Is a social media rebrand in your radar?

The significance of considerate and unique branding can’t be overstated.

We get it, although — generally a change is critical. You shouldn’t be saddled with a model identification that doesn’t make sense, proper?

However the stakes are excessive for companies seeking to reinvent themselves.

Meals for thought: 70% of entrepreneurs say that constant branding is the most necessary ingredient of constructing a group and retaining prospects.

And that’s the problem: how do you introduce a brand new identification with out dropping contact along with your current viewers?

On this information, we’ll break down the best way to rebrand your corporation on social media and hold your prospects blissful.

Why (and when) a rebrand on social media is critical

Let’s kick issues off by reviewing why rebrands occur within the first place.

And no, a rebrand is not only a emblem replace.

Rebrands shouldn’t be taken flippantly given the legwork and potential threat concerned. That mentioned, they’re completely essential and occur usually for the explanations beneath.

Your enterprise is shifting its focus and messaging

Possibly your corporation is pivoting to new services.

Or maybe your present branding doesn’t mirror your voice or values.

Both means, these are legit causes for a recent begin. For instance, modifications in your branding and advertising and marketing messages may mirror:

• Simplifying (or increasing) your product choices and options
• A dedication to being extra socially acutely aware
• Going from “low cost” or “inexpensive” to “premium” or “boutique” (or vice-versa)

Whether or not motivated by new management or buyer suggestions, a rebrand on social is the right method to talk your up to date mission.

You’re struggling to face out in your trade

It is a drawback that many B2B manufacturers and SaaS corporations face.

Branding is every thing when there are dozens of corporations providing near-identical companies like your self. In the event you’re in an up-and-coming enterprise amongst crowded competitors, a rebrand can cement your identification.

Heck, ongoing rebrands are fashionable even amongst established corporations. Doing so lets you modernize your corporation and keep away from being perceived as caught in your methods.

Mailchimp is a superb instance of this. Take a look at the evolution of the model’s Twitter from 2014 to 2021 beneath. Past the up to date imagery and naming (“MailChimp” to “Mailchimp”), the model has pivoted from “simply electronic mail” to a full suite of selling and ecommerce instruments.

Your prospects aren’t thrilled along with your present model

Sadly, that is one thing you’ll seemingly study the arduous means.

There’s no good method to ask previous and current prospects “Why don’t you want us anymore?” That mentioned, warning indicators of a broken model embrace:

• An uptick of detrimental social feedback (“outdated,” “disenchanted,” “they fell off”)
• Getting referred to as out as being the lesser amongst your rivals
• Coping with a big  disaster or public backlash

When achieved proper, a rebrand on social media may be the type of “arduous reset” it’s essential reestablish your self. In the event you’re anxious about your present model well being, social listening instruments can clue you in by way of point out monitoring and sentiment evaluation.

“What are the important thing items of a social media rebrand?”

The quick reply? It relies upon.

For rebranding on social media, you’ll must create, collect and agree upon deliverables resembling:

• Logos, graphics and shade schemes to your visible identification
• Your model title, @model social handles and hashtags
• Taglines, slogans and your mission assertion
• Announcement copy and posts to your varied social channels

Additionally, contemplate extra summary components of your rebranding efforts that you just’ll want to speak to followers. This consists of:

• Your model voice
• Your model’s values
• Advertising and marketing messaging
• Your worth proposition

Observe that social media rebrands are sometimes half of a bigger rebranding effort. Additionally, not all forms of rebrands contain the identical quantity of legwork.

For instance, a refresh may contain lighter modifications resembling a brand new emblem or mission assertion. A model reboot may contain company-wide rebranding whereas a model overhaul principally means ranging from scratch.

This replace from Discord is an effective instance that’s nearer to a refresh:

The diploma to which the weather above want to alter isn’t one-size-fits-all. You’ll want to speak to your group to determine it out.

“Who’s concerned in a social media rebrand?”

Rebrands usually contain a number of transferring items.

Consequently, there are normally fairly a couple of folks and departments concerned.

Earlier than you get knee-deep in your rebrand on social media, contemplate roles together with:

• The C-level. There are the oldsters making high-level choices and signing off on the rebrand itself.
• Advertising and marketing groups. This consists of mission managers and administrators to plan the steps of the rebrand.
• Social media groups. The social group is clearly important not just for placing your rebranding plan into motion but in addition for participating with prospects and conserving your messaging constant.
• PR groups. Rebrands are the bread and butter of PR execs. They’re chargeable for speaking the rebrand past social together with earned and owned media.
• Inventive groups. From designers to copywriters and past, the creatives in your group shall be busy in the course of the rebranding course of.
• Staff. Liable for selling and boosting your rebrand to their very own networks. It’s necessary to maintain all staff knowledgeable of an upcoming rebrand, whether or not it’s a refresh or overhaul, and why.
• Businesses, contractors and freelancers. Non-employees may function consultants in your rebrand and messaging or deal with a number of the duties above in case you’re a smaller group.

The necessity for these roles finally will depend on the dimensions of your corporation. Having fewer stakeholders and individuals isn’t essentially a detrimental if you wish to get your rebrand transferring quicker.

5 steps to prep for a profitable social media rebrand

Beneath is a fast breakdown of what must occur earlier than you roll out your rebrand on social media.

