Are You Blind to Your Own Brand?
Have you ever spotted a typo in someone else's document immediately, only to miss your own typos after proofing your work twenty times?
We’ve all been there and missed the obvious, because our brains become familiar with what we expect to see. We stop reading objectively and start filling in the gaps.
The same thing happens in business.
When you look at your website every day, read the same brochures, write the same emails and answer the same customer questions, it's easy to stop seeing your business through the eyes of a new customer. What feels obvious to you might be confusing to someone visiting your website for the first time. What you think is clear messaging may actually be filled with industry jargon or information that only make sense because you already know the context.
I've noticed this in my own career too. After spending a long time in the same business, I sometimes find myself questioning new ideas because I feel like I've seen or done it all before. It's not because the ideas are bad but familiarity has a way of making us comfortable with the status quo. We start filtering new opportunities through our previous experiences instead of looking at them with fresh curiosity.
One of my favourite pieces of advice came from a previous manager (shout out Peter!), who introduced me to the idea of working ON the business, not just IN the business. This always stuck with me and I’ve brought it up many times in my working life, because it is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activity, delivering products, managing staff and solving problems, that finding the time to step back and assess your business and marketing objectively can feel impossible.
That's why fresh eyes are so valuable.
A new perspective doesn't always lead to a complete rebrand or a significant strategy change, it’s often minor tweaks or building on what you already have. Sometimes it's simply noticing that your website doesn't clearly explain what you do or that your contact form has so many fields that it’s become a roadblock. Maybe you have a fantastic customer testimonial, but you’re forgotten to tell everyone about it. Most commonly, you might have stopped talking about the things your customers actually care about because it’s become repetitive or second nature to you.
The best marketing improvements are often the simplest ones. They just require someone who hasn't been looking at the same business every day for the last five years.
If you can, it's worth stepping back and role playing as a new customer discovering your business for the first time. And if you’re too embedded in your business to do that, it might be time to invite a fresh perspective. Nash North would be happy to help.
