Let’s take it from the top and figure this whole rebranding thing out together. The first thing I want you to think about is whether you even need a rebranding in the first place. 

Yes, I know. As a brand designer, you probably find it very odd that I am actually suggesting you might not need a makeover for your brand image, to begin with. Maybe this whole thing wasn’t as important as you’ve made it to be. In reality, you might have this backwards!

But Vero, what do you mean? 

Here’s the deal. My mantra when it comes to nailing visual branding and your brand recognition is this: ‘Your branding has to be authentic, consistent, and impactful” 

Now, in the above statement, the word “consistent” is key. In fact, for small businesses and startups, it might even be the most important one out of the three (although I love them all equally and passionately!)

Customers appreciate it when a business has a consistent new brand. In fact, consistent branding presentation has seen to increase revenue by 33 percent!

So, a fresh start doesn't mean you'll attract more followers or potential clients from the get-go. A new image, new tone or new direction could actually mean that your branding will need even more time to make its mark unforgettable.

When is rebranding your small business on social media platforms actually necessary?

Rebranding is so much more than having a new logo and adding brighter colors to your Instagram grid.

Every brand (and business owner) is unique. The same goes for achieving success in your brand, following someone else's metrics might not be the best route for your future success.

So, think about why you’ve been wanting this rebrand. Exactly what are you looking for its goal to be?

Are there internal factors or external factors influencing you? For instance, if your customers seem to be confused by your logo, your branding or never seem to understand what’s unique about you, then you probably need some modifications to stand our in your market or niche.

However, if you’re revamping your look-and-feel again because:

• your competitor recently launched a rebranding campaign on their own Instagram account and you feel you’re lagging behind with your branding

• or you’re trying to hop on a new marketing trend (more videos, using various platforms, etc.) that might not concern your target audience at all

• or you’ve recently found a cute website or account in your niche that’s inspiring you

Then you’re not doing it for the right reasons.

And rebranding your business for the wrong reasons will cost you. 

Here's one of the most unsuccessful brand relaunch examples AND brand renaming examples:

In 2019, Weight Watchers decided to invest in a huge rebrand campaign, changing their name to WW in their efforts to be more inclusive. Although their intentions were good, the rebrand backfired. They lost over 600,000 subscribers by the end of that financial year.

By being intentional in your rebrand efforts, you’ll ensure that with every step you will create a better brand for your small business so that it connects instantly with your ideal customer and at the same time it tells your story in the most authentic way. So, make sure to follow the best practices for rebranding before making any big moves.

On another perspective, perhaps the social media platform you've been using doesn't align with your mission values anymore. For instance, Instagrams mission statement is “to capture and share the world's moments”, but its ever changing algorithm usually pushes people to mindlessly scroll. Instead of rebranding your business, perhaps take a step back to rethink your marketing strategy so that it aligns with your values first. 

Need help creating your unique brand identity? Read my guide to visual branding in another blog post here!

Rebrand your small business on Instagram and other social media platforms the right way

Now that you’ve had time to do some soul-searching and are absolutely sure you want to rebrand your small business, let’s move to the next step: how do your rebrand your small business on Instagram the right way? And how do you go about launching an instagram account?

Well, after working closely with clients to rebrand their personal brand and small business, I have had the opportunity to watch their social media teams completely nail their online rebrand campaign and get their followers to stop scrolling in awe!

A successful rebrand starts with a brand audit and an understanding your business model, what your brand stands for and what your company creates for your clients.

So, have an overall look at your brand strategy and brand's message to decide if it's still fitting with your services. If not, it's one sign that your brand needs a rebrand.

Now, if you have rebranded your small business and are now ready to announce your rebrand on social media, here are a few rebranding tips for new year and some steps that are sure to help you! Follow the following re branding steps:

Step 1: Give your followers a sneak peek!

Nobody can resist a little tease. Offer a sneak peek of your rebranding in your Instagram stories and encourage your followers to engage with the posts. Add fun photos, GIFs, polls, and other interactive stickers that will grab people’s attention. (In your Facebook account, you could even create a facebook cover photo teaser!)

Consider doing this as you start creating your new brand so that you can gauge the reaction and engagement of your audience and measure how positive it is.

