If you’ve been following along with me since the beginning, you may remember that I started my business with a completely different name. After one year in, I rebranded with a new name, new logo, new website – EVERYTHING. Since I’m a designer, and I did all of it myself, it didn’t put me out much financially, but the hours spent were time-consuming. I wanted to rebrand with intention. It needed to be worth it ... and it was. I certainly received a return on my time investment! Rebranding should be intentional and worthwhile for you, too!
So, what is a rebrand anyway?
The dictionary defines rebranding as “the process of giving a product or an organization a new image in order to make it more attractive or successful.” I would say it’s actually a lot more than this. Rebranding isn’t just limited to your visuals. Rebranding means evaluating your mission, goals, strategy, target audience, and everything else in between.
Before you decide to rebrand, consider these major questions…
Do I just have shiny object syndrome?
You’re browsing Pinterest, you stumble upon a competitor's site and you are awestruck by their website and brand. Suddenly your branding looks like BLAH, and you feel a need to change it. Then “Everything will be better,” right? We do this same exact thing in other areas of life, too. We decide that what we have isn’t really enough.
So, if you fall into this boat of seeing another brand, falling in love and wanting to change yours…stop it right there. That’s not reason enough to rebrand. You will ALWAYS (yes, always) be able to find a website or brand that you like better than yours if you look long enough.
Will this likely increase my profits?
Do you have reason to believe that your current brand is hurting your business profits? If so, a rebrand would be a good investment. Your brand and website are often a customer’s FIRST impression of you. Your brand can make it or break it in a matter of seconds. In most cases, a good rebrand will increase your profits. If YES, then rebranding would be a smart move!
Does my brand reflect my business personality?
If you’re doing business right, then your brand will be evolving. Rebranding with purpose is GOOD THING. Even the most iconic brands have logos evolve a lot over the years (sometimes with 30+ different logos in their lifetime). If your branding or website does not reflect your business personality or the direction your business is headed, it might be time for an update.
Am I reaching my ideal clients?
If not, your brand/website could be to blame. Working with a brand strategist to define your messaging AND design can help you level up your business and reach the clients you're dreaming of. If you’re not sure who your ideal client is, check out my free workbook to help you identify and reach your dream clients and customers!
Does my brand lack consistency?
Do your website and Instagram look like 2 completely different businesses? Maybe your Pinterest images and business cards are all over the place? Consistency is KEY when developing a strong brand. If your fonts, colors, and imagery are sporadically chosen, working with a designer to develop a consistent strategy for your brand across all platforms would be beneficial.
Do I have the funds necessary to properly invest in this?
Branding and website design is a business investment like anything else. And I would argue that when done well, they are one of the best investments you can make in your business. Maybe you’re tight on money because business isn’t going so well, and this is where you think improved branding would come in handy! I feel ya!
Here are a couple of quick tips to help you save up for the investment:
- Set aside as much money as you can each month from your paycheck specifically for branding.
- Ask the designer you want to work with about doing a payment plan to help you spread out the cost.
- Look to bundle the services! If you can work with one person to do your branding AND website design, you will usually end up saving some cash.
If after reading these questions, you’re thinking “YES. I need to rebrand!” then congrats! Rebranding is an awesome, worthwhile process.
If you decide you don’t need a full brand redesign, BUT do need to change things, consider a brand refresh! You can work with a designer to make minor tweaks to your website such as updating fonts, colors, or layout changes. A designer can tweak your logo with color changes or simplify it. Most designers (including me!) will do minor tweaks to your brand or website, even if they don’t have this listed as service.
If you’re thinking of rebranding your business, let’s chat! I would love to work together!
October 10, 2017
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