Last fall, I attended a networking event. As a solopreneur, walking into a room full of strangers alone can be intimidating, but I grabbed a bite to eat, made conversation, and ended up having a great time. 

It wasn’t until hours later and probably over twenty or so interactions, that I came home and looked in the mirror and I saw it.

🫠 A giant piece of kale stuck in my front teeth.

And no one bothered to mention it to me. Not. One.

As you may know, my smile is quite teethy. There’s no way it went unseen.

Why didn’t anyone say anything?

That’s kind of how brand perception blind spots work. You think everything’s going fine until you realize people have been seeing your brand in a completely different way than you intended.

Let me ask you an honest question:

〰️ If I polled a random group of your customers and potential customers, what would they say about your brand? 

〰️ Does this answer match what you want them to say?

If you're not 100% sure, or if those questions made you nervous, you’re in the right place. 

I’m here to help you find ways to determine your brand's blind spots and uncover what people truly think about your brand (before it becomes a full-blown kale moment.) 

How to Determine What People Really Think of Your Brand

Brand perception isn’t just what you want people to think about your brand. It’s what other people see, feel, say and experience when they interact with your business. It’s an immediate feeling the public has when they hear your business name, see your visuals or interact with your brand.

It’s that gut feeling people get when they:

• Hear your business name
• Scroll through your website
• Interact with your content
• Read your reviews 
• Work with you directly

Brand perception is shaped by your visuals, messaging, customer experience and even the way people talk about you when you aren’t in the room. 

Simply put. It’s your brand’s reputation.

Reality Check: You Don’t Own Your Brand’s Perception

Yep, you heard me right-you don’t have control over your brand perception.

Your audience does. Because it’s based on their experiences and interactions with your brand.

Which is why it is so important to get right! 

Just ask Taylor Swift! She allegedly pays her publicist millions a year to manage her brand perception.

So, the question is:

Does the way people see your brand match what you want them to see?

Why Brand Perception Matters

Brand perception has a direct impact on the success of your business.

Here is why it’s a big deal:

It Determines Whether People Choose You or Someone Else

As Seth Godin says: “People don’t just buy products or services, they buy relations, stories and magic.”

The way people perceive your brand determines whether they trust you, remember you and ultimately hire or buy from you.

It Affects Word-of-Mouth Reputation

If people have a strong, positive perception of your brand, they’ll shout your name from the rooftops. But if your brand is seen negatively, it can cost you in sales and valuable referrals.

It Impacts Your Pricing Power

Perceived value = actual value.  If your brand is seen as high-end or premium, they expect to pay more. If they see inconsistency or uncertainty, they expect discounts.

It Shows What Needs Fixing

There’s absolutely no shame in course correcting. Like I said before, once you know you have kale stuck in your teeth, you can actually do something about it.

It Shapes Your Marketing (and Makes it Easier!)

Setting the tone, planning ahead, and aligning the perception you want with intention make your marketing efforts way more effective and then your brand perception improves.

Here’s the first bit of good news: If you follow these steps and find that your brand is already winning hearts, keep doing what you’re doing!  You’re executing your brand well.

And here’s the second bit of good news: If you don’t get rave reviews, you can know your blind spots and do something to fix them.

Define How You Want to Be Perceived

Deciding your ideal brand perception is determined during brand strategy sessions with a brand expert or can be done on your own. Before you analyze what people currently think about your brand, take a step back and ask yourself a few questions. 

What’s the Goal?

• Do you want to be seen as premium and polished  or approachable and relatable?
• Do you want your brand to be known as no-fluff and direct or warm and supportive?

What do you want to be known for?

• Do people immediately associate you with your strongest skills, services, or expertise?
• Do they see you as an expert or thought leader in a niche or is that unclear?

Do a Gut Check: What do you Hope People Say About You?

• If a past client was describing your brand to a friend, what do you hope they say?
• If your brand were a person, in three words, describe what you would like them to be.

Get Inside Your Ideal Customer’s Head

Clearly, we’re not mind readers here (wouldn’t that be cool though?) But there are some very actionable ways you can uncover what people who experience your brand really see when they look at your business. 

Let’s dig in!

Ask Direct questions (But in a Way that Gets Real Answers)

People love to be nice (especially in Iowa!), so you have to give them permission to be brutally honest. 

Instead of asking, “What do you think of my brand?” try:

• “What’s the first thing you’d trust me to help you with?”
• “Would you describe me as an expert or a generalist?”
• “If you didn’t hire me, what held you back?”
  

Social Listening (How People Describe  Your Brand When You’re Not in the Room)

People are more honest when they don’t think you’re listening. The way people are talking about your brand on social media or to a friend is often more revealing than direct feedback. 

Check these things:

• Observe how people introduce your brand in public, in DMs or group chats. Are they describing you the way you want to be known for?
• Look at your social media mentions. Are they saying things like “branding expert or just “she does branding.” Is the language consistent with your brand goals?

Read between the Reviews

Reviews, when read closely can reveal what’s not landing. If your strongest skills or key messages aren’t showing up, it’s a sign your branding isn’t as clear as you think.

Instead of just looking at  what’s there, look for what’s missing.

• Are customers mentioning your strongest skills? If not, they may not see them as your strengths and they aren’t being showcased enough.
• Are compliments actually red flags? If people say you’re affordable but you want to be seen as premium, there’s a branding issue.

Analytics Don’t Lie

Your website and social media tell a story about your brand, but is it the right one?

A quick look at your analytics can reveal if your messaging is attracting the right people or leaving them confused.

