Q&A with Barb and Debriefing the Branding Journey

About the episode:

Last week was our capstone episode where Barb and I wrapped up her branding project on the podcast. This week, which was two weeks after I gave her all the branding files, we had a chance to sit down and discuss how implementing the brand has been going, such as in her website and Canva. Barb shares openly with things that she found helpful and things that she had to work through. We discuss the feeling of credibility and authority that comes with a new brand. The episode concludes with answering 3 questions on the rebranding process, including duration of a rebrand, the nervousness in sharing the rebrand journey, and the decision to hire out for branding. And Barb shares her thoughts on when you should outsource this.

Takeaways:

Implementing branding into a website and Canva can be done in a few hours or a day, depending on the complexity of the project.
Creating a checklist and prioritizing tasks can help streamline the implementation process.
Using theme customization and CSS can make it easier to update colors, fonts, and navigation across a website.
Templates in Canva can save time and provide a consistent look and feel for graphics.
A new brand can give a business more credibility and authority.
The duration of a rebranding process can vary depending on the scope of the project.
Sharing the rebrand journey openly can provide valuable insights for others considering a rebrand.
Hiring a professional for branding can save time and ensure a custom and professional look for a business.

RuthAnn Rafiq
Welcome back to Rebrand with Ruthann. I'm so excited you all are here. Thank you for joining us. Thank you so much for joining us on our client journey series. This was a four week journey where I walked my client through the Artisan Branding Experience, which is one of my branding services. And it was so fun to walk through this with Barb. And today, Barb and I are on the call and we're gonna be doing a debrief talking about how it was implementing all the branding into her website, how she's using it in Canva and we have some Q &A questions we're gonna answer at the end. So Barb, welcome back to the show.
Barb
Thank you, thank you. Excited to share with you how it went.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Yes, so the last that people listened was I handed off all of your final files in that brand file presentation and that was kind of where we ended things was, you know, I gave you all the files and then so I would love to hear and I'm sure everyone would love to hear what did you do since then and how was it implementing everything into your website, Canva, etc.
Barb
First of all, I freaked out because I was like, oh crap, this is a lot to implement, but it was all good stuff. And then I realized, oh, it's not that bad. So I set a time specifically to aside a whole day, even though I knew I didn't need necessarily a whole day, but a whole day to say, okay, this is what I'm going to spend my time on because it's important. I mean, I paid for the service, I got it, it's great. Like this is exactly what I wanted. And so I wanted to take the time to actually implement it properly across my website, across my socials.
RuthAnn Rafiq
I'm
Barb
Across my newsletter. I still have some stuff like my podcast to do and update, but like most of my stuff is done. So yeah, that's where it all started. I just sat down and started working on it.
RuthAnn Rafiq
And I think that's the most important thing. Excuse me. I do think that's the most important thing when you are implementing stuff. Whenever anyone thinks about updating their website or updating something, it can feel like, oh my gosh, this is gonna take forever. When actually it might take like a few hours, a half day, a full day, you know, it just, putting it in realistic.
like a realistic timeframe can be really useful because then you actually get the thing done. So how long did it actually take you to put everything into your site, go through Canva, all that kind of thing.
Barb
For all of the main core stuff, it took less than four hours, which was significantly less time than I thought it was gonna take me, so that was good. I still, of course, have some tweaking to do and just some thinking on some things, but I feel very good about, like, it's not half and half right now. I feel like mostly it's done, which is good.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Yes, and hopefully it was just that simple plug and play like this goes here. This is the color for here. This is, you know, the fonts for here. So hopefully it was pretty simple like you didn't have to figure anything out when you were putting anything in.
Barb
True. So what I ended up doing was I created a checklist for myself because of my website and my channels and all the things I knew I wanted to address. So I just went through and put them in priority order as well. I'm kind of anal about that kind of stuff, so I put it in priority order so I didn't have to think about it. So if I did take a break, I could come back and pick it up right away, not procrastinate. There's all those little side things that I had to make sure. So I kept going with the project even if I got tired because I wasn't sure. Got off on a little tangent there, but...
