Rock Your Rebrand

July 10, 2014

After launching my new web space this week (YAY), I’ve been receiving emails and tweets from creative professionals looking to expand their brand, but not sure when to take the leap of faith or if they even want to.

See, with most blogs and businesses, all you see is the before and after look of their rebrand, but what about all of the things that go on behind-the-scenes? It can’t be all rainbows, butterflies, and unicorns, right? Right.

Rebranding is tough.

It challenges you in ways you’d never expect, but if you’re willing to embrace the changes, you’ll see the grass is much greener on the other side. Trust me, I now have a nice view on the other side.

So how do you keep (most of) your sanity in the rebranding process? I have a few insider secrets to share with you that you don’t need to keep on the down low.

Don’t get too ahead of yourself

I really struggled with this. When I get started with a project, I usually get so excited that my original plan goes out the window as I become as random as my bursts of inspiration. Making sure you go into rebranding with strategies already laid out is key. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement, but one day at a time, young grasshopper. You’ll get plenty of time to geek out over all of the awesomeness of your rebrand.

Set realistic goals for yourself

Do you have a full-time job, a family to take care of, businesses to run, or all of the above? Many business owners and bloggers have other responsibilities on their plate when they rebrand, but this is natural. It’s important to consider the required time and effort each of your current responsibilities so you can effectively carve out free time when you can craft your rebranding plan. Rebrands don’t have a standard time formula so don’t worry about being too fast or too slow. Look at what works with your current schedule and follow that.

Write ALL of your ideas down

Yes, even the ones you start to second guess right after they surface. I’ve found that keeping a list of those random ideas helps so much in the rebranding process. Start with aesthetically pleasing words, blog post ideas… the works! It will all help you craft your about page, sidebar copy, and so much more. You’ll thank me later.

Keep one file folder for all of your rebranding resources

Any files you are planning to use in your rebrand should be stored in the same home. Try to be as organized as possible. I’m not a naturally super organized person (oops), but I do know that keeping everything in one place can save you time and energy. There’s no right or wrong organization system so focus on creating one that works for you.

Work toward (loose) deadlines

I know it is difficult at first to determine a date when you’ll be ready to launch your new website, but even having a goal month can be really helpful. Also, if you are investing in outside resources for your rebrand (i.e. a web designer, creative coach, copywriter, etc.), you must take into account not only when you’ll ready to launch but when they will be ready, too.

Consult in others that you trust

As creatives, we crave support and encouragement and definitely need it to get through this process. All of the changes will have you wondering what if you are moving in the right direction. Having professionals you admire to give you feedback can light the way and clear up the confusion by offering their different perspectives. It’s like free advice from your best blog friends – neato!

Get ready for next week when I dive into answering some of your rebranding questions. I’m so excited to have my first Q+A session on the blog. I hope after reading this post, you have a better idea of what goes into a rebrand and if it’s the right time to think about starting the process. Let’s get to it!

Do you have any questions about rebranding? Let me know what you think about rebranding in your future in the comment section below.