Your Brand for 2025? 5 Steps to a Powerful Uplevel

About the episode:

Hey friend! Just a quick note – this episode is a replay from last year, right around this time. With the holidays fast approaching, it's the perfect moment to revisit these ideas. Enjoy listening and happy refreshing!

It’s mid-November and this is the time of year when a lot of people are thinking of refreshing their brand and/or website - is this you? You’re not alone! I myself am also going through a little refresh and I’m excited to take you behind the scenes in my own process. In this episode we’re diving into the essential steps for a powerful brand refresh in 2025 - and beyond, how to build trust with your audience through this process, a great easy way to get a refresh and more. As the year draws to a close this is the perfect time to evaluate what’s working and what needs improvement in your brand and website and what steps you can take to make it happen.

Highlights:

3 Questions to ask yourself before you go through a refresh to make sure you get the most out of your efforts
How RuthAnn is going through her own brand refresh and what steps she’s taking
What happens when you have a site that is OK, should you go through a refresh?
How to make a task such as “refreshing your brand or website” become a reality instead of a pesky to-do on your to-do list
Ideas for generating excitement to your website when it launches and how to get your audience involved and excited
How to build trust with your audience through this process

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Rebrand with RuthAnn. I am so excited that you're here and I'm really excited to be chatting with you today about refreshing your brand for 2024, five steps to a powerful up level. This is super timely because as I'm recording this, it is early November, and this is normally the time for a lot of people, not everybody, but a lot of people review what has worked, you know, over the last year, and they're looking ahead to what's going to happen for the next year.
and this is a great time to think about refreshing your brand and website for 2024, or even earlier than this, honestly, like sometimes in October, looking to relaunch in January. But I'm really excited to chat with you today about this because even if you're not refreshing your brand or website this year or this month, if you're looking ahead to 2024, these are still good steps and
practices you can put in place to have a really powerful and effective Refresh so you can up level so I am very excited to chat with you about this
This is very timely because I am also going through a brand refresh and I'm just giving you a little behind the scenes. This is something I'm working on right now and you know it won't be unveiled until January but I'm very excited to make some little tweaks and updates to my website, to my brand and I'm so excited to bring you in along for the ride because I just feel like so many times like things happen behind the scenes and we don't know like what happened.
but I would love to share with you what I'm doing and the steps I'm taking, so hopefully you can do this for yourself whenever the time is right. I talk about the difference between a brand refresh and a rebrand on episode two, so definitely go check that out if you have questions or wanna know what the differences are, but just to give you a quick overview, a brand refresh is kind of like just tweaking some things, giving it a, kind of if you're thinking about it with like...
home renovations, it's kind of like giving a room a new coat of paint. You're just kind of, you know, giving it a little refresh. And a rebrand is kind of, you know, demoing it down to the studs. You are really going back to the foundational pieces and starting from scratch in a lot of ways because with a rebrand, you're going back to your values, your vision, your brand identity.
We're reworking the logo, the color palette. So a lot of things are changing in a rebrand. And for a refresh, it's just a few tweaks here and there, some website updates and redesigns and that kind of thing. So I believe there's quite a big difference between the two. Some people use these words interchangeably, but it kind of depends on who you're chatting with. I just think it is their...
two different things when I'm thinking about it. So today we're gonna talk about the steps to take to have a really effective brand refresh. And so I'm excited to dive in. So number one, ask yourself why are you doing this? I think there's three questions you can kind of work through to see why you're going through a refresh and what needs to happen and kind of like the goals and outcomes you're seeking.
So first question is what's working, second question, what's not working, and third, what needs clarity? So I would love to go over my answers with you and just let you in on a little behind the scenes of what I'm working on and why I'm doing a little refresh of my own. What's working? My positioning is really working. I niche down to rebranding in January.
And I love that I'm one of the first designers to really own this niche. And as far as I know, I don't know of another designer who's really saying that they're a rebranding designer or saying that they specialize in rebranding. And I'm excited that I am able to really own that niche and that I'm just. Yeah, I'm just going for it. And I love it. And I love that it helps sets me. It helps.
set me apart as a designer and it really gives clarity to people who are hearing about me for the first time. Because when you hear rebranding, you think, okay, for a business that's already established, a rebrand is like fixing, going in and redesigning something to someone who's already been established. So I do feel like it's very clear. I feel like it's...
I love that I am owning this space because it really helps me stand.
I love that I am one of the only designers I know who's really owning this phrase. Like I'm a redesigning, sorry, rebranding, hold on.
I really love that I am one of the first designers I know of to really own this phrase that I am a rebranding specialist or a rebranding designer, because it really helps me stand apart. And it really, I think, gives people a lot of clarity to what I do. Like I don't help people who are just getting started online. I help people who are already established rebrand so they can up level. So I feel like it's a really great niche.
