My business has changed and evolved over the years and I’ve been inspired to take a hard look at my branding. It no longer stirs that feeling of excitement for me that it used to. It seems outdated and less in sync with the business I have today. I know this is part of a normal business lifecycle, so I hit the Internet in search of rebranding ideas and advice.
Here is the best of what I found:
While ultimately I decided not to hire a consultant, I found the checklists in this Infusionsoft article very helpful for working on my own brand image. I know I’ll refer to this article again in the future.
This list helped me evaluate my branding choices to see if I was steering clear of these common mistakes. With just a few adjustments, I think I’ve managed to avoid all of them.
The best advice I read in this article was how important it is to tie your brand into your marketing plan. I know that should go without saying, but many small businesses drop the ball in this area and attempt to move forward without a well thought out marketing plan. Revisiting and updating my marketing plan delayed finalizing my branding but it was so worth it.
This EMyth post is short and to the point and sums up exactly what a brand is. Instead of just rebranding my marketing (website, logo, etc.), I took it further. I applied my branding to my fulfillment process and my customer service policies. I applied it to my customer satisfaction survey, and my follow-up process. I incorporated “It’s what you get, not what you see” into my entire business.
Another great article on the EMyth blog helped me to consider these questions: Is my company a place where I would want to work if I didn’t own it? How will my employees have a say in the voice of the company?
What your company culture says is important, because your customers are listening. If your employees aren’t happy working in your business, it will speak volumes to your customers.
I’m still working on some of my rebranding details like logo design and website updates. I’ve completed the basic steps and now it’s time to put it all together and schedule my launch.
Before I finalize my launch, I’m going to review the tips in this American Express OPEN Forum article to make sure I’m touching on all of their great points about building a brand identity.
Honestly, I didn’t realize how much work I was taking on with this rebranding project, but it felt really good to shake out the carpet and clearly define what my brand stands for and what it doesn’t.
You’ll see the new branding changes on my website in the next few weeks or so. I hope you’ll check back and let me know what you think! In the meantime, feel free to submit your questions about branding or small business success below.
Vania Clark-Butler is an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant (ICC) and self-proclaimed power user since 2005. Process oriented, she shares Infusionsoft best practices to help you get set up the right way to optimize your software. For fun, she enjoys cooking, Kundalini yoga, business podcasts, and spending time outdoors with her husband and their two exuberant boxers exploring the Arizona desert. - See more at: http://www.automatingsuccess.com.
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