Learning Center

Avoid These Common Marketing Mistakes

December 7, 2022

As a business owner or organization leader, there is a certain sense of ownership that is a prominent part of your relationship with your brand. It’s an important attribute, and one that can be a great motivator in working towards the success of your company. From a design and marketing standpoint, however, your personal attachment can sometimes cloud your judgement on the most effective way to present yourself to your prospective customer. Let’s take a look at some common marketing mistakes and what they could potentially convey to your audience.

Make the logo bigger

Your brand is the best there is and you want everyone to know it. You want to drill the name into your audience’s brain. And your logo is great, of course. So what better way to make your brand stand out than a large, obvious logo on your marketing materials?

This is actually one of the most common requests designers get and if you’ve made this request, there is a good chance you’ve had some pushback from your design or marketing team. While they knew this isn’t the best marketing decision, they may not have done a good job articulating why. Here are several good reasons your logo does not need to be the most dominant thing on your next marketing piece:

Your customer is most important
The logo should never be more prominent than your messaging. Your customer’s top priority is determining how your product or service will benefit them. Making your logo larger than your message conveys the idea that your brand is more important than their needs.
NO NEED TO SHOUT
Most customers don’t particularly like being shouted at. Keeping your logo at a smaller, more reasonable size conveys confidence and professionalism. On the other hand, a larger logo conveys insecurity. Take a look at some successful brands, like Nike or Amazon, and take note of the understated logos. Let it speak for itself.
Use your real estate wisely
Rather than fill up your ad area with a large logo, try using some white space to draw attention to the main message of the ad. If the viewer is impressed with the idea presented, they will be sure to make note of your logo and brand.

Including too much or superfluous information

It's vital to determine what exactly the viewer will be looking for.

I’ve hinted at this point already, but let’s just put it out there. The customer’s wants and needs are more important than yours! That’s why it’s vital, when creating content for print or online marketing, to determine what exactly the viewer will be looking for. Too much content creates clutter, making it hard for a user to digest what they’re looking at, and find the points that would be of value to them.

Overuse of industry jargon

It’s reasonable to assume you have a good deal of interest in your company’s business or industry, as well as a more-than-sufficient knowledge of it. Because of this, it may be a good idea to have someone who is not so close to your industry do some editing on your ad copy. Your copy should be easily read by those in your target audience, not the coworker in the cubicle next to you.

Copying a competitor’s design

When you’ve seen something that strikes a chord with you, it’s easy to judge your design team’s output against it. But this can be dangerous, as it goes from a few similar design elements to all out copying. Instead, try to make your brand stand out from your competitors using unique design elements. Not only is it more morally sound, but it will set you apart from the crowd when a user is making the important decision of whether or not to use your services.

Overuse of design “trends”

This one is especially important for something that is designed to be used long term, such a logo. A design “trend” is often just that. As soon as the trend passes, your logo will look dated. Not to mention, closely following design trends is a good way to make your company blend in with all the others. Some of the best and most well-known logos have barely changed since their inception (Coca-Cola, Nike, and McDonald’s come to mind).

Getting your tech-wiz nephew to design your logo

It’s easy to understand the appeal of having a friend or relative do your design work. It’s cheap, it’s convenient, and you may think you’re doing them a favor by giving them experience or exposure. But cutting corners on design will often result in something that make you look less than professional. While professional design, photography, and marketing help may seem expensive, it’s an investment in your brand, and one that will help you convey the true value of your product or service to your customer.

By Will Gausmann, a former staff member.