I'm really excited that I do attract, I am attracting the people I want to work with. And so I feel like it's, that's really working for me right now is my positioning and I'm just excited to continue that and move forward and just know that, you know, it's going to build on top of each other the more. And just to know that it's going to get better over time as you know, I really own the niche and in the niche for a long time.
the longer you're in something, the more people know about you. So I'm excited that that's working. Number two, what's not working. So I'm thinking about my website, and there's just a lot of things I would love to update, which is why I'm just focusing on doing this refresh for the next couple months so I can launch in January. And for my website, I feel like it's a little
It's fine. If you go to my website right now, I'm sure you're thinking, oh wow, Lila, I wouldn't change anything. But for me, it feels like it could be better, like more engaging. I would love to kind of freshen up some of the designs. There's just a lot of website trends that I would love to include in my website. And a few other things are updating my portfolio, updating my client testimonials. This is something you should do on a regular basis, but I have to admit.
I'm not very good at doing this on a regular basis. I can kind of get behind on inputting my new work into my website, so that's something I really wanna work on. And something else I wanna do for my site is to put my pricing back on my website. I took my pricing off in the beginning of this year, and just knowing what it's been like in the past and what it was like this year, I feel like more people reached out to me when I had my pricing on my website, and I just...
I personally love having the prices on the site because I feel like it gives a lot of transparency and a lot of...it's just showing people this is what it is and it saves people a lot of time. And yeah, I think I just took it off because I was like, oh, I'll put it on later and then I never really got around to it. So that's something I want to do too. So just kind of a lot of odds and ends you can say with my website and I'm excited to get some.
Just real clarity for my visitors who show up on my website. So I'm excited to make those changes and really make something that's already working okay to something working like really well. Number three, what needs clarity? I just mentioned my site. I would love it to get like tightened up with my portfolio. Oh, something I also wanted to mention is like, you know, messaging, like.
making sure your messaging is aligned on all fronts. And that's something I would really love to tighten up. My messaging is already pretty good, but I would love to just tighten it up a little bit and just make sure the copy is on point.
Okay, so number two, number two for the steps to a powerful rebrand, sorry. Okay, so moving on to number two. In the five steps to a powerful up level, number two, who can help you in this process? I will just say for me, I am hiring an amazing photographer in Kansas City to do new brand photos for me. The last time I got photos was almost two years ago, which is...
totally fine and they can still work, but I just feel like a lot has happened in the last two years. I had a baby and I'm just ready to get new photos, so they're really aligned with who I am right now. And even though I look pretty similar, I would love to just have new photos that are refreshed and I feel like photos really helps your brand overall just have a really fun, new, engaging look.
And so I'm really excited to get brand photos and I am getting those done in the next couple of weeks. So I am thrilled. And if you are also thinking about like an up level, I feel like photos is such a great easy way to really give your site and your marketing and your social media, just that little like pop of newness and...
Yeah, I think it's just such a great way to give something a refresh.
I think it's just such a great way to really spruce up, yeah, your marketing, your website, and so I'm really excited about getting the photos. And so for me, yeah, a photographer is helping me in this process. And then of course, I'm gonna be working on my own messaging and my own website stuff. So for me, yeah, the photographer is the main person who is helping me. And when you're doing your own up level, think about who can help you if you're looking for
clarity in your messaging. Maybe it's a copywriter. If you're looking for a website update, maybe it's a designer. And if you're looking for...
Yeah, and if you're looking for new photos, maybe it's a photographer like me. So it's kind of whatever you need in an up level. You know, think about the person who can really help you and reach out to them and make it happen. Number three in the five steps to a powerful up level, mark the date on your calendar for your unveiling. This is important because so many times we have this on our calendar, on our minds, oh, I would love to refresh my website or I would love to.
you know, get a brand refresh. And so many times it will not happen until you put the thing on the calendar. And this goes for a lot of things, you know, who are saying like, oh, I would love to make sure this happens. But if you're, it's kind of like a vacation, like, oh, I would love to go on vacation, and you know, but if you're not putting the date on the calendar, booking the ticket, it's never gonna happen. So the same is true when it comes to refreshing your website, especially if you already have a website and things are, you know, going.
pretty okay, you know, sometimes it can feel like this is not important, but just think of like after you do the refresh, how much better it will be, what a better user experience for your, you know, people who come to your website for your ideal clients. So you just want to think about the end goal and how much better it will be after you do these steps. So yeah, make sure you put the date on the calendar for when you're going to unveil your refresh. When do you want your site updated?
