9 Signs You Need to Work on Your Brand

I hear it all the time, "I have a brand...a designer created my logo when I started the company." I'm glad you have a logo—that's a step in the process of building a brand. But I hate to break it to you—you missed a few steps. You might be finding it hard to make social content, write blog posts, and come up with email subject lines. Heck, maybe you aren't even sending email campaigns.

These are just a few of the signs that you need to spend some time focusing on your brand to make it better. To make it a brand that works for you and sells your product when you're nestled snug in your bed after a hard day's work. A brand that you're proud of, that resonates with your audience and makes your life easier.

1. You're just getting started on a new venture

There's no better time to get a reign on your brand than when you don't have one to start. When you're starting your business, you can dive headfirst into the story that you'd like your brand to tell and not worry about "what we've always done." You can answer the hard questions upfront while building a solid foundation for growth.

2. You have a logo and only a logo

Do you know how hard it is to create an effective email campaign when you only have a logo? HINT: IT'S HARD. When you've only got a logo, there's a lot of unknowns—what message are you trying to convey? What are you trying to get your user to do? What fonts do you use? What even is a marketing funnel? By building a brand strategy, you'll take the guesswork out of creating content and be able to instead focus on improving your product and services to satisfy your customer.

3. You're stagnant in your growth

It hurts to be on a plateau. If your numbers are flat (or maybe even declining), you might need a brand refresh or repositioning. By revisiting your brand or building a brand strategy from scratch, you can discover new opportunities that will help you increase your sales. After all, your brand should be ever-changing and evolving to keep up with the competition and industry best practices.

4. You feel overwhelmed with things to do but don't feel like anything is getting done

Ha - don't we all feel this way from time to time? If you feel like you're spinning your wheels, it's time to take a breath and figure out what goals you're working to achieve. Think about how your brand is helping (or hurting) your progress. If you feel limited by your brand (See Also: You have a Logo and Only a Logo) and you're spending all of your time trying to make something work that just doesn't, it's time to slow down and make some changes to help you get out of the mud.

5. You have a big goal in mind but can't figure out the steps to get there

Or maybe you feel overwhelmed (see #4). When you can't see the road ahead of you, it might be time to get a second opinion on where you're heading and how you'll get there. A brand strategist can help you identify the tactics and milestones on your journey toward that goal and how to evolve your current brand to get there.

6.Your referrals have slowed

If you've built your business on referrals and word of mouth, congratulations! That is truly an amazing feat. But what happens when those referrals slow or worse—your primary referral source retires? Rather than scrambling to get business and playing catch up when referrals slow, count them as a blessing but don't rely on them as your primary source for marketing. You never know when things will change (or how quickly—hello, COVID-19). Focus some energy on creating a strong brand identity, brand why, and brand voice to guide you through slow periods and enables you to create content that gains traction and brings you new customers.

7. You're no longer the new kid on the block.

Being the new kid is great (despite maybe stumbling in front of the whole cafeteria). Being new to an industry often means you get some much-wanted attention, customers want to check out how you compare to the service or product they're currently using, and you've probably gotten some press. Cool, right? What happens when someone else new moves into the neighborhood? Are you prepared to evolve your brand to keep up with the latest product? Are you equipped to compete with someone with more funding, more resources, and more content? Building a brand means building a foundation that's ready to bear the weight of change and challenge.  

8. Your engagement is down—or never existed

With a great brand, you'll know how to resonate with your audience through the rights words, colors, and imagery. You'll be able to create engaging content (Email! Instagram Story! Blog!) that provides value to your audience and connects with them beyond the sales pitch.

9. You know it's time to evolve but don't know where to start

Branding is a big world. The good news is you don't have to go it alone. A brand strategist can take the guesswork out of market trends and help you evolve your brand to keep up with the times and connect with your audience.

So what's the verdict?

Is it time to slow down and focus on building a brand? If you've experienced a few of these signs in the past year, let's talk! If you've experienced all of these signs, let's talk—like immediately—and get to work building a brand that works for you.