Common Struggles for a Cohesive Brand and the Solution

After over 3 years in business and talks with dozens of business owners, I’ve found common threads of struggle when it comes to getting the illusive “cohesive brand.”

Not everyone struggles with this, but a lot of us do, especially when we’re in the beginning stages of business. So I’m breaking down the most common struggles and how to overcome them to get more brand clarity and, as a result, gain more trust with potential clients.
 

I’m sharing phrases I’ve heard over the recent months from many different types of business owners who struggle with the cohesion in their brand and I’ll share how to overcome each obstacle and what I recommend to fix the problem.

“My brand doesn’t reflect who I am at all.”

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone. Having your brand reflect who you are can be a challenge, especially when you’re in a DIY phase. You can achieve more ‘personality’ in your brand with the color palette you use, your fonts, photos, and many touch-points in your client process.

My advice for someone who wants more personality in their brand is: research brand designers who can help you achieve the look and feel you’re wanting. If you find a designer who’s style aligns with or someone who can deliver the style you’re looking for, I recommend investing. It may be something you have to save up for, but it will be well worth it, saving you tons of time, frustration and overwhelm.

“My brand doesn’t flow well, it feels chaotic.”

This happens to all of us at one point or another, so if this is you, you’re not alone. This tends to happen when you invest in branding elements here and there. You hire one person for a logo, and one person for a flyer, you DIY your website, etc. When you have different styles and different people adding in their own style, it can be hard to get a cohesive brand. What you end up with is a mishmash of styles, and a brand that is not cohesive at all, which can lead to your business looking amateur and ultimately, unreliable.

Invest in a brand and website designer who can help you. I recommend finding someone who offers both services together because you will get a more streamlined look and definitely a cohesive brand for years to come. If you’re in the very beginning stages and are not ready to invest, here are a few tips: Use the same headshot of yourself on your FB, website, IG, so it looks streamlined and use a limited color palette (1-2 focal point colors and 2-3 neutral colors to balance) to help bring your brand together.

“I don’t feel focused.”

This can be a real struggle for people, especially people who work best with a roadmap for how to use their brand. What you need to do to feel more focused is implement a Brand Style Guide into your business. Here’s an example of what this can look like:

Brand Style Guide for recent client KC Smart Girls.

It’s a guide for your business that contains your logos, brand marks (or submark), inspiration photos, color palette, and fonts. Having this in your business is essential for feeling more focused and streamlined.

When you have a guide to follow your brand will stay on track. You can either make your own brand style guide by choosing your color palette, fonts, patterns, and logo, OR you can invest in a brand designer and they will create one for you that is professional and aligned with your target market.

“I’ve made a lot of decisions separately and they don’t all go together.”

For those who have been in business for over a year, this can be a common refrain. When you start your business, many times things will change in the first year or two. So maybe decisions you made in the beginning don’t apply anymore or you’ve outgrown them.

THIS IS NORMAL. As you grow, your business will grow and visa versa, your target market will most likely shift or perhaps you want a more professional presence.

My advice for this, is to take some time to re-evaluate your target market, the goals for your business, what you’re hoping to achieve, what you want to present. Answering tough questions like these gets to the root of what you want for your business and you’ll have a lot more direction and clarity once you have the answers. Perhaps it’s time to invest in your business and elevate it with professional branding.

“My biggest struggle is sticking to one idea.”

Now this is a struggle so many of us creatives have. We love a lot of different ideas and looks so it can feel SO limiting to choose only one clear direction. But trust me, choosing a direction and style is so much easier than winging it then changing your mind every few weeks or months.

So that’s why I have something to help.

I have a free Brand Clarity Mini Guide to help you get clear on your branding, AND I include a little quiz to determine the style that fits you best.

Is creating a cohesive brand a struggle for you in your business?

I would love to hear your thoughts!