When the theme for this year, “limitlessness,” came to me last year, I was excited but unsure what that meant or where to start.
But January opened my eyes and mind to the principle of “preparedness.” If you want to step into a level of abundance that can’t be capped, you’ll agree with me that you need to prepare. Don’t just grab an old, faded bucket and wait. Instead, go and build a sturdy, extensive barn and maybe some silos that will allow you to receive the massive goodies you’re expecting.
And for me, this starts with rebranding my business.
That is, reforming my brand in a more attractive form so that my message is clear, connection-focused, and inviting to my best-fit clients.
If you’ve ever wondered what a rebrand looks like, here’s one to give you all the insights you need. Plus, you get the full scoop on some BTS of how this whole thing came into being.
Table of Contents
Why a business rebrand?
First, let’s talk about why my 1-year-old business would even need a rebrand.
This copywriting business “officially” turned 1 in January (even though I’ve had the website for longer), and this coincided with my newly-found confidence and vibe.
I had been dying to get the heck out of SaaS tech, but after my crazy panic attack and depression phase last March, I finally called it quits. I had become uninspired, tired, creatively caged, and unhappy.
(And this isn’t to shade the industry; it changed my life in numerous ways—especially financially. I had simply reached that point where I knew it was no longer for me.)
After 3 years of being an SEO content writer working for brands like Moz, WordPress.com, Bluehost, Sprout Social, StrongDM, and HubSpot, I decided to pursue my long-term interest full-time.
That is, copywriting for coaches & small businesses.
I leaped out and jumped into this business straight away with all my unresolved baggage—an overwhelmed soul, some faulty beliefs, and a rusty creativity box.
I didn’t even take the time to process everything, breathe, and heal.
And it was because, over the years, I had become used to not knowing how to rest or rejuvenate. I just pivoted like a car taking a swift turn at a T-junction.
Navigating my pivot alone—without first renewing my spirit, without any friends who understood me, and without a pipeline of leads waiting at the other end—made the journey quite challenging, to say the least.
The past year was a mix of joy, tears, frustration, confusion, freedom (although sometimes it didn’t feel like it), and rejuvenation from a creative rut.
I spent most of the year, the whole of December, and this past January thinking about the direction I wanted to take my business.
- What do I want to be known for? That’s what I do.
- Who do I want to attract? That’s my ideal client.
- How do I want to distinguish myself? That’s my unique value proposition (UVP) and key differentiators.
- What vibe do I want people to feel? That’s my brand personality and tone of voice.
I wanted to establish these things early on so that this year ends with a bang.
My direction became clear
I’m grateful for every client who found my website, booked a package, and trusted me with their brand stories. You all are the real MVPs.
Thank you for helping my baby business grow. ILY.
(Back to my story…)
After working with one client who had booked my website copywriting package, she gave me an interesting review that made my “next steps” clearer (and every time I go back to it, I feel it all over again).
“…I knew I’d love your work because I like your website copy.” Melissa had said.
This was a proud moment for me because it meant my website copy was already doing a good job of convincing interested leads. And it was even more interesting that she and most of the others who inquired about my solutions found me on Google.
(Quick call: if you want to rank your small business website on the first page of Google ASAP, grab this SEO checklist and thank me later.)
So, as the overthinker that I am, I began to think…
This is exactly how I want every dream client to feel when they land on my website.
To feel:
- Confident that I CAN help them
- Enthralled by the words on each page
- Convinced that they’d love to work with me
- Connected, like they know me just by bingeing my website content.
But how do I better improve my brand outlook so that all this can happen with ease?
And so, the dire need for a rebrand came up as the answer to my questions.
This meant strategic planning, deeper research, and creativity unleashing.
How I rebranded my business
I know my brand vibe and want this to be evident in every single messaging asset you come across.
I want you to know that you can vibe with me. That I have your best interests at heart. That I can help you tell your story, too.
ALL THIS IS MY MAIN GOAL FOR REBRANDING.
One thing I want you to understand is that rebranding isn’t just about changing your logos or color palette. It’s about making every part of your business functional.
Rebranding is about transforming your business into what you want it to actually represent (in your space and to your ideal clients). So, while taking e-very-thing into account during this rebrand, I focused on tightening seven core elements of my brand.
1. Color palette
Of course, I started with designing my mood board because, let’s be real, colors are a big deal.
Colors play a big role in not just branding but in our lives as well. And in business, colors bring representation and consistency to our brands and message.
So for my primary colors, I choose kaitoke green, school bus yellow, and jeans blue. I chose these colors because I want my brand to reflect profitability, shine, and inspiration.
