March 14, 2017

Is It Time For You To Rebrand?

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyday there’s someone launching a new brand for their business? It’s like rebranding is the cool thing to do! As a business owner, especially a new business owner, it can be hard to decide when is the right time for you to invest in professional branding services. Here are my thoughts on how to know when it is time to rebrand!

A strong and professional-looking brand is one of the key components to a successful business. But not only should it be professional, it should also be consistent with the rest of your business. Does it reflect your personal style and personality? Does the style of the brand match the style of your work? When someone looks at your website, social media, blog posts, portfolio and such, it should all flow and make sense together. This will help to make you more credible and trustworthy in the consumer’s eye.

Consistency was my biggest motivation when I decided to rebrand last year. I noticed that my personal style and my actual photographs were starting to take on a different and more distinct style than my brand at the time. I could tell that I was leaning more towards neutral colors and elegant southern themes. So I reached out to Krista to create the perfect neutral and elegant southern brand! This was actually my first time investing in professional branding since starting my business. And I think it was the right decision for me to wait that long for several reasons. Here was my thought process when it came to picking the right time to rebrand!

I was still figuring out my style. When you are in the beginning stages of your business, chances are that your vision for the business and the style of you work is going to change over time. When I first started, I didn’t have a clear vision of my ideal client, picture perfect wedding, etc. At that point I just getting a feel for the wedding photography world and focused on the more basic things like learning how to run a business and take pretty pictures. It wasn’t until about 2 years in that I started to really get a feel for the types of weddings and clients that were the best fit for me. So I waited until I was sure that I had a clear vision of my ideal client and my own personal style. The thing that gave me the final push to rebrand was when I started decorating our new house last year. It was then that I solidified the aesthetic that best reflected me and would attract brides with that same style.

I couldn’t afford it at first. When you are just starting a business, you aren’t going to have thousands of dollars to invest in branding. That money is more likely going towards equipment, education, website, etc. When I first started my business, my “brand” changed almost monthly! Ah! I think I went through about 5 different logos (that I created myself) in the span of 3 months before I landed on the one that I kept until I rebranded last year. Eek! So even if you can’t afford that luxury branding service at the beginning, I think you can still have a consistent brand that will serve your business well during that period of your business. I certainly wouldn’t suggest changing your logo every few weeks like I did, but you also don’t want to settle for something that you know isn’t right. My advice would be to keep it simple. Start with a very simple, professional and clean logo. Then you can build your brand from there without redoing the whole thing! If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, consider looking for a designer that is maybe just starting out and you could swap services for a simple logo!

I didn’t want to end up rebranding the next year. If I had invested in branding during that first year of business, I would have ended up wanting to rebrand again the next year because my style and vision changed so much during that time. And since I would have already invested in that initial branding, I could have stuck with a brand I didn’t like because I couldn’t afford to do it again. Over time, you establish trust and credibility with your audience by producing quality and consistent content across all platforms. So what message would you be sending to your audience if you are changing your brand every year? This could come off as you being indecisive or even flaky. So that’s why I waited to rebrand until I knew for sure that this would be the brand that would serve my business well for a long time.

I wanted to take my business to the next level. Another reason I wanted to rebrand wasn’t just because I wanted something different aesthetically, but also because I wanted something that was more professional and sophisticated. I was in a place in my business where I was really wanting to make the transition from newbie photographer to seasoned professional. I knew that in order to have a well-respected business that people took seriously, I would need a brand that matched that same level of professionalism. So once I acquired that new brand I was able to attract more clients that recognized that professionalism and charge more for my services as a result.

I saved up to find the perfect designer. I’m a Type A personality that likes everything perfect and has a hard time relinquishing control. So if I’m being honest, a big reason why I waited so long to rebrand was that I couldn’t bring myself to put my trust in someone else for something so important. I know that sounds bad, but I’m just being honest! So I knew I wanted to save up so that I could invest in someone that I knew would get it perfect! And Krista was just that person! I love her work and her style is very similar to my own, so I knew she would understand my vision and be able to make it even better than I could have dreamt up myself. Which she did! So I would advise the same to anyone else looking to rebrand. Don’t settle for someone that you don’t think will understand your vision or be able to execute to your standards. The right designer is worth the wait and the investment!

So this was my thought process that led me up to my decision to rebrand last year. So if you considering rebranding, I hope this helps you sort through all the pros and cons of rebranding at this current stage of your business. To recap, here are a few things that you should be able to check off your list before you rebrand!

  • You have a clear sense of your business vision and style
  • Your current brand does not reflect your own style and personality
  • You can afford the right designer for you
  • Your current brand doesn’t match the quality and style of your work

 

If you found this post helpful, you may like these as well!

Why You Should Be Blogging

A Lesson Learned in Self Confidence

Creating Your Own Definition of Success

Where To Invest When Starting Out

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