• Look at your website bounce rate. If people are leaving fast, your message or brand perception may not be resonating.
• Check out your most-clicked pages. Are people engaging with what you want them to or are they ignoring the good stuff?
• What keywords lead people to your site. Are they finding you for the right reasons?

Compare Yourself to the Competition (Your Audience Already Is!)

If you’re not intentionally differentiating yourself, your audience will lump you with everyone else.

Use your competition to your advantage by:

• Seeing how your competitors position themselves. Do you sound exactly like them? If so you’re blending in.
• Look at reviews and see what customers love/hate. Can you fill a gap that’s missing.
• Check their visual brand. Would someone struggle to remember who is who between your competitors?

Do the “Stranger Test” (See Your Brand With Fresh Eyes)

You’re too close to your brand to see it objectively. A fresh perspective can really tell you if people are getting lost or confused.

Let a stranger be your compass.

• Find someone who has never heard of your brand. Show them your website, brand and social media for 5 seconds and then ask what they think you do.
• If their answer is off, your brand is not clear.

Fixing Brand Perception Gaps/Blind Spots

What happens if you uncover that your brand perception isn’t what you’d hoped? Maybe customers see you as cheap when you want to be premium, generic when you want to be unique, or confusing when you want to be clear.

Pinpoint the biggest disconnect

Before you fix anything, you need to figure out the things people are misunderstanding about your brand.

Ask Yourself:

• “What are people misunderstanding about my brand?”
• “Where am I seeing consistent feedback or confusion?”
• “Does my brand (emotional connection, messaging, visuals and customer experience) match the reputation I want?”
  
  

For example:  If a business coach wants to be seen as a  high-level strategist, but her audience perceives her as a business mentor like the rest of the coaches out there, she knows now that she needs to refine her messaging to highlight her unique frameworks and strategic depth.

Refine Your Messaging

If your ideal audience doesn’t see your brand the way you intended, you might not be saying it plainly, clearly, or often enough.

Ask Yourself:

• “Can I more consistently communicate what I want to be known for? What schedule could I keep for this?”
• “Am I using strong, and intentional language to shape the perception I want? Could I be bolder or with more of a hook?”
• “Are my brand statements (Mission, Positioning, and Values) strong enough, and are they actually communicated through the messaging?”

For example:   If a business coach wants to be seen as a  high-level strategist, but her audience perceives her as a business mentor like the rest of the coaches out there, she needs to refine her messaging to highlight her unique frameworks and strategic depth. Updating the messaging on each of her offers and sharing high-level case studies instead of beginning tips will reflect premium positioning.

Upgrade Your Visual Brand (Because Looks Matter)

Your logo, color palette, website and overall aesthetic need to give the right visual message immediately before they read a single word.

Ask yourself:

• “Do my visuals match the level of professionalism or uniqueness I want to convey?”
• “Does my website look and feel like my brand’s personality?”
• “If I raised my prices tomorrow would I feel confident that my visual brand could back it up?”

For example: If a photographer wants to be seen as a  luxury wedding photographer, but her DIY website and inconsistent Instagram feed make her look like a budget-friendly option, she can invest in a high-end, sophisticated website, cohesive branding, and a polished Instagram aesthetic that aligns with the experience she offers.

Improve the Customer Experience

Brand perception isn’t about what you have to say about your brand, it’s what people actually experience when they interact with you.

Ask yourself:

• “Do I make working with me smooth, easy, and professional?”
• “Are my clients or customers ever confused, frustrated, or feeling lost in the process?”
• “Do I need to add more clarity, automation, or follow-up touchpoints?”

For example: If an online clothing boutique wants to be known for high-quality, premium fashion, but customers are frustrated with long shipping times and lack of order updates. They could consider adding automated order tracking and premium packaging that reflects the brand’s high-end positioning.

Get More Social Proof & Showcase It (Let Others Shape Your Reputation)

If you want people to see your brand differently, let your customers and clients do the talking for you.

Ask yourself:

• “Do I have strong testimonials that reinforce my expertise?”
• “Are my best reviews showcasing the transformation and results I provide?”
• “Am I actively collecting new social proof—or just relying on old feedback?”
• “Can I frame questions that will help customers answer in the way I want my brand to be perceived?”

For example: If a marketing consultant wants to be known for helping small businesses grow revenue, but her testimonials only mention how “nice” and what a good listener she is, so she asks past clients to update their reviews with specific revenue increases, audience growth, or tangible results.

Stay Consistent and Be Patient (Brand Perception Takes Time to Shift)

Changing how people see your brand doesn’t happen overnight. Keep reinforcing the right message until it sticks.

Ask yourself:

• “Am I consistently showing up with the same brand message across all channels?”
• “Do I need to stop talking about things that don’t serve my positioning?”
• “Have I given this shift enough time, or am I expecting instant results?”

For example:  If a candle brand wants to be seen as eco-conscious and sustainable,  they will want to start eco-friendly sourcing as a key part of their branding, from website copy to packaging inserts and continually mention this in their messaging.

Perception versus Reality

Branding is what closes the gap between your vision & how the world sees you.  It’s not just what you put out into the world, it’s how your audience receives it. If after doing some of these brand perception exercises and you feel there is a disconnect, the good news is, you can pivot! 

Take the next step!

1️⃣ Define how you WANT to be seen.

2️⃣ Pick one way to gather real feedback this week.

3️⃣ Compare the results—and make small shift where needed.

Your brand isn’t just what you say it is. It’s what people believe it to be. Make sure those two things match!

Your designer friend always,