One of the “downfalls” of being a visual brand strategist is always wanting to redo or makeover your own brand.
After working with a client I often think, “What if I did something like that?”
But why? What about their brand fits mine? What I did was custom for them, not for me.
In hindsight, that’s a logical thought, but then it never got that far. Instead, I “redo” everything only to slow my progress.
Sound familiar?
I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and I’ll tell you how to burn it.
1. You want to rebrand because everyone else is.
During Q4 where every online entrepreneur wants to rebrand and relaunch during Q1. I get it- New Year, new look, new you. But is it necessary? If your industry or focus has changed, absolutely. If your industry and focus are the same, you’re fine-tuning, not rebranding. Cleaning up and tweaking does not require you to start from scratch. This will save you time, money, and energy to work on other goals you’re procrastinating on.
How to fix it: stop what you’re doing. Look at your Why and look at where you currently are. Your brand is probably fine, you just need to refocus on your end to make the message stronger. You’re never above improvement.
The visual aspects will only take you so far. You have to do the grunt work. It’s like having liposuction; you’ve lost some fat temporarily, but if you eat junk food it will come back.
2. Everyone and their mama knew.
The first thing you do is go to social media and announce you’re rebranding. SUSPENSE AND TEASERS mean more clients, right? There’s no reason other than wanting some kind of attention.
Don’t do this. You can move in silence without everyone knowing your business. In fact, I encourage it. You don’t have to be the only one who knows, but you don’t need social media in your business.
How to fix it: get quiet and ninja real quick. Because social media doesn’t need to know everything, work without everyone knowing. When I worked on the site, I created a subdomain to develop under while FIVE12 was up and running like normal.
If you need accountability, set one for yourself and one other person and make sure you check-in.
3. You rebrand all the wrong things.
What if your logo doesn’t need redesigning? What if your colors are on target to reach your ideal audience?
“Well if it’s not the visual concepts, what is it?
No logo, color scheme, or the like will make your brand successful alone. Yes, we ARE living in a visual world, but you need to focus on the foundation of your work.
How to fix it: I wrote a list of what I wanted for myself and my business. Why does FIVE12 STUDIO exist?
It’s so important to figure this out. If you don’t have a purpose, you will fall apart. Take a moment and figure out your mission and vision statement.
4. You rebrand because you’re not perfect enough.
You see people you feel are “bigger” than you and think to yourself, “I need to get on their level. I need re-do everything so I can be like them.”
First of all, turn off your computer (after reading this post of course). Next, realize you ARE perfect the way you are. The world needs YOU, not a carbon copy of Blogger Billie.
I talk a lot about finding your “why” because this helps you stay in your lane. If you focus on yourself, you don’t worry about anyone else.
Take a look at your current brand. Are you happy with the message you’re delivering? Is it connecting with your target audience?
Next look at the visual concepts of your brand. Does your logo make sense to you? Do you like the colors? No, seriously.
In a time people want to use pink, are you a blue person? If so, switch it to blue.
What about your font? Did you pick it because it’s the trend?
You don’t have to do something because it’s a trend. Go against the grain…be your own person.
How to fix it: Ignore competition and idols. Focus on your brand and figure out what does and does not work for you. Work with someone who is interested in your success and not everyone else’s. Once you get comfortable with yourself, everything else will fall into place.
Don’t jump into rebranding because the wind blows.
Pause and figure out if you need a makeover or a tune-up. Doing this will save time AND money.
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