Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

By Courtney Rosenfeld

For small business owners the concept of branding and marketing may not always be simple and clear-cut. However, you must have a brand identity to set yourself apart from the competition. Sometimes, it’s necessary to update your image. Today on the Succeeding In Small Business blog, we discuss a few ways you can refresh and revitalize your brand.

Where to begin

No rules dictate where you should begin your rebranding efforts. However, one of the easiest places to do this is by changing your logo. A logo is simply an icon by which you are identified. Logos are often paired with workmarks, and people begin to associate the image with the words.

Getting the word out

While you don’t necessarily have to announce your rebranding, it’s important that you put your new brand, specifically the visual elements of it, on your marketing materials. This includes your printed items, such as your brochures. If you don’t want to pay someone to rewrite and redesign your brochures, you’ll find no problem incorporating attractive designs with your brand by finding online templates. Templates make it easy to change out elements so that you can have a more personalized printed product.

Update the online world

Even if your business is mostly an in-person, brick-and-mortar, your online presence influences your real-world location. Update your website with your new branding materials, and make sure that you’re releasing content that upholds the value of this brand. The right type of content will build trust and make you an authority with your target audience. This can help boost your sales. If you’re not familiar with online content, look for resources, such as Cornerstone Content, that offers insight into content marketing.

What’s in a name?

If your rebranding comes on the heels of a PR disaster, it might be time to rebrand with a brand-new name. Choose a moniker that best describes your business and that’s easy to understand, spell, and type. Other reasons you might consider changing your business’s name is if you’ve grown exponentially or to eliminate confusion with another brand.

Know your audience

No rebranding will ever be successful unless it’s geared toward the audience you have or the audience you want. HubSpot’s Kristen Baker says there are many avenues by which you can get to know your demographics. These include data and analytics, surveys, and social listening.

Should you change your slogan?

If you’ve already changed your name, colors, or logo, should you also consider changing your slogan? Maybe. If your slogan is outdated, fails to be inclusive, or is no longer relevant, then it’s time to let it go. To get an idea of the power of the words to tell your story, you can look at Nike, Apple, De Beers, and other major companies whose marketing departments picked the perfect slogans.

Keeping an eye on design

Something to keep in mind as you update your marketing materials is that it must translate well across all types of media, including print and online. Although it’s fun to get creative, your materials should be easily readable and that your design is high quality and showcases the best of you.

More businesses than you might suspect update their brands each year – 74% of companies do so within the first seven years. But when it’s time to update your image, do it right. Start by making sure you have an attractive design and the right content to get the word out. Importantly, you also need to know your audience and make changes to other elements of your image and design that no longer tell the story of you.

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Courtney Rosenfeld started Gig Spark to be a resource and the first step for people who are looking to join the gig economy, either to supplement their income or as a way to fulfill their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.