Rebranding your blog may sound like no big deal, but before you start daydreaming of fancy new layouts and brilliant content, there is plenty to consider before you take the plunge.
Blogging is an amazing opportunity for businesses to engage with their customers, expand their audience, and show what they have to offer. It is also a great place for ordinary people to express their interests and share their thoughts or expertise. But as time goes on, things can change. When they do, it may be time to think about rebranding your blog.
Why Should I Rebrand My Blog?
- Your business is rebranding
- You’ve outgrown your blog name
- You’ve outgrown your content
- You’re USP or niche has changed
- You want to increase your blog traffic
If you’re not in that list don’t panic, there are plenty of valid reasons to rebrand your blog. But it is important to think through all of your reasons beforehand, so you can anticipate any complications.
There are a few stages when it comes to rebranding your blog. So, if you’ve decided that the time has come, here is a little step-by-step guide that should help you put together your own checklist for your blog’s rebranding.
Step 1 – Define Your Blog
Before you do anything, you should sit down and make a clear plan of what you want to achieve with your rebranded blog.
Determine what is changing. Are you changing your name? Are you changing your design? Is your old content coming with you or are you starting fresh? Answering these questions will help give you a clear head when you move into the process. Also, ask yourself what your niche will be and determine your USPs. Think about what content you will create and how it will be different.
If you are rebranding your blog to increase traffic or engagement, create goals to track your achievements and set some focus. Take this time to specify your target audience if this is going to change, too.
Once you’ve done all this, you should find it easier to determine a brand message. Having a solid message to portray will help you to stay focused when you launch your new blog.
Step 2 – Lay the Foundations
Once you have a clear plan in place, you must begin with a solid foundation for your new blog. This may start with a new name or a new blogging platform. Once you have decided on those, you must check if your desired name is available and get a good URL.
If you are changing the blogging platform or your blog host, you will need to think about what you want from your new one and make sure the one you choose can provide you with that.
In these early stages, you will also have to think about design. It is useful to work with a designer on this to get something that looks professional and unique. If you’re going for something simple, think about colour and layout throughout your design process, while bearing in mind your new brand message. You may also need to design a new logo to go with your new blog.
Don’t be hasty about these decisions because the foundations of a new blog are extremely important and will set the basis for all the great things you will do in the future.
Step 3 – Technical Stuff
There are a lot of technical things you will need to do when you rebrand your blog, and it is essential that things go smoothly. Some people may consider hiring someone to ensure a mistake-free site migration. If not, make sure you create a checklist so you don’t forget anything.
First, you will need to purchase and set up the new domain and variations with the host if it is different. You will then need to create a list of all the pages and blog post URLs. With this, you will put in place your 301 redirects. Redirecting all of your pages will help your retain SEO juice. This stage will take time, and extra care should be taken to ensure there are no errors made along the way. Should you find yourself stuck, there is likely a wealth of information to guide you through the process provided by your website host.
There are various other stages to a site migration and the technical side of rebranding your blog, so here are a few other technical bits and pieces you shouldn’t forget:
- Set up a new email address with your new blog’s branding
- Update the contact forms and information on the website with the new email address
- Add your new domain to Google Search Console and submit a new sitemap
- Update any affiliate companies
Step 4 – Social Media
Blogging goes hand in hand with social media, so rebranding your blog means rebranding your social media. The more things you have changed for your blog, the bigger job this is because new names, logos, and links will need to be updated on every profile.
The first thing on your social media checklist (if your new blog has a new name) should be checking the availability and securing new handles. Then, update your profiles with your new branding. Consistency is key here. Your followers should be able to see the same brand across all of your social media platforms. For more information on how to create a social media presence that won’t be forgotten, read this blog post.
Each social media platform will have a different list of things to change, so take plenty of time with each one and make sure everything that needs to be, is updated.
Afterwards, you will need to amend the social media links on your blog and check that they are working correctly.
Step 5 – Your Readers
Whether you had thousands of views a week or just a few on your old blog, you should let your readers know what is happening before you do it. Be sure to announce it on social media as well as your blog and explain what it is you are doing and why.
The worst thing that can happen in this situation is your followers drop off because they are confused about what is happening. So it is vital that you keep them well informed throughout the process.
Rebranding your blog can be complicated, yet rewarding. But, if the thought of doing this makes you nervous, get in touch with Colewood today to see how we can help you.
