You can ask anyone in business…the worst mistakes that you can make are the ones that you were completely unaware of until after the fact. Many brands have suffered this fate and have worked extensively to correct it. But there have been others that have made such mistakes and haven’t even discovered them yet.

Hopefully you aren’t among their numbers. But if you’re feeling a bit insecure, here are three things you can look for—surefire branding mistakes that you might not even know you’re making.

Don’t Get Cute or Overly Creative With Your Name or Logo

Even if you think you have what is the coolest, more unique company name there is, make sure it is something that your target audience is going to understand. You want your target market to know who you are and what you do right away. You don’t want to cause any confusion or guesswork just because you picked a confusing name that you thought was a clever idea.

Don’t Detach Yourself from Your Brand

Not only are you the boss of the office…you are the face of your brand. Your attitudes and behaviors are going to ultimately affect the way people view your brand. Keep this in mind when you are giving interviews, doing commercials, or any sort of press-related things. Do your best to match your brand to your personality and vice versa.

Never Underestimate Your Competitors

The internet has made competition very unpredictable in the business world. A business that was small and on the verge of dying one day can be the leader of the pack within just a few weeks. Because of this, you should always be investigating your competition. What are they doing that you aren’t? Is it working? What sort of customers are they bringing in that you can’t seem to attract? Never assume that you are better than any of your competition; this could cause you to overlook them only to have them blaze right by you soon after.

Have you ever caught yourself caught up in one of the mistakes-in-the-making? If so, how did you side-step it?