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Are you in a season of growth in your business that is guiding you into a major pivot? I believe that growth is worth celebrating, so let’s take a look at the strategy on how you’re executing growth!
In pivoting, you’re giving yourself permission to consistently do the work you love and make a difference in the lives of those you serve. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 ways to pivot your brand to reflect that growth!
5 Ways to Pivot Your Brand to Reflect Growth
1. Acknowledge that you’re not tied to one way of doing business forever.
As a business owner, you’ve likely experienced doing business a few different ways by now, whether you’re testing out new services or products—it’s easy to admit that you’ve not always done work the same way and there is room for growth. If you can acknowledge that idea and be open to change, you’re already taking the first step to pivoting.
2. Craft a brand around a sense of why that transcends the work that you do. (Not what)
As you decide to pivot, it’s important to know your why and continue to work for that. As you’re making pivots around your services and what you do, you can still tie it back to the original why.
3. Identify the direction you’re heading in and define a measurable definition of success.
Outline milestone to help create readily recognizable points to know when you’re moving in the right direction. Give yourself the grace to course correct if needed.
4. Craft a visual identity that reflects this transition.
We want your visual identity to reflect an experience you want to guide your ideal clients on. If it doesn’t reflect this pivot, it may be important to begin the rebrand journey so you have that reflected in your brand visuals.
5. Be proactive with your messaging so you don’t leave your audience behind.
It’s important to educate your audience on this new season. This will reinforce brand equity allowing you to show behind the scenes and give your audience an emotional buy in.
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Review the Transcript:
Hi friends 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 Bakhtiari brand designer, strategist, and founder of the Illume Retreat from sustainable strategy to part felt 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 friends, welcome back to the brand strategy podcast, where today we are talking about how to pivot your brand to
Brand and intentional season of growth. And we’re specifically, I am sharing five ways that you can actually lay a strong foundation and successfully execute the pivoting of your brand, especially when you’re wanting to go in a intentional new direction. So let’s dive on in, if you’re tuning in to today’s episode, you’re probably in a season of growth, you’re probably experiencing a drive to explore a new direction or a Coleen, or sort of a nudge to pursue a level of service, or maybe serve a new audience and a way that you haven’t before. The more often that I am in the creative industry. So at this point I’ve been an entrepreneur for almost 10 years, and I see so many creatives who are constantly expanding into new levels of service, or they are refining their offerings or exploring an entirely new product or service. And that’s so natural, right?
Because as we grow, it makes sense that our businesses grow with us, or they may transition into something slightly or, you know, dramatically different than what we originally set out to offer that growth is worth celebrating. But it’s also important to take a look at the strategy behind how you are executing that growth, how you are moving in the direction of that growth, so that you can consistently continue to connect with your ideal clients. You can consistently do the work that you love and make an incredible difference in the lives of those you serve at the same time. So whether you are dreaming of going deeper into your existing niche, or maybe you’re feeling the pull to serve a completely new audience with a totally different set of offerings, there are some incredible things to keep in mind as you go in that direction, as you pivot.
And it’s important to approach that change thoughtfully in order to avoid confusion from your audience or miss out on some incredible business opportunities or position your brand in not the clearest of ways. So, first of all, as we dive deeper into today’s topic, let’s celebrate that choice to pivot within your business. You have come to this point on your journey where you have tried a few different things. You have worked with several different types of clients or customers, and you have honed in on what you really want to do. You’ve bravely come to the conclusion to step into something fresh, and that takes courage, right? It takes courage to dive into a new target market or to explore a new way of doing business or to create a new set of products or build out a new service. And in order to get to that place of this new fountain pivot, you initially had to give yourself the space to grow, right?
You had to give yourself the permission to try different things, to explore, to, uh, make some mistakes and learn from them. So I want to celebrate that. And I also want to encourage you and remind you that you are not tied to one way of doing business for the rest of your life. When I look back on what BS for Bonnie design was when I started back in 2012, it is not the same business that I have today. And that’s a good thing. I have pivoted so many different times over the years. And if you’ve been following me since the very beginning, you’ve seen me go through those, those seasons of growth and trying new things. And I believe that all of that experience has led me to this point in my business, where I’m able to truly hone in on my highest level of contribution to my clients and my students.
