Trauma-Free Ways to Rebrand Your Business

When rebranding your company, it’s essential to stick to the basics so you’re not swamped by the entrepreneurial advice raining from the heavens. Getting started rebranding your business is as simple as capitalizing on what you already have.

Don’t Start from Scratch

Starting completely is labor-intensive–and dangerous. With too-drastic changes, you could end up distancing yourself from current clients in an effort to gain new ones. Think about reworking an existing logo rather than scrapping it for a new one.

During the design process, you could hire a professional graphic designer or, to save money, work with a design consultant to create your own logo. One service, LogoGarden, offers design helpful DIY options to formulate your own logo and pair it with a website and business cards. If you go the DIY route, you’ll want to be careful to avoid common pitfalls–like using tacky stock art, falling into gimmicky trends, or choosing the wrong font. According to Smashing Magazine, these can quickly lead to amateur-looking logos that won’t help your company’s credibility.

Communicate With Your Customers

Another key in the rebranding process: existing customers need to know that change is coming. According to SocialMediaToday, whether you notify your customers via email, your website, or in-store notices, you need to get the message out that change is coming, but that you’re still offering the same products or services they’ve come to trust.

Aim for Consistency

Whether you’re just reworking an existing logo, or going all out to change the name of your company, retaining consistency across all touch-points with customers is essential to your success. That reworked, polished and shined logo needs to go on your website, business cards, letterhead, storefront signs, in-office memos, and everything else as soon as you settle on a final design.

If you’re going for something as drastic as a name change, you’ll also want to secure your name across a variety of platforms, according to BlueFountainMedia.com. You’ll want to be able to secure a recognizable username on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and possibly other social networking sites in the future, so now is the time to make a smart choice. Some sites–like KnowEm.com–make it easy to check for the availability of usernames you’d like to use.

Inject Your Personality

One of Smashing Magazine’s top objections to many DIY logos is that they tend to fall into trendy, cookie-cutter styles. Sure, there are worse things. But there are also far better roads to rebranding success. Part of an effective rebranding campaign is making sure that you stand out against the competition; blending in won’t get you anywhere.

Take the time to choose a design that reflects your company’s personality and mission. Everything from the colors you choose and the efficiency with which you handle your rebrand can contribute to a solid, consistent brand name.