That's okay. So basically it was pretty easy. I ended up pulling up first the big brand guide that you gave me and took a look through it so I could just re -familiarize myself with it. And then I went through and first went into my... So I was doing it all myself and I know a lot of people don't necessarily do that and you also have a service where you do it for them. So this might not apply to that. But for me, what I did is I went into my theme customization and there's a lot of stuff that my developer had set up where I could just change colors in one spot.
And it would change across the entire website. So that was super easy. Where that didn't play out was when I went rogue on my own and started creating stuff. So I had to go change those specifically, but then I set it up so that I wouldn't have to do that again. And then the fonts, I just changed it again. It's in the CSS area. And so you can just change it once and it changes across the entire website, which is super helpful. Same with any of the navigation. Like it's all set up in there for that. The other thing was canva. So I set some time aside and you gave me some templates to start with. So that was so helpful because that was one of the pieces that I was able to give you that I said, Hey, this is something I'd like to work on. Cause you gave that option to me of like, what pieces do you want to work on? And so I took those and I actually made a copy and started doing some tweaking for myself for like my specific content that I set out. So that was super, I mean, it just takes a such a weight off of trying to figure out like when I started doing the content then last week, it was so much easier to have a plan and I didn't have to rethink about the creative, which is essentially why I wanted to do this as well. I kept rethinking about everything and recreating the wheel every time and I didn't have to do that this time. So this saved me a ton of content creation time to be frank, like yay. Yeah.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Yes, 100%. Yes. And, sorry, I'm getting over something. And that is what I hear from my clients is like, when they would be in Canva, they would have to, they would feel like they were starting over every single time. It's like, okay, what do we use today? Like it was just a surprise every single time. But now you have a roadmap, you have a guide and you have templates, which is so incredibly useful. So I'm so glad that has saved you so much time because that was a huge goal of yours for sure.
Barb
Mm -hmm.
RuthAnn Rafiq
I love that. And so how do you feel creating new graphics like in, in Canva? So you have the templates to start with, but do you feel confident in making other graphics?
Barb
I do because I have those to go from. So if I find something else that I like that could be tweaked from a template, I feel better about it now because I have certain colors, I have certain layouts from the existing templates, I have certain fonts I have that to go from. So if I... It won't look like everybody else's. I think that was part of the issue too is those templates in the Canva. Like they started looking the same, but yeah.
Heheheheh
RuthAnn Rafiq
Yeah, well I'm glad yours are set apart. Is that what you're saying? Like yours look different than other people's. Okay, good. Well I definitely think your color palette has something to do with that because your color palette is so bright and exciting and definitely gets people's attention, which I love. So anything else you wanna add about like how do you feel moving forward maybe like going through.
Barb
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
RuthAnn Rafiq
And just going on to more goals and doing other things in your business, how do you feel moving forward with your new brand?
Barb
I feel like it has more credibility, frankly, now. It's not like it wasn't credible before, but I think having the brand and having a unique look and having a consistent, what is it, across the board look, it makes it give it, makes it give it, it gives it more credibility, it gives it more authority. It looks real. It looks like I've taken the time. It's kind of like branding photos, too. Like if you take the time with your brand, your...
RuthAnn Rafiq
Mm.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Yeah.
Barb
the visual aspect of it, then it shows that you put time into your business and that you care about it because that also then extends to the fact that you care about your clients, which I totally care about my clients, right? So, yeah.
RuthAnn Rafiq
I do think that's such a good point. And I feel that way too, when people put time and energy and effort into their online presence and they really look professional. I'm like, oh wow, you really like are, you know, an expert and you also care about your client experience, your client journey, because me going through your website and clicking on everything, you know, you thought about me and you thought about what I would be looking for. So I do think that when I'm on someone's website that is incredibly done. And yeah, I'm so glad. I'm so glad. So let's hop into our questions. We just have a few and then I think we'll wrap up. So that's, yeah, I'm so excited that you feel so confident in your brand and you're excited to move on to the next step. And you just feel like that authority like you were before we were together, you know, you've always been that authority, you know exactly what you're talking about, and you really help your clients so much with SEO and getting found on Google. So now this visual representation is just solidifying what you already do and showing people of really, yeah, like you own your expertise in this space, so I'm so glad. Okay, so first question.