And for my secondary, I’m using some light-shaded gray and black.
2. Brand photoshoot
I had a brand photoshoot session.
Despite having really bad acne, not getting my nails done because I had just traveled back, and being unable to book a makeup appointment, it’s the best brand shoot I’ve ever had. (Not that I’ve had many, but this one had me tripping.)
Also, my creativity box has been unlocked since “finding me”, and I wanted to flex my photo skills. So, I played dress up, threw in a little Pinterest girlie concept, and took some bomb-ass images. My friends swear I have eyes for design, and they are absolutely right!
3. Copywriting & messaging strategy
My old website copy served me for as long as it lasted and got me some inquiries.
But, TBH, about a quarter of those inquirers weren’t my “best-fit” clients. And more so, I knew my copy could be better.
There’s this thing that we copywriters don’t put as much effort into writing our websites as we do for our clients. But I don’t want that to be me.
What’s the point of having a website for its mere sake?
There are over 1 billion websites stuffing search engine databases and scrambling to be seen by anyone. Why simply add to that number when you can have a website that your best-fit clients won’t stop bingeing? See how.
So, in doing the right (aka most profitable) thing, I mapped out the overall story concept for each web page and crafted the awesomeness that is my current website copy. It’s giving bold, fun, and empowering vibes.
4. Website design
As the saying goes, copy goes with design.
If your copy is piping hot, you need a stunning website design that’ll showcase this heat and attract your dream clients.
Since I use a WordPress (.org) website because it gives room for expansion, I went with the Astra theme. And the Spectra plugin made this setup a breeze—and everything looks gorgeous.
You can read about WordPress and other CMS, & template rec to choose what’s best for your business.
If you take a stroll through my website, I’m sure you’ll love how sleek the experience is.
This website creation process took me 9 days (precisely 83 hours). One day to map out the concept and research ideas, two days to write the website copy, three slow days to edit the copy, and three days to design it. You’ll agree with me that every single hour spent was totally worth it. Right?
5. My values
What did I write as my core values before now?
I think clarity, authenticity, and something else I don’t even remember.
A lot of times, we just throw around all these industry buzzwords (e.g., authenticity) without applying them to what we do or showcasing how they relate to our brands. Why?
Well, maybe because they’re on countless other websites, or perhaps they’re in the “nice to have” category.
I didn’t want to put up a glossary of words because everyone has one. It’s my job to communicate my principles and guiding lights to anyone who comes across my website. I should start a business process and somehow be able to relate it to my core values.
And I found the perfect trio that summarizes what this powerhouse is all about. Clarity. Conviction. Connection.
You can find out more about my core values on my About page.
6. Back-end Setup
Many times, when creatives rebrand their businesses, they focus solely on the front end of things—forgetting that the back end is just as important.
So, for my back-end setup, I’ve refined the following:
Sales funnels: If there’s anything such as “wasted leads,” that’s what my business has generated on many occasions, but everything is about to change.
I know what’s up with funnel systems. I offer a done-for-you funnel solution for clients, but I never sat down to build one that was right for my business until now.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working on my sales funnel sequences and automation—and I’m ready to fly.
Processes: My onboarding and project execution workflow had become a mess toward the end of last year. But, after setting up systems and templates, everything looks sleek and simplified.
7. Content Assets
From my blog posts to email newsletter templates, product creation folders, and social content graphics, I’ve given everything an on-brand outlook.
Blog posts: I want my blog content to look more inviting than profesh. Of course, I’m a professional, but I’m running a personal brand—not a SaaS blog. And so, my content should be more personality-based.
Email newsletter: Ever since I switched my copy style to a storytelling structure, my campaign metrics have changed.
If you haven’t subscribed to my mailing list (Cup of Copy), you should join. I share ridiculously good, sometimes weird, sometimes eye-rolling, day-in-the-life gists that almost always end up in a copy or business tip.
Social assets: I’m using my self-designed templates in tandem with Faithola’s Canva templates. And I kid you not when I say they’re a lifesaver.
Not only are they making my content gracefully and unapologetically on-brand, but they also save my solopreneur ass time for other things.
I use this calendar template to streamline my content workflow from newsletters to blog posts and social media.
Ready for a business rebrand, too?
And that’s the BTS of my business rebrand.
If you’re ready to launch your business website, I’d love to help you bring your ideas to life. I believe it’s time for us to stop creating websites because it’s the business-y thing to do and instead build lead-generation systems that keep us in business.
Sounds like what you want? Inquire here, and let’s chat about your project. And if you want a custom brand strategy, book an intensive.
