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If you’re wondering if youor brand is still working for you and is as potent or profitable as it once was, it might be time to consider a rebrand. In this episode, I’m sharing three signs that it’s time to rebrand!
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3 Signs It’s Time To Rebrand
As a business we want our brand to do the heavy lifting for us, especially as service-based business owners. Intentional rebrands on occasion can be beneficial for our businesses, but it’s important that we do them wisely and with intention.
You don’t want to rebrand so frequently that you’re unintentionally destroying any equity that has been built with your audience. Additionally, rebranding can be expensive, either in time or money, therefor timing needs to be right and feels aligned for you.
What do these tell-tale signs look like in order to determine if you’re ready for a rebrand? Let’s review!
You’re Getting Inquiries from People Who Aren’t Your People
One of the first signs that it’s time for a rebrand comes with getting inquiries from people who aren’t your people. These people don’t have the budget for you, they don’t value your work, they’re just price shopping, or maybe they don’t have your values.
If you’re getting inquiries like this, who aren’t matching the person you’re most qualified to serve, it’s not a good fit for either of you. It’s okay if a few non-qualified leads come in, but it shouldn’t be consistent. So if it’s happening a lot in your business, that could mean that your brand isn’t working for you.
You’re Missing Out on Opportunities that You Want to Experience
Now if you’re finding that you’re missing out on opportunities that you want to be experiencing, this could mean it’s time for a rebrand. Look at the opportunities you want to experience based on your expertise, yet something is keeping you from getting them. Your brand isn’t working for you anymore and it’s time to switch things up.
If you’re 1×1 services are perfected and you want to diversify your revenue streams by expanding into new areas like education and mentoring, a brand can hold you back. Your branding and messaging or lack thereof can cause people to not take you seriously.
Your Brand Isn’t Positioning Your as an Expert
If vendors, colleagues, and coworking groups aren’t taking you seriously as an expert, that is another sign that it could be time for a rebrand. It could be that they don’t know that you offer the services and expertise that you offer. Being a best kept secret isn’t helping anyone, certainly not you!
If you’ve resonated with any oof these signs today, it may be time for a rebrand. Now, don’t be embarrassed about what your brand looks like. It served you well for the time that it did, but it might be time for it to grow with you. If you’re ready to rebrand your business, I would love to connect and see if we’d be a good fit.
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Hi friend, and welcome to the Brand Strategy Podcast, a show created to equip you with the inspiration, encouragement, and clarity you need to build the brand of your dreams. I’m your host, Bonnie bti, brand designer, strategist, and founder of thery from Sustainable Strategy to Partel Encouragement. Each episode is designed to equip you with the tools you need to chase after your dreams because you deserve a brand that empowers you to do what you love, connects with your dream clients, and offers a deep sense of fulfillment along the way. So grab a cup of coffee and join me on this journey, won’t you?
Hey, friend. Welcome back to the Brand Strategy Podcast, where today we’re talking about three ways to tell that yes, it is time to rebrand your creative business. You’re absolutely in the right place today. If you’re starting to kind of wonder like, is my brand still working for me? Is, is it really as powerful as potent, as profitable as it has been? And so I’m hopeful that today’s episode will really serve you well front, cuz in the 10 plus years that I have been a brand designer and strategist, I have been so incredibly honored to partner with all of these incredible entrepreneurs just like you to take their brands to the next level using intentional strategy and thoughtful design. And as a result, my work enables my clients to be seen as the experts they are so that they can command high ticket rates and consistently connect with the clients who need their work the most.
whether you are a photographer, a designer, an event planner, <laugh>, a wedding planner, a boutique owner, a blogger, a coach, right? If you’re in a service based industry, and I would actually also argue in the product industry, you can benefit from an intentional rebrand every now and again. But it’s important that you’re making those investments wisely. First of all, we don’t wanna rebrand so frequently that we’re confusing your audience and we’re unintentionally destroying any equity that has been built in your existing brand. Second of all, rebranding can be expensive. Uh, if you’re going the DIY route, it’s expensive investment of your time and your energy if you’re hiring someone to do it for you, right? That’s your imparted money that you’re investing. So you wanna make sure that the timing is right and it feels aligned for you so that we are being mindful and a little more conservative with your resources, your time, your money, your energy.
