4 sneaky signs your limiting beliefs are creeping into your brand
(Since Halloween is coming up this weekend, we’re getting playful with the “spooky” theme!)
Limiting beliefs.
As small business owners, we all struggle with our mindset around our businesses, no matter how confident we feel we are. One common misconception is that limiting beliefs disappear the more successful your business becomes, but that’s not the case. Even the most confident, successful, profitable, goal-oriented small business owners can fall prey to limiting beliefs.
As much as we think our limiting beliefs are our own, the reality is that if left unchecked, they’ll start to sneakily creep into our businesses and our brands, whether we realize it or not. And at that point, our limiting beliefs will become apparent to our customers as well.
Any limiting beliefs you have as a small business owner will find their way into your business, your brand, and your customer experience.
The way we show up in our businesses, the way we talk about our businesses, the way we market and promote (or neglect to do so) are all indicators of how healthy our mindset is.
So when you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, scarcity mindset, or insecurity about your small business, know that these beliefs will likely show up in your brand, whether through your brand messaging, your brand marketing, or your brand’s customer experience.
Fortunately, it can be easy to spot your own limiting beliefs creeping their way into your brand—be on the lookout for these 4 sneaky signs:
You’re holding off on investing in your brand
If you needed to upgrade your brand design or invest in a brand strategy, like, yesterday and you still haven’t invested in one yet, this could be a result of some limiting beliefs.
We often wait for “the right time” to make a big investment into ourselves or our small business, but find our good intentions sidelined by unforeseen expenses, busyness, and other distractions.
Or at least we tell ourselves, don’t we?
If you’re holding off on investing in your brand—leveling up the logo, visual identity, brand messaging, that kept you going for a few years but is clearly not representing the business you have today anymore—this could be a limiting belief at play.
The biggest reason we hesitate to invest in our businesses is because we see the cost and not the investment.
A cost is an expense that sees little or no return for your money. This could include your storefront rent, purchasing new office furniture, replacing a broken laptop, etc.
An investment is an expense that is made in order to receive a greater return for your money. Anything your small business spends money on in order to expedite your ability to make more money could be considered an investment: hiring employees to free up your time, purchasing Google Ads, and, yes, investing in branding.
Investing in your small business—or in yourself—involves risk. It takes courage. And shying away from worthwhile investments can be a sneaky sign of imposter syndrome, scarcity mindset, or other insecurity-based limiting beliefs.
We deep down don’t actually believe our business is worth investing in: it’s just a “little business”, just a “thing” we started.
Or instead, we feel we have to hold onto our financial resources at all costs, believing that “cheaper is better” or that doing it ourselves is a smarter decision.
There is something to be said about waiting for the right time to make a big investment and pursuing wise financial decisions. But we can all too often mischaracterize such investments as risky costs—which, speaking for myself, can reveal a lot more about our mindset than about our bank account.
If you’re sensing that your limiting beliefs are sneaking into your brand through your hesitation to invest in a brand strategy or brand re-design, take hope! There’s no time like now to commit to investing in yourself and in your small business. Trust me—as a former tight-wad entrepreneur who now happily invests wherever possible in her business—it’s worth it.
THE FIX: If you truly can’t afford the investment at this time, or perhaps you’re still testing the waters to see if your small business idea will stick, save up. Get a quote from your agency of choice and save up a bit more cash before making your move. Or better yet, find an agency that will break your brand design project into phases, allowing you to move at a slower pace and pay as you go.
2. You’re hiding behind your screen
I get it—the internet can be a scary place.
As an introvert myself, I’ve really come to think that the internet is an introvert’s worst nightmare and also best friend. There’s so much personal information online and so much pressure to show up and be present on every platform, but there’s also a myriad of ways to hide behind a screen and avoid putting too much of yourself out there.
However, whether your business provides goods or services, your brand needs the personal touch that only you can bring.
The most successful brands in today’s ever-changing market are the ones that make a personal connection with their customers.
Gone are the Mad Men-era brands that exist to tout the benefits and features of their offerings. Today’s brands reach out to the consumer, inviting them into a relatable story, an emotional bond, or an unforgettable experience.
