Rebranding can be a daunting task for small businesses, but with careful planning and execution, it can be a powerful tool for growth.
Here are three tips by team at Localsearch to help you successfully rebrand your SME.
Decide your look
After taking over the business over a decade ago, Rob brainstormed with Localsearch on what to rebrand to from the existing AI Supercheap Tyres name. Eventually, he settled on a nickname he earned from a group of locals, finding the right balance of personality and nostalgia. “When people call up, and they remember the name from our ads, I feel like I’ve known them for life,” Rob said.
Sarah rebranded her business after owning it for two years, renaming it from Flowers by van Til to Mittagong Flower Merchant. She wanted it to feel like her own, rather than one she inherited. “I’m really proud of the progress our business has made, but I felt it was the time to be bold and reinvent ourselves a bit in order to grow further. The rebrand changed the business’ name, but it still carries the character of the business – the last thing I want to do is no longer be recognisable to our growing base of local customers.”
Play the long game
Rubber Rob said “it definitely shouldn’t be an overnight change, you don’t want your loyal customers to walk in and not know who you are. My advice would be to trust your gut, because it is worth doing, just not too quickly”. Adam Boote, Director of Growth at Localsearch, said there is a sweet spot for each rebrand. “Typically it’s about 18 months, like we did for Rob, depending on how dramatic the rebrand is. Unless something has happened, you should try to weave gentle changes in over time so that it feels almost seamless – something we monitor very closely across any small business’ organic search results, customer feedback, and other SEO measures.”
Keep your advertising consistent
Adam said “there is no reason to pull back your advertising and marketing – if anything, it’s more important than ever to make those channels work for you and your business. A simple radio ad or boosted post can be enough to keep your customers in the know of who you are with ‘same team, new name’ key messaging.” In Rubber Rob’s case, “we wanted to reposition ourselves as an all-round mechanical store, so we just moved a few words. That’s what’s really strong with Localsearch, you can customise the customers you reach,” Rob said.
Sarah manages her own channels like Facebook and Instagram and in your rebranding strategy on social media, strongly encourages fellow SMB owners to take advantage.
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