How long does it take to do a rebrand? So for us, we did the visual branding portion, which is my artisan branding service. And this is just the visuals of it. So this is your brand strategy. We started off with brand strategy. We did the logo suite, color palette, typography, brand style guide, and that is like your roadmap for your visual brand. And so for that, that took us four weeks from, and if you go back and listen to each episode,
It was like a month long process and that's pretty typical. If we had more revisions, I would say it would take longer. So sometimes people use up all the revisions that are allotted. And in that case, sometimes it does go into like a five to six week timeframe for the visual brand. But for us, it took four weeks, which was fantastic. And so that's what I would say with the visual branding, but if you are also doing the website, the website portion does add a lot of time to a project. So it's double, if not more than that, depending on how big your website is. If you're going through a rebrand and you have a website already and you're wanting to upgrade your website, we would do all the URL redirects, we would create new pages, it's a long process. So depending on how big website is that process for just the website alone could be six to 12 weeks. So it can be definitely like a three to four month situation going through a full rebrand depending on how many pieces you have and that kind of thing. That's what I would answer for that. Did you want to add anything?
Barb
No, I think that's spot on. And I think that sometimes, at least for me, I was a little, like it was difficult in the beginning because I thought, oh crap, how much time of this is this going to take? Because I don't have a lot of time to spend on it, nor do I want to, right? I want to spend time on my work and my clients, but it was, I mean, so different than I had expected. And I think that's some of the thing I need to stop doing when I hire out for things like this.
Stop putting expectations on it, right? Like I don't know how long it's gonna take. And it was so easy, like you hit it spot on every time. So I had very little revisions, which that saved a ton of time by itself.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Good, yes, and I think whenever you do work with a service provider, it can feel like if they're not upfront with the timeline, it can feel like, oh, I don't know how long this is gonna take, how long is this gonna take? You might have a lot of questions, but I feel like in my process, I really try to be upfront with the timeline. This week we're doing this, this week we're doing this, this is how long it should take depending on revisions and stuff. So I'm glad you felt like it was more easy than you thought it would be. So that's good. Okay, so the next question, were you nervous to share your rebrand journey so openly on the podcast? And this is for you, Barb. So what do you think?
Barb
I was a little nervous just because it's like you're talking about a project, you don't know how it's going to go, you don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, that kind of thing. But I think it's super, I keep using the word super all the time, but it is really helpful, I think, especially as business owners when we can see how other people are going through it so that they can feel better about going through the service or knowing that someone else is going through it or what to expect because they do want to try it and they don't they can see all the marketing materials from a small business owner like whatever you're putting out whatever I'm putting out but if they don't get the actual what's happening then it makes it or when they get the actual what's happening it makes it so much easier to feel comfortable to know that that's the right choice for them.
RuthAnn Rafiq
so well said and I would like to add that I was a little nervous as well, like sharing the whole journey on the podcast, because I had never done this before. And I mean, obviously this is a service that I provide all the time, but you know, being like recording my loom videos, you know, putting the loom videos on the podcast and like how we talk through everything. It was kind of like, oh, I hope this goes okay. But I loved it.
Like you said, that we were able to show the process and this is how it works. And I know I absolutely love listening to podcasts where it's like live coaching and stuff because it does give you a real sense of what it's like to work with this person, to go through this process, to, you know, if it's live coaching, like how to shift your mindset and stuff. So I personally love podcast episodes like that. So I really hope this was entertaining for people, but also insightful to like how this could work if you're interested in going through the process yourself. So I love that. Yeah, so we were both a little nervous, but it all worked out just fine. And so the last question is, why did you choose to hire out when you could just get a template for your branding? And this is for you, Barb.
