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Happy Tuesday, everyone.

I know that things have been a litter quieter around here than usual, but it’s only because I’ve been pouring my all into the rebranded blog. I’m so incredibly happy about how the project is coming along, and finally have a set launch date and details that I will be sharing soon. It was really important to me that I take my time with this project, and let things happen organically so that they felt right.

Today, I wanted to share some insights that this second rebranding process has taught me. When I rebranded the first time to bring And Yes To Joy come to life, there were definitely times I struggled. And to be fully honest, the launch was rushed and it took me a while to get past some of the smaller details that I had overlooked. I’m having a much easier time this time around!

I’ve also noticed that I am not the only blogger rebranding! I’ve taken a few surveys and seen lots of posts and comments about tons of creatives making changes to put their most authentic foot forward online –how exciting for us all!

So, if you’re in the process of or considering a rebrand, here are five tried and true tips to make the process go much smoother.

1. Make and upkeep your to-do lists.

I have a few to-do list that I reference when working on the new blog, but most of my efforts are concentrated into one master list. I break everything that needs my attention into set categories: graphics, content, plugins, technical, ect. Keeping everything in categories helps me stay on track and ensure that I don’t miss or overlook something.

2. Set aside blocks of time to work.

I woke up this Sunday ready to work, and I knew I just needed to decide on a space that would give me time and an area to knock things out. I headed into the city, stepped into a small cafe and got busy. I spent about five hours there, solely working on the rebrand. It was so awesome and extremely productive, mainly because there were no interruptions!

3. Before you work, revisit your goals.

While you’re rebranding, you will find yourself feeling more creative and inspired than ever before. Sometimes, you get so excited about making and doing that you start to stray from the initial tasks you set out to finish. Now, if you’re working on your project and realize that you may need to shift direction, that’s totally okay. However, if you realize that what your end result is becoming isn’t what you set out to portray, you may need to revisit your branding goals and refocus.

4. Be as hyper-organized as possible.

Creating your new brand is one thing, but sifting through all of the elements of your old brand that you’re moving into your new space (images, posts, content) can get a little messy. I create folders on my computer for every element of the new brand, so that I don’t have to save it amongst AYTJ stuff. It’s helpful when you know what is saved where, and will make the entire process go much faster.

5. Set (realistic) guidelines and timelines.

I wanted to take my time in launching this project, but still I decided that July 1 would be the official launch date. That’s exactly one week from today (are you pumped?!) So, in order to make this launch happen on time, I had to set guidelines and checkpoints as to when certain things had to be done. Thanks to the to-do list I mentioned above, I’ve been pretty on track and next Tuesday should be sweet.

To anyone else in the middle of a rebrand, what tips do you have to make things run smoothly? I can’t wait to share everything I’ve been working on with you all! Look out for another post here this week on what to expect on the new blog!

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11 Comments

  1. These tips are great! My only extra tip would be if you find yourself not liking what you’ve created, don’t force yourself to keep going. I know I’ve run into a wall in the past, and it’s better to just step away and start again or do major tweaks than to force something that you’re not 100% happy with!

  2. I love your third point. When you are putting so much effort into rebranding, it’s such a good time to revisit your blog’s goals and intentions. Use this opportunity to make a more cohesive brand story, and to be sure that your brand is representing exactly what you want it to. Can’t wait to for July 1st!

  3. I love this! I do small rebrands like all the time because I can’t commit and my biggest problem is that I always rush myself! And then I get to the end and realize I’m not satisfied. So while I’m so excited to see your rebrand, I totally get that it may be awhile. 🙂

  4. All excellent points! One of the things I’ve been focusing on too is what I want to keep from my current blog and what new things I want to introduce. One of the things you did and that I did that was a great idea, was the survey. Getting input from your readers that can be integrated into your step three is crucial. And, I think that the new brand should show your growth and bring something new to the table, because when we rebrand it’s because we’ve outgrown the previous space right? I’m excited to see your new site on July 1st!

  5. Yes! I agree with all of these! Keeping a to-do list just for rebranding helps me a ton too! You never know how much you have to get done (and dont want to forget) until its all sitting in front of you!

  6. Great post! I will definitely keep these things in mind. I think a lot of these points you made could be applicable to just keeping up with current branding too. I need to get better about setting deadlines + being super organized with how I save my files. Always room to improve!

  7. Yes yes and more yes. I’ve been working on all of this lately and the fact that you wrote about it makes me feel like I’m doing something right, lol. Just trying to find common ground between being realistic yet being consistent and always striving towards achieving goals.

  8. these are really great tips. some tips I’m going to use and re-visit while I’m still rebranding I did go ahead an launch with the intended date in mind. something I think I should have not done but it is a learning process. Can’t wait for your new blog and the content that awaits.

  9. Fantastic points! I have a feeling I’m rushing myself because I just want it all to be over and the way I finally want it, but then I’ll make mistakes, so best I take my time and do it right the first time. Such good reminders. + The filing. Ack, filing! Has anyone found the perfect system for this yet? (Or a system where we don’t do anything and can find it all perfectly? That’s what I really mean.)