This brand experience is going to look different from business to business. Large corporations or even mid-sized enterprises likely won’t have their founder taking center stage the way a solopreneur-run small business might, but they can still highlight their founder’s story or find creative, personal touchpoints with their customers.
No matter how large your enterprise or small your business, every brand should seek to make personal connections with its customers.
And unfortunately for us introverts—that means coming out from behind the screen.
If your limiting beliefs are keeping you hiding behind your devices and feeling uneasy about putting your name and face out there, your customers will feel the lack of personal connection and move onto a brand that they do relate to.
THE FIX: Audit your brand experience, your brand messaging, and your website to find ways to make personal connections with your customers. If you’re a large or mid-sized company that needs to keep a professional, corporate brand identity, consider offering free Zoom consultations with a sales representative; incorporate your own story into your brand story messaging; or include team photos on your About page.
If you’re a solopreneur and dancing on Tik Tok isn’t your thing (mine either), find ways to still show up online that feel authentic to who you are. Blog instead of chasing viral video views. Weave your personal mission into your brand’s mission statement, making it a focal feature of your brand messaging. Use “I/me” instead of “we” wherever appropriate. Just a small change can make a big impact on your brand experience.
3. You constantly want to redesign your logo or your website
Let’s be clear—there’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from brands you admire, especially those that are successful in your industry!
But when we look with envy at so-and-so’s updated brand design, or the clever brand messaging over here, or the simple-yet-stunning website over there, this can often be the result of insecurity and comparison, which results in a lack of identity.
If you don’t have a strategically-built visual identity that’s designed to reflect the heart and soul of your brand, comparison can sneak in the minute you see the next hottest brand come along.
When you’re not confident in your own brand’s identity, you’ll start to wish you had everyone else’s.
Comparison can actually be a good thing because it can show us what’s possible, open us up to new ideas, or demonstrate what a higher standard could look like.
But if you find yourself crashing against the waves of wanting to redesign your logo or your brand design every few months, this is a sure sign that your brand isn’t aligned with your small business and that your limiting beliefs are sneaking into your brand.
THE FIX: Gather inspiration from the brands around you—take note of what you think they do well, and where you think they could improve! Observe what more successful businesses are doing with their brand messaging, brand marketing, and brand design and aim to improve your own brand as well. But spend a greater amount of time focusing on what makes your brand unique and different, and most of all, make sure your brand is a reflection of your target audience as much as it is of you.
4. Your brand messaging is vague
If your brand messaging is vague, you may think you have a copywriting issue, but more than likely you have a limiting belief to blame.
If your brand isn’t clearly stating what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters to them, it’s likely either because you’re not clear on it yourself...or because you’re a people-pleaser.
That’s right—when we’re afraid of alienating potential customers or missing out on opportunities, we keep our brand messaging and brand marketing broad in an attempt to appeal to everyone.
This comes from, yet again, the old familiar scarcity mindset that says, “If you specialize, niche, or otherwise clarify your brand, you’ll turn some customers away.”
And that may be true. But isn’t that a good thing?
By trying to make your brand appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.
But when you try to appeal to one specific person—a narrowly-honed-in ideal customer—your small business becomes so much more meaningful to the right people.
I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather focus on attracting a select group of right people than a large group of not-the-right-fit people.
When we think about bringing clarity to our brand messaging, if we have unchecked limiting beliefs, we can focus on the masses we won’t be attracting instead of focusing on the loyal fans we will be creating.
When we keep our brand messaging vague, it shows that we’re either not sure what we have to offer to our customers, or that we’re afraid to say “no” to those not-the-right-fit people. This results in a brand image that’s lacking confidence and clarity, which will end up alienating those right people or, at best, confusing them.
If you can’t clearly articulate what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters to them—neither can your customers. And they’ll move on to another brand that can clearly spell out what they have to offer them.
THE FIX: Getting clear on your brand by developing a robust brand strategy will not only allow you to attract the right people, but will also likely eliminate the scarcity mindset fears of alienating the masses. Similar to the point above, once you’re grounded in a clear brand identity as a result of developing a brand strategy, you’ll be able to articulate your brand positioning and your offerings with clarity and confidence.
Don’t be spooked—keep a wary eye out for these 4 sneaky signs your limiting beliefs are creeping into your brand!
Which one resonated most with you?
