A few weeks ago, we hosted a 5-day live challenge to help small business owners get clarity around their business so they can start moving toward a cohesive brand. It was amazing! Because it was a small group, we were able to have deep conversations about our businesses.
The unexpected results, however, left me realizing that there are areas I needed to focus on for my own business. There will always be things to improve, but the conversations we had during the challenge helped me become more aware of where my business was headed and how my personal passions and ambitions weren’t quite aligning.
From the outside, I was reaching goals that I thought I wanted. But I realized that those goals were just goals that I thought I needed to have. So knowing that now, I need to make adjustments to align my own brand.
How do you know if it’s time for a brand refresh?
Here are a few signs to look out for:
1. Your target audience or ideal clients have changed.
Even if your target audience doesn’t change completely, just fine-tuning the details can help us understand what their motivations are. I realized that knowing a little more about my ideal clients and motivations changes the message and content that’s on my website and the content that goes on my socials. It’s crazy that these tiny adjustments make a huge difference!
2. Your offers are changing.
When you step back and think through the services you offer, do they align with your overall brand message? Or do they cater to two different audiences? It’s not that you can’t create a successful business having two audiences, but depending on what you offer, you can communicate two different messages which causes a lot of confusion about what your brand stands for and who you actually serve. Unfortunately, if you’re clear about your offer and who you serve, you’re missing out on working with more of your ideal clients.
3. There’s inconsistency in your messaging.
I asked someone recently what they were trying to say with their brand, and she told me there are a few main things she wants to communicate. The thing is, you want to have one clear message that you say over and over again. You can deliver your message in different ways, but ultimately you want to say the same thing. When I think about my own brand, there are two different messages I’m communicating which causes a lot of inconsistencies because they really speak to two different audiences.
So realizing that your brand (like mine) needs adjusting, will you decide to make those changes now or wait until you’re forced to make those changes by things outside of your control? I’ve talked to business owners who regret piecemealing their brands because they’ve spent years working and reworking their brands and haven’t moved the needle in their business…
I’ve talked to business owners who refuse to invest any more time and money into a rebrand because they’re just going to see where things go. That just tells me about people’s priorities. We all have different priorities, and that’s ok! But if you’re feeling frustrated because you don’t know how to reach your ideal clients or struggle with where you are with your business after a few years of working through it or embarrassed that people mistake your business for a hobby, I’m asking you to consider branding or (rebranding) your business.
Branding does take time. It does take money. It does take brain space. And branding can be scary and challenging. But to share your unique message, to reach the level of success you want, to position your brand in a way that gets your business remembered over your competitors, you’ll have to decide to commit and invest in things that will help your business move forward.
In the midst of our own 5-day challenge, I realized that in order to build the business I want and love, I need to make those adjustments and commit to them too. So I’m inviting you into my world as I journey through my own brand refresh. And I hope that it inspires you to do the same.
Until next time,
Happy Branding!
