Have you noticed how only after a few months of creating your brand graphics and style you are second guessing it, tweaking it and feeling tempted to change it? This is normal, but it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s not because you are terrible creative or you lack the ability to stick with things. Your have plenty of creativity and passion, but this can easily have you wanting to try different things and experiment. However your core branding isn’t the place for creative experiments. Sure you can play around with some layouts, photos, marketing and packaging, but the core style and direction of your brand needs to be consistent.

So let’s look at what may be preventing you from staying consistent.  

1. There is a Lack of Alignment in your Branding

When you try to imitate or use a style that isn’t really you, or not the right fit for your business it will always feel off. You may be trying to use a style that you see others have success with or seems popular. But you are a different person and your business is different.

Your brand visuals need to be a reflection of you, your business and your audience. No one else is you or has your unique business.

On the other hand you may have tried to be creative and do something unique and individual but it still doesn’t align. This can take some soul searching and deep thinking, but by doing the deep work you can find a style that feels aligned and fits like a glove.

The biggest thing is to question why you are choosing a certain direction. Are you doing something because you feel it’s what people want or what is popular or industry standard, or because it is right for you?

If it isn’t really you, then there will always be a nagging feeling that you need to change something.

2. There is no Intention or Strategy Behind your Choices

We all want gorgeous attractive aesthetic brands, but if there is no reasoning behind why you chose a certain direction, colour palette, fonts and brand elements, then it is empty and meaningless.

It has to be relevant to your own brand story, values, mission and audience. It has to communicate a story and connect with the people you want to attract.

This requires first getting clear on what you want to communicate and the feelings you want to evoke to create desire for what you sell  as well as draw in the right audience and make them feel like it is perfect for them.

Once you have clarity around your brand then you can translate that to visuals so it speaks to people through the use of colour, shape, line, style and typography.

3. You are not Clear on your Business

Another problem that can arise is not being clear on your business. It is hard to communicate the right things about your business visually if you aren’t fully confident and clear about your business. Perhaps you haven’t narrowed down a clear niche or clear offers. Perhaps you don’t fully know who your target audience is or why you care about them. Perhaps you haven’t taken time to explore who you are and why this all means something to you. You may feel directionless and lost and that will lead to branding that also feels off and you just can’t stick with.

We all go through these phases of trying to get clear on our business. Even people who have been in business for years have to keep reviewing their business because things change, needs change and sometimes pivots are required or our heart is led a different way. Clarity is something you have to keep working on, and it is necessary for a long lasting identity that feels like the perfect fit.

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4. You aren’t Showing up to your Fullest Potential

This may be an unexpected one. If your mindset is holding you back from expressing your true and fullest self, this can lead to branding misalignment. It won’t feel good enough, because you are not allowing it to fully blossom into who you are and what you stand for and the business you want to create.

Feelings of unworthiness , expectation, imposter syndrome and fear can hold you back from creating the brand you deep down really want.

You will try to fix surface level things, tweaking fonts and colours, re doing your logo. But it isn’t getting to the root of the problem and discovering what your heart really wants and being your truest self.

A concept related to this is future branding. Where you brand based on the business you are trying to build, considering it’s longer term vision rather than basing your branding on how your business looks right now in this moment. This helps your branding last longer as it continues to serve your business as it grows and also inspires you to keep growing into it and show up as your very best.

Note that this isn’t about perfectionism but just thinking bigger and allowing yourself to be your best and truest self without holding back or watering it down.

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