FIVE SIGNS IT’S TIME TO REBRAND YOUR BUSINESS
As entrepreneurs, we put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into building our business and brands. The decision to rebrand is not an easy one to make because rebranding is not an easy task to undertake.
So how do you know if it’s time to rebrand your business?
YOUR VOICE & VISION HAVE CHANGED
If the voice and vision for your company have changed, it’s time for a rebrand. Your brand is louder and more meaningful than you think it is and is always speaking to potential clients. If your current brand is a reflection of where you were five or ten years ago, you’ll have a difficult time attracting clients who are the best match for your services and products now. This could mean missing out on a lot of sales.
Most people use the internet to search for services and products—even when referred by a family or friend—and it only takes 0.05 seconds for people to form an opinion about your website. Check out this article on SWEOR for some eye-opening statistics. Make sure your voice and vision come through loud and clear.
YOU & YOUR BUSINESS HAVE GROWN & TRANSFORMED
You are your brand. Your business is your brand. Your products are your brand. People go to your website for information about your business, and to your social channels to learn about you. These platforms must be up-to-date.
If you have personally gone through a major transformation, you’ve most likely shifted your values, virtues, and voice. Now days, most people are looking for companies and brands with similar values. Make sure your brand and messaging reflects any changes to continue to resonate with the right people.
And, of course, if your business has gone through a major transformation (hello 2020!), then your brand must reflect this transformation so there’s no confusion for your current customers and for potential customers.
YOU’RE NOT ATTRACTING YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS OR EXCELLENT JOB CANDIDATES
Are you experiencing a drop in sales or leads? This could mean that customers no longer resonate with your brand message and customer experience. You must remain relevant.
Are you getting a lot of inquiries that are outside the scope of how you serve your clients? If so, this means there’s mixed messaging on your website and within your offers and it’s time for a rebrand. When you’re clear about how you serve others and what you have to offer, it’s easy for people to know if you’re a good fit for them or not. This saves you and potential clients a lot of time.
Are you wondering why you’re not attracting the best job candidates to help your company grow? If your brand doesn’t stand out to a job seeker, they may look for one that does. Remember, your brand goes deeper than the colors and fonts. Your brand is customer experience, company culture, and how you show up as a leader.
THERE’S BEEN A MERGER OR ACQUISITION
This one is pretty obvious, but I wanted to include it here. When multiple brands are coming together, it’s a really good time to sit down and get clear on how to move forward as one brand; with sub-brands if needed.
Think about how all of the pieces fit together and create clear brand messaging based on overall values of the larger company that’s easy for potential clients to understand.
YOU’RE EMBARRASSED TO SEND PEOPLE TO YOUR WEBSITE
If you find yourself saying things like, “I haven’t had my website updated in a while. Just look at the info, not at the design. I need to get this updated, but I just haven’t had the time.” Please find the time for a rebrand.
Your potential clients want to know that they can trust you and that you’re going to take care of them. The best way to affirm this is to show them. If they see that you’re taking care of your own business needs, they’re more likely to believe that you can be trusted to take care of them too.
BEFORE YOU REBRAND:
Get to know yourself with this Self-Alignment worksheet.
Get to know your ideal client with this Clarifying Your Ideal Client Avatar worksheet.