Is a social media rebrand on your radar?
The importance of thoughtful and original branding can’t be overstated.
We get it, though — sometimes a change is necessary. You shouldn’t
The importance of thoughtful and original branding is one thing; changing your name with an unclear review process kills the benefits.
Why (and when) do you need a social media rebrand?
Let’s start by looking at why rebranding occurs in the first place.
No, a rebrand isn’t simply a new logo.
Given the amount of work and risk involved, rebranding should not be approached lightly. However, they are absolutely required and occur often for the reasons listed below.
Your company’s messaging and focus are altering.
Perhaps your company is shifting its focus to new products and services.
Maybe your present branding doesn’t reflect your personality or ideals.
In either case, these are valid reasons for a new beginning. Changes in your branding and marketing communications, for example, could reflect:
- Streamlining (or extending) your product features and offerings
- A commitment to becoming more socially aware
- From “cheap” to “affordable” to “premium” or “boutique” (or vice-versa)
A rebrand on social is the ideal approach to express your altered mission, whether it’s prompted by new leadership or client feedback.
You’re having trouble standing out in your field.
Many B2B brands and SaaS organizations struggle with this issue.
When there are dozens of organizations selling services that are nearly identical to yours, branding is crucial. If you’re in a new firm with a lot of competition, a rebrand can help you stand out.
Even established businesses are rebranding on a regular basis. This helps you to upgrade your company without avoiding the appearance of being set in your ways.
Your present brand isn’t popular with your customers.
Unfortunately, you’ll probably have to learn this the hard way.
“Why don’t you like us anymore?” there’s no acceptable method to ask previous and present clients. However, there are certain warning indicators of a tainted brand:
- An increase in negative social media remarks (“outdated,” “disappointed,” “they dropped off”)
- Being dubbed the “lesser of two evils” by your competitors
- Dealing with a major issue or response from the public
When done correctly, a social media redesign can provide the “hard reset” you need to reestablish yourself. If you’re concerned about the health of your brand, social listening solutions can provide insight through mention monitoring and sentiment analysis.
“How do you go about rebranding your social media?”
The short answer is yes. It is debatable.
You’ll need to establish, gather, and agree on deliverables for social media rebranding, such as:
- For your visual identity, you’ll need logos, images, and color schemes.
- #hashtags, @brand social handles, and your brand name
- Your goal statement, taglines, and slogans
- Copy for your announcements and updates for your numerous social media platforms
Consider the more abstract aspects of your rebranding efforts that you’ll need to convey to your audience. This includes the following:
- Your brand’s tone of voice
- The values of your company
- Messaging in marketing
- Your unique selling point
It’s worth noting that social media rebranding is usually part of a bigger rebranding project. Furthermore, not all forms of rebrands necessitate the same level of research.
“Who is involved in a social media rebrand?” says the narrator
There are a lot of moving parts in a rebranding project.
As a result, a large number of persons and departments are frequently involved.
Consider the following roles before diving into your social media rebranding:
- The C-suite. There are those in charge of making high-level judgments and approving the rebranding.
- Marketing departments. This includes project managers and directors who will plan the rebranding procedures.
- Teams in charge of social media. The social team is obviously critical not only for implementing your rebranding strategy, but also for engaging with customers and maintaining consistency in your messaging.
- Teams in charge of public relations Rebranding is a PR pro’s bread and butter. They’re in charge of spreading the word about the makeover outside social media, including earned and owned media.
- Groups of creative people. The creatives on your team, from designers to copywriters and beyond, will be active during the rebranding process.
- They are in charge of publicizing and marketing your rebrand to their own networks. It’s critical to notify all staff about an approaching rebrand, whether it’s a refresh or a complete makeover, and why it’s happening.
- Contractors, freelancers, and agencies. If you have a small workforce, non-employees could help with your rebranding and message or take on some of the above responsibilities.
The need for these positions is ultimately determined by the size of your company. If you want to move your branding forward quickly, having fewer stakeholders and participants isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
There are five phases to preparing for a successful social media rebranding
Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to accomplish before launching your rebrand on social media.
1. Gather your team to define your objectives.
First and foremost, gather your stakeholders and discuss the big-picture details of your rebrand. This entails responding to queries such as:
- “What do we want to achieve?”
- “What is the purpose of our rebranding?”
- “How extensive should the rebranding be? Do you want to refresh, reboot, or overhaul?”