1. Assemble your group to outline your targets

Very first thing’s first: carry your stakeholders collectively and hash out the big-picture particulars of your rebrand. This consists of answering questions resembling:

• “What can we hope to perform?
• “What’s the explanation for our rebrand?”
• “How intensive does the rebrand should be? Refresh, reboot or overhaul?”
• “What’s our timeline?”
• “How will we measure the success of our rebrand?”

Once more, rebranding is not any small feat. Your group must be specific about their expectations and what they need to get out of the method.

Which means setting targets! Particular to a rebrand on social media, metrics resembling engagement and sentiment assist assess your targets and efficiency.

2. Audit your social presence to evaluate wants

To determine the place your rebrand must go, it’s essential work out the place you presently stand.

A full-blown social media audit coupled with a aggressive evaluation will spotlight the deliverables you’ll want. This consists of logos, graphics, copy and announcement posts to your precedence networks.

3. Assign roles, deliverables and deadlines

Decide who’s going to be concerned in delivering the products for the rebrand. This consists of your inner group and contractors.

Relying on the complexity of your rebrand, the method can take anyplace from a couple of weeks to a couple months.

Err on the facet of warning in the case of your rebranding schedule. Construct-in time for revisions and approvals. In the event you set a tough date for an announcement, you’ll be tied to it.

4. Monitor and assessment the progress of your deliverables

Ideally, your collaborators ought to all work in a mission administration platform or collaboration software for the sake of transparency and accountability. This can make it simpler to see what’s on schedule and what’s not.

Collaborators needs to be snug checking in and offering suggestions. When doubtful, contemplate extra frequent assessments for deliverables (like emblem designs) to cut back bottlenecks and pointless revisions.

5. Approve your rebranding announcement 

Assuming you might have your deliverables prepared, it’s time to determine the way you’re going to announce your information.

By your social media approval course of, verify that your messaging is 0n-point and the timing of your announcement is, too.

You clearly need to maximize the visibility of your rebrand. Contemplate that you just may must align your announcement timing with different advertising and marketing channels together with emails, weblog posts or press releases. And don’t overlook to speak company-wide when your rebrand goes stay.

announce rebranding on social media the appropriate means

The social announcement of your rebrand is arguably an important a part of the method.

Getting essentially the most out of your arduous work means producing some much-needed buzz and maximizing the engagement of your large announcement.

To wrap issues up, right here’s a fast announcement guidelines to your rebrand on social media.

Hype your viewers up (trace: don’t simply dump the information on ’em)

Not everybody likes surprises.

However extra importantly, a sudden switch-up of your branding can confuse your followers.

Whether or not weeks or days prematurely, contemplate making a preview put up or two to tease your rebuild and construct a little bit of anticipation. Right here’s an excellent instance from Gumroad:

Put together your “day one” social media announcement

You solely get one announcement put up, so make it rely.

That is not the time to your pictures or captions to get lower off. Double-check the previews to your announcement posts throughout the platforms you’re publishing to. This consists of:

• Caption lengths
• Show title and URL modifications
• File measurement and media sorts (suppose: video size, picture dimensions)
• Exterior hyperlinks to your web site

Trace: you should use a social publishing software like Sprout Social to make sure that your captions, media and hyperlinks are all optimized and correctly timed for every community you’re pushing to.

Encourage staff to spice up your rebrand 

In the event you’re solely publishing your rebrand announcement from your corporation profiles, you’re limiting your attain. Huge time.

Worker advocacy is well-documented in the case of serving to manufacturers earn extra every. Whether or not it’s a easy repost or a customized announcement, urge your staff to construct buzz as nicely.

It is a nice method to maximize your day-one attain and hold the hype practice going over a number of days.

Promote your rebranding announcement elsewhere

After all, social media isn’t the one place to hype your rebrand.

Don’t hold your viewers and buyer base in the dead of night. Contemplate different time-sensitive avenues to announce your rebrand resembling:

• An electronic mail (or publication)
• Press launch
• Earned media or collaborations with different manufacturers

Additionally, don’t overlook about static content material that prospects can reference to find out about your rebrand. This consists of:

• A weblog put up (see beneath)
• Movies (in your homepage or firm YouTube account)
• An FAQ web page

Interact along with your viewers in the course of the rebrand

Particularly if in case you have a longtime following, you have to be prepared for folks to say congrats and ask questions.

Don’t miss out on these beneficial interactions: your followers shall be your feedback and reactions. Likewise,  it’s possible you’ll must make clear particulars of your rebrand to fulfill skeptical prospects.

This speaks to the significance of instruments like Sprout’s Good Inbox which not solely displays your model mentions throughout a number of networks but in addition offers your group a single platform to reply in.

Bear in mind: a rebrand is just not a one-and-done course of. You’re going to want to repeatedly monitor mentions and reply questions as your prospects turn out to be aware of your new identification.

And as famous earlier, you’ll be able to assess the efficiency of your rebrand by way of analytics. In the event you’re seeing a lift in model mentions and general optimistic sentiment, you’re heading in the right direction.

Are you prepared to your social media rebrand?

Reinventing your self on social media requires cautious planning and particular execution if you wish to do it proper.

That mentioned, going by the method is essential for manufacturers seeking to outline themselves versus their rivals.

Now that you know the way to launch a rebrand on social media, it’s time to mirror on the most recent social tendencies and techniques manufacturers are utilizing to face out from the gang.

In the event you haven’t already, take a look at the most recent Sprout Social Index™ to study what customers are searching for from manufacturers on-line.