So the business that you have today might not be the same business that you have in five or 10 years. The work that you’re doing right now might not be the same work that you’re doing 10 or 15 years from now. And that’s really okay with this idea in mind, that you probably will pivot within your business over the years. It’s crucial to craft a brand around a sense of why that transcends the work that you do. This is my first piece of advice. My first tip, if you want to successfully pivot, it’s important that your brand is United around a sense of why versus what, what I mean by that is you want to build a business that operates from a clear place of why you do the work that you do, not from a place of your products or services or anything like that.
We technically, this happens years before you ever pivot, right? The goal here in a perfect world, you would have a brand from, you know, kind of the first few months or the first few years that is around this cohesive concept of why now when you make your business or about the heart behind your work, if you ever choose to change the type of work that you’re doing, it really won’t make the biggest of differences because the why is staying consistent, right? To your clients, your fellow vendors, even your team. If you have one they’re going to be United around the why behind your work, they’re not going to be so fixated on how you do it, the what, the, how, or any of those details. So we want to unite people around a product or service, and we want to unite them around something deeper, right?
Because people psychologically, we have a hard, harder time connecting to a thing like a product or service, but if we can bring in values, if we can bring an beliefs, if we can bring in a sense of why, a way of life, a way of a worldview, that is something that we can emotionally connect to. And that is your sense of why that sense of why could ultimately take shape through all sorts of different outlets. So if it ever comes time for you to switch from being, let’s say a wedding photographer to it held X speaker, you can actually navigate that pivot really gracefully. If you’ve built your personal brand around your unique definition of why you do the work that you do. And through that pivot into the public speaking industry, you can invite your audience to come along for the joyful new journey.
Now, any endeavor within your business should be guided by a clear plan and a measurable definition of success. And what are we talking about today is no different, right? Pivoting is no different. So step number two, that I want you to think about, identify the new direction you’re heading in and establish a measurable standard for how you define success. It is so challenging to recognize success. If we don’t actually first define what it looks like. So I want you to create an internal guide for how your business looks and how you are able to keep yourself on track. I want you to take a realistic look, assess where you are and where do you want to go and ask yourself, how do I want to achieve that? How do I want to feel when I reach that destination? What do I want my business to look like when I reach that point?
What do I want my services or my client experience to look like, outline some milestones that you’ll pass as you enter into this new season of business. And what that does is it helps you create these readily recognizable points that can help, you know, when you’re moving in the right direction, it can help you create some intentional strategy around what you’re pursuing. And of course, every step of the way, give yourself the grace to course correct if needed or, uh, you know, change some of those milestones along the way, right? This is why it’s so important to kind of circling back to that first piece of advice that I shared around identifying the why behind your work, if you know, why, even if the method changes or even if the journey changes, but that Y is honored along the way. And that’s the final destination that you’re pursuing.
All the other that help you achieve that, or honor that, or live in alignment with that, all of that can can change and in a good way, because that can give you more flexibility that can allow you to pivot as you are executing this bigger pivot within your business in a way that really helps you live the way that you want to live or run your business and the way that you want to run it. So with that being said, as we are thinking about this pivot that you’re going through step number three, craft, a visual identity that reflects this transition. It’s important to take a look at your visuals and see if your current visual brand identity reflects this pivot, this new direction that you’re headed. And the reason why that matters is we want for your visual identity to reflect a very specific experience to your ideal clients.
Your visual brand is created in a way that positions you and the way that you want to be perceived in order to inspire consistent connection with your ideal clients and as a result, create consistent income. So because of that, if your brand is really tied to the old way that you were doing things or the old products or services, there might be an opportunity there to refresh or rebrand in order to position you in the best way in order to have the most impact. So if your logo and your coordinating marks resonate with your old audience, but maybe not this new audience that you’re wanting to reach, that’s an opportunity for growth. If your website doesn’t really capture the experience or connect with the transformation that your new services are going to offer, then that’s something that you want to take a look at, right?