You could ask for feedback from your closest fans, past customers, or trusted partners as you're creating content and posting new photos. 

Or you can create a poll story and get some aspirational mood boards in front of your audience to see how they react. Feedback is essential in creating something that connects instantly with your tribe!

Step 2: Tweak as needed

The biggest brand ambassador is your audience. Trust their feedback as your post new content and photos on your social media account and tweak your rebranding as necessary. Watch their engagement on your account as you're posting. Or, did past clients raise a concern about your new logo or slogan? That might be a sign worth investigating and discussing with your brand designer.

One thing to note though is that not all feedback has equal weight. 

Some people care about your company and what change you want to bring to the world more than others. And some are just more in tune with your message and mission than others. So, always take feedback on your rebrand with a grain of salt and note the ones that make sense to you and your ideal clients!

Step 3: Build the tension in your account

Now that you’ve tweaked your rebranding and finally landed on a solid direction, you are getting ready to launch your newly rebranded small business on your Instagram account, it’s time to build tension (or, may I say, excitement!)

Just like the teasing phase, building tension in your account is used to grab your followers’ attention on the platform. They need to feel that your rebranding is something exciting to look forward to.

How do we do this?

Well, create some pre-announcement posts promoting your rebrand and telling them that you will be rebranding soon and to save the date. You can do another sneak peek post as well.

What can you say? Here are some rebranding "coming soon" captions for instagram:

It can be as simple as "Save the date! Something sweet coming soon." or "A new look is coming for (your company name). Stay tuned!" You can also tie in your personal story and write about why you're rebranding in the first place.

Companies love to create excitement on their brands by posting images and photos related to the process of rebranding and celebrating with their followers what's to come for their brands and services.

Get your audience hooked by adding a countdown on your Instagram stories and asking them to tap the countdown so they are notified of the Big Day!

Step 4: Go all out!

And the time has come, it's the Big Day! Go all out with your rebranding and celebrate. Don’t hold back! 

Rebranding announcement on instagram examples:

Think about your brand refresh announcement on Instagram posts, stories, videos, REELS, and lives. Instagram REELS has proven to be the most pushed content type on the platform currently, so don’t let this opportunity slip past you!

It's not just about the new images or comments! Your followers will also be curious about why you rebranded. After the official announcement is the best time to tell your story and explain your reasoning behind the rebranding on the app and what your vision is for your brand moving forward.

Don't feel like the app is the only spot to shout your rebrand from the rooftops!

Here're some other rebrand launch ideas. You can also create a blog article with a more detailed insider look into the rebrand. Anything highlighting why you did it and what's your vision moving forward goes a long way into sharing your world with your audience and inviting them into the process.

Also, don't do it just because! If your market isn't apt to reading a blog, focus on promoting your rebrand where they'll be.

Step 5: Measure the impact of your social media marketing

How much engagement are you getting? Are you attracting the right crowd for your services? Don’t let yourself fall for vanity metrics such as likes and comments related to your revamp. Dig deeper and measure how well your rebranding is working by going through your analytics and seeing how well each post performed. 

Brands use analytical tools on social media tools like Later or Buffer to find trends and conversions. For instance, how many posts have lead a follower to like, visit your profile and click on your website? Make notes and try to find out if there is anything successful posts are sharing in common that you can now use as a guide for future content!

Abide by the 80/20 rule to help you get really specific on what to do to promote your rebrand moving forward instead of simply doing what everyone does. This will save you tons of time and money on the long-run!

Now that you know how to rebrand your Instagram, move forward intentionally

Go ahead and show off your new branding via Instagram! Rebranding is a super fun part of every small business that is growing. And a successful re brand is so rewarding too.

But, rebranding can also be overwhelming and confusing, especially when you are trying to do it all by yourself. As a small business owner, I know how it feels to wear all the hats in your company.

If you're looking for a rebranding announcement sample, check out the Canva Bundle I made for you in this quick video walkthrough:

While having a drop-dead gorgeous brand is amazing, I want you to always remember this: it takes time to build a successful brand and a strong brand online. The most recognizable brands, such as Coca-Cola and Nike, have achieved success by focusing on consistency above all. 

Sending you plenty of good vibes so that your rebranding on Instagram is a total success!

Verô