Reinvention Rocks! Successful Tales of Blogger Rebrands {+Tips!}

Oh how I love a good rebrand.

To me, it signifies, evolution, adventure, daring, and another step closer to self-actualization. I’m sure this has to do with my positive worldview, because I realize that, to some, a rebrand signals just the opposite: confusion, indecision, and a lack of true identity.  And I suppose in some cases, that could be true, but when done deliberately and with a lot of thought, I think a rebrand can be freeing.

I went through this myself after having been in the blogging space for 4 years.  In 2010, I decided to branch out and start a blog where I could share my passion for food and social media: FOODe.  It was both exciting and uncomfortable at the same time.  What would people think? Would I hurt feelings? Would I appear scatterbrained? Sure, I could have written about food and social media on Mamalaw, but it just didn’t feel right, since (a) that was a group blog; and (b) it was focused almost entirely on parenting and work-life balance.  And so, I ventured out.

It proved the beginning of a fun new chapter in my blog life – I quickly found my groove and became an ambassador for ConAgra Foods and Ready, Set, Eat.  Soon after, I started writing on the business of social media on Babble’s MomCrunch and then became an Advisor for the Media Bistro Social Media Marketing Bootcamp.  I attribute those opportunities, in part, to being able to showcase those passions on FOODe.

Then, early last year, I decided that it was time to refocus…again.  I was starting to learn more about who I was at my core, and what my life values were.  I wanted to write about more than food and social media and parenting – I wanted to write about all the various ways in which I celebrate life. And, so Life IS the Party was born.  I feel so good about this rebrand.  It’s 100% all of me, from the topics I cover to the taglines I live by: “celebrate the everyday” and “events and inspiration for living richly.”

Of course, I had my trepidations about losing readers and traffic and appearing unfocused, but, because blogging is a creative pursuit for me, I was more concerned about staying true to myself and sharing in an authentic way.  I should note that, all the while, my social media profiles have been linked to my “Justice Fergie” name, so I didn’t need to worry about changing fanpages and such (too much).  It seems, those who want to follow me, don’t really mind what I’m writing about. They are friends along for the ride.

Recently, I’ve come across several other bloggers who have taken the gutsy plunge of a rebrand and I’m just so happy to see them…happy:

NY City Mama —-> Girl Gone Travel

Carol Cain, known since she began blogging as NY City Mama, recently became Girl Gone Travel.  Read about her journey to make this change here.

Prissy Mommy —-> Reality TV Fashion

Yakini, formerly known as Prissy Mommy, is now blogging her love for fashion and reality TV.

From where I sit, both Carol and Yakini have found their groove, comfortable and joyful in their new blog skins.

And? If you’re thinking of undergoing a rebrand yourself…

Tips for Rebranding Your Blog

1. Don’t Be Afraid.  It sounds so much worse than it really is.  Plus, the feeling of being at peace with your new, true brand will outweigh the concerns you had at the outset.  Also, so many social networks allow you to change your name without losing your followers – a big bonus that didn’t exist a year or two ago.

2. Take Your Readers With You. Make them a part of the process, even, if you can.  Share with them what you’re thinking as your interests evolve so that the transition is a natural one and one they will come to expect and embrace.  I also love Carol’s approach to creating a video just for her blog readers, to explain the transition.  I discovered that Starbucks and Comedy Central actually did the same thing.

3. Stay In One Place If You Can.  SEO makes the Internet go ’round these days.  If you have a blog that’s been around for some time and that has garnered decent placement in search engines, then it might be in your best interest to stick with the same URL and maintain the same keywords, if traffic is important to you.

4. Be Strategic.  Come up with a timeline, a plan for transitioning your content and/or your readers {for example, I merged all of my FOODe content into my Life IS the Party site, with appropriate labels, via a WordPress to WordPress export/import}, and most importantly: be clear on why you are rebranding.  Finally, be clear in your profiles so that people know your previous brand and can follow your evolution.

Here’s to reinvention!