So if you’re curious about what some of these telltale signs might be to show you that yes, it’s absolutely time to rebrand, let’s get to it. Okay, sign number one. I don’t really wanna call these like red flags or anything aggressive because these aren’t the end of the world, you know, But I do think, like when I look back on what a lot of my clients have in common, when they first come to me and they’re like, Bonnie, I need your help. A lot of the commonalities that I’m seeing, while they are not these like horrible business ending things, they are uncomfortable, they’re problematic, they are blocking you from receiving the full revenue, the full income that you could be receiving. And, uh, as a business, right? We want the exact opposite to be the case. We want for your brand to be doing the heavy lifting for you and connecting you with the people who eventually will hire you and positioning you in a way that feels genuine and relational and aligned with your values.
So these are not like, if I’m, if I’m going through these and you’re thinking like, Oh, great, I, at all of, all three of these signs are signs that I am experiencing, it’s not a big deal. It’s all fixable, and that’s why we’re talking about it today, because I want for you to have the information available to you so that you can know how to make a decision that will help you and your business and protect your profitability and your brand’s longevity in the long run. Okay? So with that being said, sign number one that it’s time to rebrand. You’re getting inquiries from people who are not your people. What I mean by that is you’re getting inquiries that are not so ideal. Um, this could be like you are getting inquiries from folks who just don’t have the budget to hire you. They don’t value your work.
They aren’t actually serious about moving forward. They’re kind of just price shopping. It could be more, uh, from a values based standpoint, maybe they don’t share values that your brand clearly advocates for, right? But for whatever reason, however this looks like specifically, if you’re getting inquiries coming in from folks who are not matching the kind of person that you are most qualified to serve, it’s not gonna be a good fit for either of you. I know that in our industry, we talk a lot about what it’s like as a service provider to book a non-ideal client. But I think that if we’re being compassionate about this, it’s also important to acknowledge that when we’re booking a non-ideal client, we are the non-ideal service provider for them too. So, just like we experience that they’re not the best fit, they’re experiencing that too. There’s someone else out there, a a different service provider who could serve them at a higher level or a different level.
And that’s not a bad thing. It just, it’s just facts. It just is how it is. And so when you’re getting inquiries from folks that aren’t a good match for you, it’s important to kind of look at your brand and say, Okay, what is it about my brand or my messaging that is attracting these kinds of people? And I’ll say, if you get like just one or two non-ideal inquiries, that’s okay. That’s not, you know, we’re not looking to like burn everything down just because that happens. But if you’re noticing this trend where the majority of inquiries you receive are from not incredibly qualified leads, but you’re getting a handful of quality leads trickling through, that tells me that your brand isn’t working for you in the way that it can be. So this is something that I see happen a lot with my clients when they first come to me.
They’re saying, Hey, I wanna be booking clients at these high ticket rates. I know that my expertise is on that level. I know that the transformation I provide through my work is worth that, but I keep getting inquiries from people who are low balling the budget, who aren’t seeing the value in what I do, who, you know, for whatever reason aren’t aligned. And the beautiful part of rebranding, and it’s kind of this like alchemy that I get to help create for them, is I’m able to take their brand from that place where the non-ideal inquiries are the norm to this place where ideal inquiries are the norm, and that’s what they’re seeing time and time again after we launch their new brand. And when you’re seeing that you’re not only feeling a certain kind of way, you’re not only as the business owner getting so excited that you’re connecting with real humans who are amazing and who value your work and who are ready to invest in hiring you, but that’s also positively impacting your bottom line.
Your bank account is telling the same story, right? Your bank account is growing, your feeling amazing. You’re absolutely having these incredible relationships with your clients. They’re feeling the same. It’s just like literally good vibes all around. And that is the best sign. Number two, that it might be time to rebrand if you are finding that you are missing out on opportunities that you want to be experiencing. So what I am kind of hinting at there, <laugh>, is that if you’re missing opportunities that you believe you should be experiencing because of what you do or the expertise that you have, and that’s not happening for whatever reason, that to me can be a sign, Hey, this brand isn’t working for you anymore, and it’s time to do something different to, to rebrand and really switch things up. So what I mean by that is, if you are wanting to, uh, you know, like get into education.
