When the theme for this year, “limitlessness,” came to me, I was excited but unsure 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 the most 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 the BTS of how this whole thing came into being.
But first, let’s talk about why my 1-year-old business would even need a rebrand.
Why a business rebrand?
So, this baby 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 writing, 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 SaaS industry; it changed my life—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 creatives.
I leaped out of SaaS 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, heal, and start anew. 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, prayers, wondering what the heck I was thinking when I gave up SaaS to follow my passion. more tears, 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.
It is necessary to establish these things early on so that this year can end with a bang.
& this client review made my rebranding direction pretty clear
Let me start by saying this:
I’m grateful for every client who found my website, booked a copy package, and trusted me with their brand story. You are my real MVPs. Thank you for helping my business grow. ILY.
Then, after working with one amazing client who booked my website copywriting package, she gave me an interesting review that makes my “next step” clearer every time I go back to it.
“…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 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 write a website that ranks and converts your best-fit clients, grab the SEO Website Playbook 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
- 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 question—and this led to more planning, researching, and creativity unleashing.
I know my brand vibe and want this to be evident in every single messaging asset I create. 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.
My rebranding checklist: The elements that got an upgrade
The thing is, rebranding isn’t just about changing your logo or color palette. It’s about making every single part of your business stunningly functional.
Rebranding is about transforming your business into what you want it to actually represent in your space and for your ideal clients. So, while taking e-very-thing into account during this rebrand, I focused on tightening these 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. They bring representation and consistency to our brands and messaging.
So for my primary colors, I changed it from army green to kaitoke green. Also, I made the yellow brighter from amber to something school bus-y. Then, I incorporated some jeans-blue. Because, over here at SO, it’s all money, shine, and inspiration.
And for my secondary, I’m using some light-shaded gray and powdery blue.
2. Brand photoshoot
I had a brand photoshoot session with C-Sharp Photography in January.
Despite having really bad acne, not getting my nails done because I had just traveled back to my place, 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.
Everything is splattered across this website. Feel free to roam. 😀
3. Website copy & messaging strategy
My old website copy served me for as long as it lasted and got me some inquiries. But, TBH, I knew my copy could be better.
There’s this thing about us copywriters not putting as much effort into writing our websites as we do for our clients.
But I didn’t want that to be me. What’s the point of having a website for the mere sake of it? Why launch a website with words that don’t enthrall your dream clients?
There are over 1 billion websites stuffed in search engine databases and scrambling to be seen by anyone. Why add to that number when you can have a website that actually works for you?
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.
Want a website that works harder than you do? This SEO Website Playbook will show you not just what but HOW to write a website that attracts and converts the right people.
4. Website design
As the saying goes, copy goes with design. If your copy is piping hot, you need a stunning design that’ll showcase this heat and attract your dream clients.
Personally, I love WordPress (.org) websites because they give you room for expansion, plus I’ve been operating WP sites since 2020, when I started as a freelance writer.
While there are many sleek website templates out there, the Clover theme by 17th Avenue Designs made this setup a breeze—and everything looks damn gorg.
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 87 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—and every single hour spent was totally worth it.
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 even caring about how they relate to our brands. Why?
Well, maybe because they’re on countless other websites, or perhaps it’s that they’re in the “nice to have” category.
I didn’t want to put up a glossary of words because everyone has one. I want to be able to communicate my principles and guiding lights to anyone who comes across my website. I want to start a process now 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, and 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 my:
1. Sales funnels: I should win the award for not leveraging countless growth opportunities, but everything is about to change.
I know what’s up with sales funnels, 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 funnel automation and email sequences. While I can’t say that all my funnels are ready, I can say that I have put the necessary things I need in place—and I’m ready to fly.
2. Processes: My onboarding and project execution workflows had become a mess toward the end of last year. But, after restructuring these processes using my templates and setup in Trello, everything looks sleek and simplified now.
7. Content assets
From my blog posts to email newsletter templates, product creation folders, and social content graphics (pins, Instagram posts, and LinkedIn posts), I’ve given everything an on-brand outlook.
1. 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.
Also, to make my business blog even more personal, I’ll be starting a new storytelling section on my website blog titled “Diary: The Random Thoughts of an Overthinking, Neurodivergent Girlie.” I’m a chatterbox, so let me talk (read: write). If you’d like to follow along, make sure to join my newsletter to get updates on what’s up.
2. Email newsletter: Ever since I switched my copy style to a storytelling structure, my campaign metrics have drastically improved! My open rate has gone up by 413% and clickthroughs by 14,100%. Like fourteen frickin’ thousand? Yup. All thanks to the power of storytelling.
If you’re not a member of my mailing list, you should join. I share ridiculously good, sometimes weird, sometimes eye-rolling, day-in-the-life gists that always end up in a copy or business tip.
3. Social assets: I’m using my self-designed templates and content bank 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 so much time so I can do other things.
End note: Ready for a business or website rebrand, too?
And there you have it. The BTS of my 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-gen systems that actually keep us in business.
If this sounds like what you want, inquire here, and let’s chat about your project. And if you simply want clarity on how YOU can tell your brand story, book a messaging power session.