Crafting a visual identity that reflects this transition for your brand, gives you the space to execute this pivot successfully and do so in a way that is going to bring your, uh, bring your goals to the forefront of it as well. So with this outline, what you think needs to change, give yourself a little assessment, take a look at all the visuals, take a look at those branded touch points and say, okay, this, maybe isn’t doing the heavy lifting for me anymore. Or, you know what? This looks pretty tied to my old services. And it doesn’t really make sense for the new services that I want to offer. If that happens, if you find yourself in that season, then I do really recommend getting some professional support from a brand strategist and designer. This is exactly our zone of genius, where we come in and we, especially those of us who love working with established businesses and helping them execute rebrands that reflect intentional growth.
This is exactly what we love doing, where we step in, and we get clear on your goals. We understand where you are, where you’re wanting to go. And then we go through an intentional strategy process that helps you build a visual identity. That’s founded on a clear sense of strategy so that you can nail that pivot and you can do so in a way where you aren’t sacrificing the connection that you have with your ideal clients. And it’s not negatively impacting your bottom line in any way, shape or form. And the beauty of this is a seasoned pro. If you’re able to access that kind of support, a seasoned pro will be able to weigh and help you identify what needs to change and actually educate you on the best design decisions. Moving forward. If this is something that you want to chat with me more about, I love, absolutely love working with entrepreneurs to help them successfully execute seasons of growth and nailed that pivot through their visual identity and their overarching brand strategy.
So if you want to get in touch with me about taking your brand to the next level and executing this pivot with intention, you can actually go to my website. B is for Bonnie design.com, click on the contact button, fill out that form. And I will be in touch to book a free consult with you where we can talk all about your amazing business. So back to our fifth and final piece of advice here, uh, what we want to do is we are thinking about creating this, this pivot and executing this and moving in this direction. We also want to be really proactive with your messaging so that we don’t leave your audience behind. We want to educate your audience on what’s to come. The reason why we want to do that. It is so important to let your clients, your social media community and your industry friends know when you’re pivoting within your business so that you can raise awareness around this new season.
On top of that, this gives you the space to lay the foundation for future business opportunities. And it helps you reinforce brand equity, right? There’s nothing more disheartening than you behind the scenes, putting in all this work and putting in all this time and energy into moving your brand and a new direction, but you forgot to tell your audience what was happening and why it was happening. So then when you go to lunch, your new brand, or you go to introduce your new services or products, people are like, what, where did, when did this happen? What’s going on? That confusion can be so frustrating on your end as the entrepreneur, because it means that people don’t quite understand. And when they don’t quite understand, they’re not, you know, enthusiastically signing up to work with you or buy from you or telling their friends because they don’t understand themselves what you do, the transformation that this offers to them and why it matters to them as a result.
So what we want to do, we really want to make sure that your audience is on the same page so that you don’t hear crickets when you roll out this full, you know, finished offer or refined brand. So this is where social media can be a great way to bring your audience along for the journey, right? Like if we think about, uh, using Instagram stories to kind of invite people into the, behind the scenes and show them what this pivot is looking like, maybe it’s you in your studio or your home office, or at your dining room table, you know, mapping out services or working on your website, or, um, you know, putting together a new packaging for your new products, whatever that looks like. You can share so much of the fun behind the scenes. And actually you could do this through Instagram stories, through posts, through a real, uh, where you are showing people, Hey, something new is coming.
It’s exciting. This is a little peak get hype, right? What this pivot means for your services ultimately impacts your audience. And we want them to be excited. We want them to understand, we want them to not be totally caught off guard. When you roll out this new, like, full set of services or this new season for your business. So share those little sneak peaks, let people feel like they’re a part of it. Right? Um, when we think about brands who use this approach to invite us along for the journey and show us the behind the scenes and show us the process, what that does is it actually gives us as consumers, a deeper appreciation for what goes into that product or service. And we, we kind of get this like a little bit of a teeny, tiny bit like emotional buy-in to, oh, I remember, you know, way back when, in may, when I saw her talk about on her Instagram, how she was going to be pivoting from photography to coaching, and now I’m seeing her go through her coaching certification process, I’m seeing her, uh, you know, like put together her new coaching program.