Barb
Can I tell you, I went back and forth on this so much. It must have taken me, how long before I actually pulled the button, Ruthanne? I mean, it took me a while to actually.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Oh, Barb, I've had people come back three years later and be like, okay, I'm ready to work with you.
Barb
Oh, now I don't feel so bad. But I was using templates or trying to use templates for quite some time. I even purchased templates and they were great. I don't have anything against them. However, for me, it was causing me pain because I still felt like I was doing what everybody else was doing. I also felt like I didn't quite capture what I needed to because I kept changing it all the time and recreating it. So by me hiring you to do this for me,
It saved me, I don't know how much content creation time, first of all, but also I don't know how you can even put a price to the idea of credibility and authority when you get your brand there. So I would much rather spend time on working with my clients, working with my content and thinking of new ideas and things like that, than to work on something that's not necessarily my expertise, which is yours.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Yes, and I think there is a time and place for templates when you're starting your business out, when you are, you know, have a tight budget to work in. I feel like templates are incredibly useful and valuable, but I think when you get to a certain point in your business, like yourself, you've been in business for multiple years, you know exactly what you're doing. You have a group program, you have things you're coming out with, you just launched a podcast-you're establishing yourself as a business owner. And I feel like in this instance, this is one of those, this is a time in your business where you want that expertise and help to get custom professional looking visuals for your business. And so I think there is a time and place for templates. And you're just at the point where you're a little bit beyond that and you are establishing credibility and authority and you are an expert in your industry. So I think this was the perfect time for you to go through this. But I love that you were so honest with like, oh, I went back and forth and I did buy templates. And yeah, I think it comes down to how much time do you want to save? Do you want to just trust someone in the process? I honestly did this with my podcast. When I was launching my podcast, I was like, oh, should I just do this myself? Should I just?
You know, I could figure this all this out and I'm just so glad I hired a podcast team to help me launch it because it was one of those things where I was like, I don't want to spend forever figuring out how to do this and like never get it launched. Let's just hire an expert who does this all the time and she can help me. And so, yeah, I definitely think hiring an expert when the time is right is such a good move in your business.
Barb
Yep, absolutely agree.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Well, as we wrap up, I would love to see if you have any final thoughts, comments. If someone is on the fence and they're thinking about branding their business, but they're not sure if now is the right time or if it's the right point in their business journey, what would you say to them?
Barb
Well, my first one is the one that you probably heard before is if not now, when, right? Like now is like the best time always, because if you keep putting it off, it just puts off the other stuff that snowballs the good things that happen once you do this. So I would say just go for it.
RuthAnn Rafiq
That's such a good way to put it and to say, if not now when yes. And that's when I have clients who reach out and then they go away for a little while and then they come back like a year or two or three later. It's like, what's happened during this time? And a lot of times like nothing has happened and it's just kind of one of those things where it's like, it would be great if you can spend that time really building your business and growing your revenue and making an impact.
Rather than just kind of waiting for, sometimes we wait because it feels more, it feels like we'll be ready later. And I feel like that feeling of readiness is sometimes a myth. It kind of depends on your circumstance. But if you know you are ready to go to the next level, but you're just nervous or scared, I think that's a great indicator that you're probably ready.
Barb
Agreed, yeah.
RuthAnn Rafiq
So good. Barb, again, I can't thank you enough for just being such a willing and wonderful participant on my podcast. And through this rebranding process, I just can't thank you enough. I'm so glad to have had you as a guest, my first rebranding client journey guest on the podcast. So I just thank you so, so much. And I'm so glad everything with your brand is how you want it. And you're excited about the future.
Barb
Yep, thank you for everything. I love it and I would recommend this to anybody.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Thank you so much. I can't, yeah, I really appreciate that. And please go check out Barb's new podcast, which is called, tell me the name of it again.
Barb
Small Business Sweet Spot.
RuthAnn Rafiq
Small Business Sweet Spot. I would love for you to check that out, because that recently launched, and she has amazing content over there. So definitely check that out, and thank you so much for joining us again, and I will talk to you next week.