ignoring SEO may push you down even down further. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on having someone do this for you necessarily, but make sure that your content has the words, phrases, and terminology common to how people talk about the subject. Also, make sure that you’re answering those common questions that people type into search engines when trying to find out more. With a little research, almost anyone can learn the basics of SEO and make these changes on their own.
9. Your Website Doesn't Work Well on Mobile
Let’s face it; most people are more likely to look at your design on screens in the palms of their hands then by navigating it on a desktop. If your website doesn’t use responsive design or a mobile-friendly approach, they’re going to bounce.
10. You Have No Idea Who Your Audience Is
How can you reach potential customers, when you’re unsure who they are? Do some market research so that you can speak to your audience in a way that they understand. A business that sells outdoors gear is going to have a very different voice than a dentist’s office. Make sure that your website speaks to its audience in a way that they’re used to.
There’s Always Room to Improve
If you’ve found multiple things here that you’re not doing, not all is lost. Pick one area to improve on before you tackle the rest.
Digital branding is only as strong as the overall branding of your business. Do some inward thinking. Figure out who you are and what direction you want to go. Make sure that this is reflected in all the marketing materials you put out there.
Connect with us if you need help developing your brand platform, or improving the brand experience for your customers.