- “Can you tell me when we’ll be able to start?”
- “How will we know if our rebranding is a success?”
Rebranding is a major undertaking. Your team must be clear about their objectives and what they hope to gain from the process.
That entails defining objectives! Metrics like engagement and sentiment, which are specific to a social media makeover, can help you measure your goals and performance.
2. Examine your social media presence to determine what you need
To determine where your rebrand should go, you must first determine where you are now.
The deliverables you’ll require will be highlighted by a full-fledged social media audit combined with a competitive analysis. For your priority networks, this includes logos, graphics, copy, and announcement postings.
3. Assign roles, timelines, and deliverables
Determine who will be in charge of delivering the rebrand’s goods. This applies to both your internal workforce and outside contractors.
The process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the intricacy of your branding.
When it comes to your rebranding schedule, err on the side of caution. Make allowances for modifications and approvals. You’ll be obligated to make an announcement if you pick a firm date.
4. Keep track of and review your deliverables’ progress
To ensure openness and accountability, all of your collaborators should use a project management platform or collaboration tool. It will be easier to discern what is on time and what is not.
Checking in and offering input should be easy for collaborators. Consider more regular assessments for deliverables (such as logo designs) when in doubt to avoid bottlenecks and wasteful changes.
5. Give your rebranding announcement final approval
Assuming you’ve completed your deliverables, it’s time to consider how you’ll reveal your news.
Confirm that your messaging is on-point, as well as the timing of your announcement, as part of your social media approval process.
Obviously, you want your rebrand to be as visible as possible. Consider how your announcement will fit in with other marketing channels such as emails, blog posts, and press releases. When your branding becomes live, don’t forget to notify everyone in the firm.
How to properly announce a rebranding on social media
The most significant component of the process is announcing your branding on social media.
To get the most out of your hard work, you’ll need to generate some much-needed buzz and maximize your major announcement’s engagement.
Finally, here’s a fast announcement checklist for your social media redesign.
Make your audience excited (hint: don’t just tell them the news)
Surprises aren’t for everyone.
But, more crucially, a sudden change in your branding can cause your fans to get confused.
Consider writing a teaser post or two ahead of time, whether weeks or days in advance, to tease your rebuild and generate excitement.
Prepare a social media announcement for “day one.”
You only have one opportunity to make an announcement, so make the most of it.
Your photographs or captions should not be cut off at this time. Check the previews for your announcement postings on all of the platforms where they’ll be published. This includes the following:
- lengths of captions
- Changes to the display name and URL
- Size of files and types of media (think: video length, image dimensions)
- Your website’s external links
Encourage your staff to help you with your rebranding
You’re restricting your reach if you simply share your branding news through your business profiles. In a big way.
When it comes to helping brands generate more money, employee advocacy is well-documented. Encourage your workers to create buzz as well, whether it’s through a simple repost or a customized statement.
Publicize your rebranding announcement in other places
Of course, social media isn’t the only way to get the word out about your rebranding.
Don’t keep your customers and audience in the dark. Consider alternative time-sensitive ways to publicize your rebranding, such as:
- A message sent through email (or newsletter)
- Release to the media
- Collaborations with other brands or earned media
Don’t forget to include static content that customers can use to learn more about your rebrand. This includes the following:
- A blog entry (see below)
- There are videos available (on your homepage or company YouTube account)
- A Frequently Asked Questions page
During the rebranding process, interact with your target audience
You should expect people to congratulate you and ask questions, especially if you have a large following.
Don’t miss out on these important interactions: your followers will be watching your reactions and comments. To satisfy hesitant customers, you may also need to clarify specifics of your rebrand.
This emphasizes the necessity of technologies like Sprout’s Smart Inbox, which not only monitors your brand mentions across numerous networks, but also provides a single platform for your team to respond.
Keep in mind that rebranding isn’t a one-and-done activity. As your clients become more accustomed with your new brand, you’ll need to keep an eye on mentions and respond to questions.
And, as previously said, analytics can be used to evaluate the success of your rebrand. You’re on the right road if you’re noticing an increase in brand mentions and general good sentiment.
Are you prepared to rename your social media accounts?
If you want to do it well, reinventing yourself on social media involves meticulous strategy and execution.
However, for firms trying to differentiate themselves from their competitors, going through the process is critical.
Now that you know how to launch a social media makeover, it’s time to consider the newest social trends and methods that brands are employing to stand out.
