Last week we spoke about learning when it’s time to rebrand your business. [If you haven’t read it yet and curious, you can read it here]. This week, we’re diving into how to rebrand your business in a few simple steps, the right way, for the most effective and profitable rebrand, while saving you time, money, and your sanity.

If your brand no longer reflects your brand vision, or your business model or strategy have changed, or maybe you’re just not quite attracting the right customer, then you’re in the right place.

HOW TO REBRAND YOUR BUSINESS IN A FEW SIMPLE STEPS

What exactly does it look like and where should you start? The first thing to remember is that not everything needs to be done overnight. Rebranding is a process and it should never be rushed. Unless you feel like going through the whole process all over again right after you finish. And as I always say, if you don’t have time to do it right the first time, what makes you think you’ll have time the second time? Take your time to discover what’s right for your brand. Being an original is what leads to success.

1. REDEFINE YOUR BRAND: Who are you, what do you offer specifically, and what do you want to be known for? This is one of the first and most crucial set of questions to ask when rebranding (or branding for the first time). What is your brand all about? Your customers want to know you have a focus. They don’t want to buy from a brand that develops watches but also makes dish soap. You may laugh, I know you are, but some brands have done that very thing. Having too many vastly different categories only confuses your potential customers and diminishes their trust in you and your brand. Figure out what you’re good at, what separates you, and build your brand around that.

[Don’t have a product yet or wondering how your product will do in the market? Read WHAT TO SELL ONLINE: 4 Ways To Find Your First Profitable Product [ + PRODUCT SCORECARD FREE DOWNLOAD]

2. REDEFINE WHO YOUR CUSTOMER IS: Maybe when you first started, you had an idea who your target ideal customer would be, but maybe your product has changed or even your price points. And perhaps that has led you to need a rebrand to attract a new demographic. The most important part of understanding your perfect customer (and understanding what triggers them to buy) is not so much about their age, where they live, or even if they’re married, like most vague “find your demographic” articles will tell you. What you need to know is their lifestyle, what matters to them the most on a daily basis, and what desires and aspirations they have? Who do they want to be? And specifically, how do they want to feel when they’re using your product? When you can answer these questions, and know specifically who you’re targeting and what triggers them emotionally, then you have a strong customer base you can build on.

[Not sure where to start? How to Identify Your Ideal Customer In 4 Simple Steps + FREE CHEAT SHEET]

3. WHAT MAKES YOUR BRAND UNIQUE: This is when knowing what appeals to your true target customer really creates an effective strategy. When thinking about your target customer, what is their biggest problem, challenge, or pain point they are currently facing with the current products on the market? What are your competitors not doing that your customer is yearning for? What do you do better than your competitors? When you can offer a unique solution to the pain point your customer is feeling, and a solution they can’t get anywhere else, that’s when you allow your brand to truly stand out.

[Ready to learn how to make your brand stand out? Then you need to read What business are you really in? It’s not what you think.]

4. DETERMINE YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY: This goes hand in hand with knowing what makes your brand unique but takes it even deeper for a stronger emotional connection with your customer. Have you ever noticed the ‘die hard’ fans of Disneyland, Starbucks, or Nike? Asking them to go anywhere else or buy from their competitor’s brand would be considered cheating and symbolically blasphemous to them because they’ve grown so loyal and have grown such a strong connection to the personality of the brand and what that brand represents. This is called a super brand. And when you understand the concept of it, you can create the same superfan dynamic for your brand.

Think of it this way. When you first meet someone new, you know instantly if the two of you will click, based on their style, their mannerisms, the way they speak, the whole essence of who they are, and completely based on your first impression. It works the same way the very first time a customer comes across your brand, whether it be through your website or social media. There are 12 different archetypes that your brand can fall under and understanding their individual traits and characteristics will make allow your brand to develop into its own personality and connecting to your audience on a human emotional level.

[Ready to discover your brand personality? Of course you do this one is fun! Take the Brand Personality Quiz and then learn all about their characteristics and traits and how to apply them to your brand by reading Leverage Your Brand Personality To Connect To Your Customer]

5. LIST AND REDESIGN EACH OF YOUR BRAND TOUCHPOINTS: This is crucial for consistency. Any touchpoint your customer will come across needs to be added to the list to ensure a cohesive aesthetic, tone of voice, and brand personality. This means your website, your blog, your social media channels, your store if you have a physical location, flyers, hang tags, packaging, even down to your business cards. Anything and everything having to do with your brand that your customers will see needs to be added to this list. Think about the aesthetic your target customer is attracted to and finetune a cohesive look to use across all touchpoints, being sure to use your brand personality traits as a guideline to your “look” and the tone of voice your brand uses to speak to its customers.

6. DETERMINE WHERE YOUR CUSTOMER IS: This sounds easier said than done, but when you’re rebranding your business during a pandemic where the majority of shopping is done online from the comfort of your customer’s home, you need to know where they spend most of their time. Most businesses make the mistake of saying their customer is always on social media and jump on the bandwagon of the newest social platform. While yes this is correct, social media is not necessarily where someone’s customers may be looking for their specific business. Each social platform caters to a specific audience for a specific reason. Instagram is photos and inspiration, Twitter is for discussion. There is a reason why lifestyle and clothing brands do well on Instagram and UFC is all about Twitter. But perhaps your customers would find you best through podcasts, through searching on Google and landing on your website, local magazines, or local events. It doesn’t matter where they are, your job is to find where that is when they are (unconsciously) looking for your product and be there for them to find.

[If your customer is mostly finding you through social platforms, learn How To Grow Your Business Faster on Social Media]

7. GET FEEDBACK FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS: This is critical and sometimes is not even considered during a rebrand. If you already have customers who love your product, they are the perfect focus group to receive feedback from. They can give you priceless intel on what you do well and what you could improve on, what would please them more emotionally and aesthetically with any of your designs or touchpoints, and help you determine what your differentiating factor is to helping your brand stand out more and discovering what truly makes you unique to all your fans and future potential customers.

Rebranding may seem like a huge undertaking when getting started but it doesn’t need to be. This process is truly part of the fun. You’re discovering your brand personality and what makes you unique. You’re discovering what makes your brand different and what others would love about it, what your brand stands for, and why you’re just all around the better option. Who wouldn’t be excited and motivated knowing this is the beginning of so many new thrilling possibilities?