If you’re wanting to diversify your streams of revenue and you have your one on one done for you services completely mapped out, that is down to a science that’s working like a well oiled machine, and you wanna teach people how you did that, maybe, um, and you wanna get into education through mentoring or a course or some digital products, and you are, you know, moving in that direction, but you’re not actually being taken seriously when you take that leap. And so you’re actually experiencing kind of this block when it comes to pivoting and positioning yourself as not only a service provider, but also an educator in that niche that tells me that your brand doesn’t have the range, It doesn’t have the flexibility, It doesn’t have the, the breadth essentially to represent you in those spaces. Um, this actually happened with a former client of mine.
She’s an incredibly, like, incredibly talented wedding and event planner. And she has been doing this for years and has like this just bonkers portfolio of client work. And years ago, this is, this is something that happened years ago, she reached out to me to say, Okay, you know, like the work that we did when we rebranded my business, um, as a wedding and event planner was amazing. I’m ready for what’s next. And so she wanted to really start getting into education. And so we thought, okay, let’s take a look at how we can leverage this brand identity to create space for you to be viewed as an educator as well, so that you can show fellow planners, fellow designers, and event designers how to replicate the success that you have created by using your event planning process, right? So we then focused on really taking her brand and creating the space within that visual identity for her work as a mentor.
And so now she’s able to not only work with her couples through her wedding planning services, but she’s also to help kind of the next generation of wedding and event planners who are up and coming and she’s able to save them years of trial and error. She’s able to save them, you know, so many mistakes and really get started on this incredibly polished foot, so to speak, so that they’re able to start serving their own clients and taking their own clients on, uh, right from the start. But it’s not just as easy. Like you might be tuning into this and thinking like, Bonnie, that’s not such a big deal. Like, I can just, you know, like just put, you know, on my website, like, Hey, now I’m doing this thing and it’s gonna work, right? But it’s not always that easy. And it’s important that when you are branching into additional streams of revenue that you look at how your brand is designed, you look at how your website is laid out, you look at how your copy is reflecting who you are and what you do, so that we make sure that all of these pieces are positioning you as someone who’s trustworthy, someone who knows what they’re talking about, someone who is an educator worth investing in.
Because, you know, these days, just like anybody can show up on the internet and say, Hey, I’m a coach, or I’m a mentor, or I have a course and I can teach you how to do X, y, and Z, but when we are investing our hard earned dollars into learning a new skill or into, you know, whatever it is that we’re investing in, we want the confidence, We want that peace of mind to know that this person that we’re working with really knows what they’re doing and they’re teaching us something that they’ve either been certified in something that they have created, like a signature process that they’ve created, and they have replicated success with other people. You know, like we basically wanna see the receipts at this point. And so you want to make sure that your brand is telling that same story. So that’s why I say, if you’re missing out on those opportunities, if you took that leave and you started talking about all these educational offers, or you started pitching yourself to be a speaker, but event planners and workshop hosts aren’t responding to your pitch inquiries, you know, there’s some chances there, there’s some opportunities to look at your brand and see is your brand positioning you in the way that you want to be viewed at this point in time?
So then sign number three, that it’s time to move away from this brand that is no longer serving you. And it’s time to start really focusing on a rebrand is if you have a brand that doesn’t position you like the expert that you are, and this can look like people just not taking you seriously. So if you’ve been in business for years and you’re getting increase from not so ideal clients, and you’re finding that those in your community, so like your fellow vendors, people in your, uh, co-working groups, people that you know from your area aren’t actually taking your business seriously, they’re not viewing you as someone who has experience in this area. You know? So as an example, it could be that you are, um, you’re asking around, you know, Hey, like, I wanna be taking on more projects, I wanna be taking on more client work.
And folks are are kind of like, Oh, I didn’t you, I didn’t know that you were doing that, or, Oh, I didn’t realize that that was something you did. Or if people are surprised about what you do, if they are surprised about how long you’ve been doing it, if they’re shocked by the expertise that you actually have, that means that you’re setting yourself up to be this best kept secret. And that’s not helping anybody. That’s certainly not helping you. It’s definitely not helping your, your future clients, right? Because they can’t find you. And so we wanna look at your brand and say, What is it about this brand that is not positioning me as the expert that I am? You need a brand that, that really helps people take you seriously, that makes them look at, at you and the work that you do, and understand very quickly the level of experience, the level of service you offer, the expertise that you bring to the table.