you know, make sure you work backwards from there. For me, I would love to have my refresh done by mid-January. And so I have my photos coming up. My photo shoot is in two weeks. And then, yeah, I'm gonna be working on the site design. I've already been starting on my messaging. So it's just making sure that you plug those times in for when you're gonna work on the thing and make sure that date is on the calendar.
And bring accountability into it too, if you wanna tell your business bestie or if you wanna share it with your audience. I mean, that's definitely a way to do some accountability. It's like, oh, I'm coming out with a brand refresh on January 15th and then really make sure that happens because you've already told everyone. So having that accountability could be helpful as well if you are wanting to really make sure that it happens.
And I also want to mention if you are hiring a designer or working with a copywriter or you're bringing someone else in the process, make sure that appointment is booked and that it's there in a timely fashion because for some designers and copywriters and even photographers they can be booked months out. And this actually happened with a photographer I reached out to. I think I reached back out in October and I took a few minutes to get back to her, well like a few weeks.
and she was already booked for the next two months. And so anyway, we got it to work out where I'm going to have my photos done in a couple of weeks. But some people can be booked out pretty far in advance. So make sure you reach out to those people and make sure you get that on the calendar. So it's in line with when you wanna launch.
Number four in the five steps to a powerful up level, let your audience in on some behind the scenes. I think this is so important if you have an audience and you're wanting to nurture them and you're wanting to potentially have them become clients, you really want to let them in on the process and not, you know, you really wanna let them in on the process.
and make them feel a part of what you're doing. And I think this is just such a great way to bring your audience in on it and feel like they are a part of it. And I did this when I launched my podcast. I told my email audience and I was very excited to share with them that I was gonna do the podcast even before I hired my podcast manager and all of that stuff. And for me, that was accountability, but also sharing what I was working on and something I was excited about.
And I think this is great anytime that you are, I mean, obviously I would say not any time that you're doing anything, but if you are 100% sure you're going for something, and if you're wanting to bring them in on the process, I think it's a great way to build that trust, let them in behind the scenes, you're building that relationship. So I think it's a great idea to do so they can.
Be excited also for when your new brand or website launches.
I just think it's always important to engage your audience with what's going on so they can feel like they're a part of the process. And then when the launch comes up, they can feel like, oh wow, I remember when she was working on that, and they can feel like they're in on it. So I think it's an important step, so don't forget to do that. And the last step to a powerful up level is to unveil your updated brand new website, of course. And...
This is a great way to get people excited and to just let people in on what you've been working on. And I think something that you can do to get people interested and involved is to do a giveaway or some reason to get people to your website to check it out, share it on their social media. I think this is a great way, again, to get your audience involved and to just get people to your site.
And I think that's one of the main things, is like the reason we're doing this is so more people can go to our site, see what we're all about, see what services we offer, so they can book with us. And so anytime you can draw attention to your website is a good thing. And especially when you have a refresh, a lot of people wanna see, I know I do, when people send me an email of like, oh, I updated my brand or website, go check it out. I'm like, absolutely, I wanna go see what you're working on and what it looks like. And so I think it's just such a great way to bring people in on what you have going on. And you can do a giveaway or a drawing or something to get people excited to share and a little bit motivated to share. You don't have to do that, but it's always a great idea to just be generous and invite people to share about what you're doing because...
We all have a lot going on and sometimes we need that extra motivation to share about something.
I hope this was helpful to you as you were thinking about upleveling your brand or website either for 2024 or beyond whenever you're listening to this. Let me review the steps one more time. Number one, why are you doing this? Ask yourself some important key questions. Number two, who can help you in this process? Number three, mark the date on your calendar for your unveiling.
Number four, let your audience in on some behind the scenes. And number five, unveil your updated brand or website. I hope this was helpful. I hope this was encouraging, you know, just so you can know that, you know, you're not the only one who's thinking about this. I'm also thinking about this and I'm excited to let you in on my process. And I will definitely keep you posted with updates on how everything's going and hopefully share some behind the scenes on social media after I get my photo shoot and stuff. So.
Definitely follow along and reach out to me if this was helpful or encouraging. And let me know if you are wanting to do your own brand or website refresh, I would love to hear from you. You can DM me over on Instagram at @r_artspace. And yeah, I would love to chat with you and see kind of, you know, what your goals are for the next year and how you're gonna make those happen. If you are loving the podcast, I would love to invite you to rate and review the show.
Thank you so much for listening today. If you are loving the show, I would love to invite you to rate and review the podcast. It really helps me. And if you're feeling doubly generous, I would love for you to share it with a friend. And especially if you know someone who's wanting to refresh their brand or website for 2024, I think this would be a great episode to share with them. So thank you so much for doing that. Thank you for being here. And I will chat with you next week.