Many entrepreneurs, especially photographers and creatives, make common branding mistakes that weaken their brand impact, but you don’t have to be one of them!
Branding is so much more than just a logo, it’s the full experience that a client has with your business. Your branding matters because it’s what sets you apart from your competitors and shows what makes YOU unique.
As brand and web designers, we know how much first impressions matter. Your branding is one of the first things your audience sees, and it does the talking for you before you have even said anything. A custom, intentional brand shouldn’t be easy to forget.
Read on to discover the eight most common branding mistakes so you can be sure to avoid them!
8 Common Branding Mistakes
Here are eight common branding mistakes to avoid:
1. Throwing your brand together without a strategy
Too many business owners treat their branding like baking without a recipe, hoping it turns out well. They end up picking random fonts, colors, and visuals without ever having a branding strategy in place. All of this leads directly to a brand that lacks a clear purpose and makes it incredibly difficult to connect with the right audience.
If you want to avoid this branding mistake, start by identifying your ideal client. We suggest making an ideal client avatar and answering important questions like “What would your ideal client’s ‘I am’ statements be?” and “What are their desires and goals?” This is going to help you get clarity and be able to build your branding around exactly what attracts your ideal client.
Next, you’re going to want to identify your brand messaging, tone of voice, and core values before designing anything.
Also, if you are DIYing your brand, take the time to customize your branding instead of using generic templates (because one or more of your competitors are probably using them already).
2. Not creating a complete brand suite
We’ve seen it over and over again where many entrepreneurs only have a primary logo and literally nothing else. First, a logo does not = a brand suite. Your logo isn’t going to work in every scenario because different platforms and formats require flexibility.
To fix this, you’ll want to focus on building a comprehensive brand suite. A brand suite includes a primary logo, secondary logo (horizontal/stacked variations), brand marks and icons, typography and color palette, and patterns or brand textures for visual depth. This ensures your branding remains consistent and adaptable across different touchpoints.
By the way, if you don’t want to have to worry about building an entire brand suite from scratch, we can do this for you with our signature offer, The Rebrand Edit – it’s one of the things we do best! 😉 Learn more here!
3. Not using your brand consistently
We’ve known some business owners who invest in branding, but then they fail to apply it consistently. The bottom line is that a brand that looks one way on Instagram and completely different on a website confuses potential clients, and it could be one of the main reasons you’re struggling to book new clients.
To remedy this, be sure that if you invest in branding that you are using it everywhere (and yes, we do mean everywhere). This means using it on your social media, website, email marketing, client communication, and more. Also, make sure your brand colors, fonts, and patterns are present in all marketing materials
Pro tip: Store your brand assets in Canva or other design tools for quick and easy access!
4. Creating a website that doesn’t match your brand
This is a big one! A disconnect between your website and social media will create an inconsistent experience, and if someone follows you on Instagram and then clicks to a website that looks completely different, they may lose trust in you and your brand.
To guarantee this isn’t an issue for you and your business, make sure that you are using your brand suite (logos, colors, patterns, and typography) throughout your entire website. Also, double-check that your website aligns with your overall brand feel (luxurious, playful, bold, minimal, etc.).
Want to be let in on a little secret in the world of branding and web design? Subtle brand details like background patterns and icons add professionalism and uniqueness. Try it out on your website and watch the magic happen!
5. Neglecting the brand experience after booking
Many businesses create really strong branding for their marketing, but then they forget about the client experience post-booking. If your communication style shifts after booking, it can feel disconnected and unprofessional.
To avoid this branding mistake, be sure to carry your branding throughout the entire client journey, including:
- Email communication
- CRM tools (Dubsado, HoneyBook, etc.)
- Onboarding & offboarding processes
- Branded welcome gifts or guides
Consistency keeps your clients excited and reassured about their decision to work with you!
6. Playing it too safe and blending in
This might be a bit of a spicy take, but we’ve seen too many brands that look the exact same, especially in creative industries. The truth is that following trends without adding originality simply makes your brand forgettable.
To fix this, the first thing you need to do is identify what makes you different and fully embrace it! For example, if every photographer in your area uses soft neutrals (which, ya know, they do), consider a bold, high-contrast color palette instead.
Lean into what makes you unique and make it a focal point of your branding! Don’t be afraid for your branding to convey who you truly are, not a watered-down version of yourself. You can also study brands outside of your industry for inspiration and ask yourself what stands out about them. How can you make sure that you do the same?
7. Not making your brand accessible
Making your brand accessible to everyone should be a non-negotiable. Accessibility benefits all users!
Poor color contrast and illegible fonts make your brand difficult for some people to engage with. Also, small font sizes, overly decorative scripts, and low-contrast color combinations hurt usability.
To create accessible branding, ensure your color combinations have enough contrast (use tools like Color Palette Studio to help you). Use legible fonts and avoid overly thin or intricate script fonts for headings or body text. Make sure to follow accessibility guidelines (16pt minimum for body text, clear spacing, web-safe fonts).
8. Ignoring brand cohesion across all touchpoints
Some businesses focus on branding in certain areas (think social media or a website), but then they ignore other touchpoints like emails and client portals. We’ll say it until we are blue in the face, but your branding should be consistent everywhere. Inconsistent branding creates a disjointed experience (and you want to avoid this)!
To fix this common branding mistake, make sure your email templates match your branding (colors, button styles, fonts). Also, use the same tone of voice and messaging across social media, emails, and website copy, and set up CRM tools (Dubsado, HoneyBook) with branded assets like logos and custom fonts.
Now You Know Which Branding Mistakes to Avoid
We hope you found this post on branding mistakes to avoid helpful! Your brand deserves the spotlight and to show the best part of who you are and what you do, not hide in the shadows.
Also, if you don’t know where to start, or let’s be real for a sec, who has the time to DIY their branding? That’s where we come in. At Inkpot Creative, our approach to branding is unique because we infuse the important strategic work with the parts of your personality that act as a magnet to your dream clients.
Our signature offer, The Rebrand Edit, is the ultimate branding package that will help you stand out from the crowd without lifting a finger. Learn more about what the Rebrand Edit includes here, or get in touch with us here!
Read these next:
Branding for Wedding Professionals – Why It Matters and How to Get It Right
Stop Playing It Safe: Why Having an Authentic Brand Matters
KP’s design journey began in book publishing, but she fell in love with the truly limitless possibilities that web design presents. Since then, she’s been helping photographers and creatives become the no-brainer option for their dream clients before they even get on a call.
- How to Avoid These 8 Common Branding Mistakes - April 24, 2025
- 5 Reasons Why Planning Is Important in Creating a Website - April 15, 2025
- Web Design for Wedding Professionals: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Fix - April 8, 2025
4/24/25
Published On:
Krystianna Pietrzak