I’m seeing her, you know, create the behind the scenes for her gorgeous new website. And that’s so exciting because then, you know, in the coming months, when that person launches their new coaching business, your audience is, is excited because they’re like, oh yes, finally, I get to see this come full circle. And I have been a part of this journey. Uh, she has shared this with us every step of the way, and I absolutely want to share this with my friends, or I want to, you know, tell my friends about how they can work with her because your audience gets it right. In this example, this person really knows exactly how they can share more about this new coaching business with their friends, because they’ve been invited along in the journey every step of the way. So that’s such a great way that social media can really help us as we start to proactively educate our people along the way.
Now, I actually personally recommend breaking in all of these different topics into, you know, social posts. You could also do this through blog posts, or if you have a YouTube channel, YouTube videos, lots of different ways that you can actually break this up. But what you could do is you could talk people through the, behind the scenes of the pivot, what this pivot means for your services, how things are going to change. If this pivot means anything for your audience, like if, if your audience should expect anything different or, you know, educating them about that makes a really big difference. Friends. I know we’ve covered a lot of ground today. Let’s recap quickly what we have talked about the five ways to really make this pivot in your business as successful and intentional as possible. First of all, acknowledge that you’re not tied to one way of doing business or ever.
You have the permission and the space to grow and change and explore new ways of being a new ways of doing business. Second, build a brand around a sense of why that transcends what you do. Third, identify this new direction you’re headed in Agnes, establish a measurable standard of success to keep you centered. Fourth, build a visual identity that reflects this growth and positions you as the expert that your clients are looking for and fifth, and finally educate your audience on what’s to come. So they experience a deeper kind of buy in to the journey. Now, friend is we’ve been talking through this today. If you have found yourself kind of identifying with the idea that it’s time to explore a new season, it’s time to explore a new way of doing business. And because of that, there’s an opportunity to take your brand to intentionally new Heights.
Then I am here to support you every single step of the way. Of course, the brand strategy podcast. If you go back and explore past episodes, or if you go to my blog@bsforbonniedesign.com slash blog, there are tons of resources about how to position your brain with intention, how to elevate your brand. But if you’re wanting that done for you, support of working with a brand strategist and designer, I am here for you. I would love to chat with you about taking your brand to intentionally Heights so that we can position you as the go-to expert, that your ideal clients are searching for. And as a result, you can experience that consistent connection with them and generate consistent income on top of that. So, friend, all you have to do is get in touch with me, had to be as for Bonnie design.com, click on the contact button and I will be in touch to chat more with you about your incredible business, your goals, and how I can potentially serve you.
Well, along the way, we’ll hop on a super fun, quick call, where we get to chat more and ensure that this is the right next step for you. Because honestly, I want to point you in the direction that will serve you best, even if that means that working together at this point, isn’t the right next step. I value your time and your energy. And I am blown away by the incredible goals that I know you have. And so, because of that, I want to appoint you truly in the right way, that will help you pursue the right next steps that will make the growth that you’re dreaming about. A reality. All that being said, feel free to reach out to me. Uh, or if you have any questions about what we’ve covered today, you can also get a hold of me through Instagram. I’m always hanging out there. You can find me I’m in my DMS. You can find me at Bonnie joined Marie on Instagram. Shoot me a DM. Let me know if you have any questions or want to chat more about what we’ve talked about when it comes to successfully pivoting your business to reflect a season of growth and friend as always. I so appreciate
You tuning into today’s episode. I appreciate you being a part of this online community, and I cannot wait to chat with you again.
Thank you so much for joining me today, friend, before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the brand shine podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general has helped you grow your brand and really appreciate it. If you left us a review in iTunes, your positive reviews enable the brand strategy podcasts to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives. Just like you. Plus I’ll be randomly selecting a handful of lucky reviewers each month to receive a little, thank you. Surprise for me in the mail. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together. We pursue building brands with purpose and intention until next time and cheering you on from Waco.
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