And so, as you can imagine, it’s not a good feeling to be living with a brand that, uh, you know, is isn’t an accurate reflection of the season of business that you’re in. When I look back on some of the clients that I’ve worked with over the last 10 years, quite a few of them come to me, especially when they’re making that jump from, you know, charging what they were charging to, wanting to charge premium rates for their services. They come to me and they say, I’ve really just outgrown my brand. Like it, it’s, it’s playful, it’s juvenile, it’s, you know, it’s like the version of me from three years ago, and I need the brand that is the version of me today and for the next five, 10 years. And so you want your brand to have longevity, um, but because you’re growing, because your business is growing and evolving, it’s completely normal and natural that your brand will grow and evolve too.
There’s gonna reach this point, and I I’ll say this, that, um, when I designed for my clients, I aim to design something that is gonna serve them well for years, plural, not just a year, not just six months, uh, because we wanna be building equity, we wanna be building brand recognition, We want to be building all of these foundational components that are going to continue to position you as the expert that you are. And it will help to position your brand in that same way. So thinking about when it’s time to, to rebrand because maybe you’ve outgrown your brand, that’s okay. And I know that in the 10 years I’ve been in business, the iteration of my brand that I’m using today is not what I first started out with. And it’s a really good thing because like, oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed by what my brand looked like when I was first getting started and this is what I do for a living.
So, you know, definitely don’t be hard on yourself If you feel like a little embarrassed by what your brand looks like now, it just means that it served you well for that period of time and now you’re ready for what’s next and what’s to come is going to serve you so much better because you are moving into this with awareness and with intention. So if you’ve been tuning in today and you’ve been really resonating with what I’ve been sharing, and you’re thinking, Bonnie, I am am seeing the signs, it is time for me to rebrand my incredible business, then I would love to walk alongside you on this journey. If that is something that would serve you well, I would be so honored to get to connect with you and chat more about you and your business and your goals, where you’re dreaming of taking your brand to see if we could be a good fit and we could partner through my signature strategy and design services.
I only take on a handful of clients each year, and at this point I’m looking towards taking on clients, starting at the beginning of the new year in 2023. And my calendar does fill quickly, and I say that, um, to invite you to connect with me sooner rather than later. So if this is something you’re serious about, I can support you and I can show up and help you on a timeframe that really works for you. So I would love if you would reach out and connect with me. We can schedule a completely complimentary consultation call where we can get to know each other better. And the first step in making that happen is go over to my website, fill out my contact form, share more about who you are and what you do. And I will be in touch with the next steps to connecting from there.
As always, friend, I appreciate you tuning into today’s episode, and I hope that you’re walking away with some thoughts, some ideas, some signs to look out for, to make sure that your brand is always doing the most for you. And if today’s episode resonated and you wanna show your support, then I would be so honored, so grateful if you bought me a cup of coffee. Um, this is a simple little approach that I am testing out for now to ensure and, and really see if I’m able to keep the Brand Strategy podcast add free. So if you feel so inclined, you can say thanks. You can show your support. You can, um, show some appreciation for not only the podcast, but maybe a free download of mine that you’ve created or not created that you’ve downloaded and used and implemented in the past, or content that I’ve shared on social media in the past that you’ve found helpful. I would be so grateful if you supported the podcast and me in this way so that I can stay caffeinated, hydrated and keep doing what we’re doing here at the Brand Strategy Podcast. I’m gonna share that link in today’s show notes, so you can go to brand strategy podcast.com, click on the latest episode link, and you’ll find all of the links and the resources, A full recap and a full transcript of today’s episode for you there. Thanks again for being a part of this community, and as always, I am cheering you on from Waco.
Thank you so much, much for joining me today. Friend, before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the Brand Strategy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general has helped you grow your brand, I’d really appreciate it if you left us a review in iTunes. Your positive reviews enable the brand Strategy podcast to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives just like you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together we pursue building brands with purpose and intention. Until next time, I’m cheer you on from Waco.
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