EMBRACING A REBRAND WITH CONFIDENCE

We get it; change can be scary, especially when it involves rebranding your business. It affects the reputation you’ve worked hard to build. It changes others opinions of you. And the worst question to ask yourself of all; What if it doesn’t work out? 

But, you’re not alone, and you’ve got a friend (that’s me) to guide you through this journey. Let’s unlock the potential of your brand by conquering the fears that creep in.

Fear Is Natural – It Means You Care

It’s natural to feel nervous about rebranding. Your business matters to you, and after overcoming the hurdle of starting it in the first place; how do you accept that that version of you baked in is no longer serving your business? Embrace the fear as a sign of your brand’s significance. Dig deep to understand why this change is important now and use that as your ‘why’ to reference when you’re feeling uncertain.

Visualize Success – See the Transformation

Close your eyes and imagine your brand’s future. Picture the endless possibilities that rebranding can bring. Visualization turns uncertainty into excitement. This also helps you communicate with a designer/team what the end goal is and consistently ensure you see that coming to life through their work and your process with them. Being able to use the same visual language will ensure you’re on the same page and build trust in this new and often scary chapter.

Expert Guidance – Your Rebranding Wingman

Don’t go it alone; ask for help when you need it. Seek experienced professionals who share your vision. Trust experts to navigate the rebranding journey. Start interviewing early and understanding your budget to get to know all the players in the game of your rebrand. Need a Brand Strategist/designer? Copywriter? Brand Photographer? Is there an agency that offers it all under one roof or do you want to decide on the key players yourself? What do you already

know about what you need that you know what to ask from others?

And for the love of all that is good, do not ask your brother, aunt, uncle’s cousin, what they think. If they aren’t in the industry, they’re well meaning feedback WILL cause you to second guess your decision. Only share on a need to know basis so you stay closely aligned with your mission.

Plan Your Journey – Clear Steps to Confidence

Feeling overwhelmed? Break it down into a step-by-step plan. Define your rebranding goals and create a roadmap.

It can be the jankiest of roadmaps when you start, but gather all of your ideas;

Want to start email marketing, a blog, a podcast, and launch merch? GREAT! Now break that down into pieces that make you money, and those that bring you joy. 

Obvious bonus points for sections that do both. 

Now take each piece and break down all of the steps necessary to get there and next to it, rate your skill/ability to do it. From admin to design, setup to launch; where will you rebrand create the most impact the most immediately and what you should prioritize for profitability while not losing sight of why you got into this in the first place. 

All of this will help you understand what assets you need to request be developed for your rebrand. It saves both you and the designer/agency time and money to articulate what you need first and then request support for ongoing (or needed later) assets for the rollout of your rebrand. Being able to look ahead helps save brain space on all of your ideas when you know you don’t have to dedicate time to it right away.

Preserve Your Essence – Hold on to What Matters

Don’t lose yourself in the process; your essence is invaluable. Infusing yourself in the design, with your personality, colors that you connect with between you and your clients/customers/community, or a symbol that aligns with your mission are all ways to stay connected to your refreshed brand. I love to incorporate something about the owner into a brand’s design. A nod that maybe only they know. 

Identify what aligns with your core values and brand identity. Rebranding doesn’t mean forgetting who you are. 

Communication Matters – Keep Your Team in the Loop

Team feeling uneasy? Open, honest communication is key. Share the rebranding journey with your team and invite their input. Collaboration fosters unity and shared purpose.

I’m going to say it again: “do not ask your brother, aunt, uncle’s cousin, what they think. If they aren’t in the industry, they’re well meaning feedback WILL cause you to second guess your decision. Only share on a need to know basis so you stay closely aligned with your mission.”

While it is important to trust the experts you’ve hired, do not be afraid to ask questions. Understanding key decisions and not just accepting what’s said, is a sure fire way to feel affirmed. (There is a difference though in seeking to understand and doubting the ability of an expert, just saying).

Celebrate the Small Wins – Confidence Boosters

Rebranding is a series of steps; celebrate each one! Acknowledge progress and achievements along the way. If you’ve taken the time to plan the launch of your brand, you’ve likely created social media content, worked on an email sequence to tell your story to your audience, or maybe this rebrand is to help you do those things. Write out all of the steps needed and chip away a little at a time with a celebration at the end. If you need help strategizing your launch; you know where to find me. 😉 

Confidence grows with every milestone reached.

Measure Success – Tangible Results of Rebranding

Wondering if it’s all worth it? Look at the results. Metrics like customer engagement and revenue growth tell the story. Tangible success validates the journey. Find the measurements and conversions that matter the most to you based on your goals. 

Let go of the ones that are attached to vanity and your ego. 

If it’s social media engagement, then how much of that engagement is converting into inquiries and sales? When you set a hyperlink for others to use, how often does it get clicked and then what sales come from that? 

Remember, you don’t have to cast a wide net to attempt to catch as many fish as possible, if you already know the best bank to fish in to guarantee you’ll have dinner. Okay, I don’t fish, but you get what I’m saying. 

We’ve been where you are – and it sucked.

I understand the fear and worst of all, my biggest one came true. I didn’t hire right and scrapped everything. Goodbye hard-earned revenue. 

There’s a saying, “Hire right or hire twice”

Untangle the parts that are drumming up the scary parts of a rebrand, take control, and interview, interview, interview!!

Rebranding is your opportunity to shine – How is your confidence feeling now? 🚀

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Wishing you could have honest conversations like this with a Creative Partner?