For many businesses, a brand is little more than the combination of a logo, a few colors, and a couple of fonts. Creating it is a one-time process, and you never have to revisit it. Does this sound familiar to you?

If it does, don’t worry. Unfortunately, it’s a misconception that’s ensnared many business owners. It’s your story and a visual representation of your company culture. Its purpose is to draw your target audience, motivate your employees, and create recognition.

Luckily, it might not be too late to lift your brand from the depths of neglect. However, before you start redesigning your corporate identity, there are a few dos and don’ts you’ll want to keep in mind. It won’t do to go from bad to worse, after all.

DO Hire a Professional

There’s a lot to consider when creating or revamping a brand. From your core values to industry trends, no stone should be left unturned. However, understanding your company doesn’t necessarily mean you know what will appeal to your target audience.

If you can, hire a brand consultant instead of taking on the challenge yourself. An expert will help you develop an effective identity that resonates with consumers.

DON’T Leave Everything to a Consultant

Yes, you hired a professional so that they could put together a brand that works. However, they don’t know anything about your company, its history, or what makes it tick. Even if you’re entrusting the process to an expert, you still need to provide valuable input that’ll help guide their hand.

DO Use Consistent Messaging

Using consistent messaging, both internally and externally, is essential. If you want clients to start recognizing your brand, you’ll need to use the same style and tone of voice, regardless of what you’re sharing.

According to clickintelligence.co, consistency is especially important if you’re using paid social campaigns. If you don’t match your advertisements to your identity and goals, you could be damaging your brand all over again.

DON’T Be Afraid to Get Creative

Consistent doesn’t mean boring, and it certainly doesn’t mean serious. If you’re a professional brand, by all means, employ the Merriam-Webster dictionary every time you write a social post.

However, there’s nothing wrong with using humor, memes, sarcasm, and intense emotional imagery to promote your brand. It’s about what defines your business, not everyone else.

DO Research

There’s a lot you need to research and consider before and during brand development. For example:

• What are your competitors doing?
• Have you identified your target market?
• What do they like/dislike?
• Do you have unique selling points?

You’ll need a lot of data to form the foundation of your development process. That said…

DON’T Get Stuck in Data

Don’t get so caught up in what everyone else is doing that you forget to build your own unique identity. You started your business to deliver an exceptional product or service, and you should use your brand to show off what you can do.

Don’t get so caught up in current trends and what the competition is doing that you completely lose your identity.

Building a Brand Never Ends

Here’s one essential tip: this isn’t a once-off process. As you continue to promote your brand, you’ll earn the recognition and trust of your audience. However, if you stop, you’ll soon realize how easy it is for consumers to forget you exist.

You also need to keep your brand alive in the minds of your employees. They’re your ambassadors, and if they don’t care about your business identity, you’re going to have a tricky time making anyone else give a hoot.