How To Rebrand Your Blog

Sharing my thoughts on why you should rebrand your blog got me thinking that I should share how to actually do that. My rebranding process actually took around six months ... it took a lot of thinking and planning because I wanted to make sure that the final result would be perfect.

Rebranding is super easy, but it definitely shouldn't be an overnight thing; or a one-week thing, for that matter. It's a huge step up in the blogging game, but you want to make sure it's all done right!


o n e || come up with a name & check availability
Part of the reason why it took me so long to finally rebrand is I wanted to really love whatever new name I chose. I bounced back and forth between different names until I discovered that I really loved Lilly & Lemons. Make sure you choose a name that describes you and will continue to describe you as life goes on; I know I won't stop loving Lilly Pulitzer and lemons, so that's how I knew this name was right for me! I not only chose this name because I love it and it describes me but because it was available! I could use it for a domain name, and it was available to use as a handle on social media. Having the same name on social media instead of varied ones (I had psprepster on Twitter before and privateschoolprepster on Instagram) was something I really wanted, and I was happy that it could be lillyandlemons all around!

t w o || find a designer
At first I wanted to design my own layout to save money. I messed around on a sample blog for about six hours straight one day ... it was crazy. I liked how it came out for the most part, but there were a few features on the blog that I just couldn't seem to perfect/figure out no matter how hard I tried. More importantly, I didn't totally love my design. I didn't totally love my design for Private School Prepster either, which really made me realize that you should definitely love something before making it official. I decided that hiring a designer would be the best way to go. After searching through Etsy, I found Maru and could not have been happier! Having your blog professionally designed is the best way to go because it looks clean, professional, and impressive.

t h r e e || purchase the domain name
I've been blogging for almost three years, and I didn't get my first domain name until Private School Prepster made the switch to Lilly & Lemons. Buying a domain name at the same time that you start rebranding your blog is a good idea because then your readers can become familiar with both a new web address and a new name all at once. I don't know much about other web hosting, but I used Google Domains just because I love Google and use Blogger -- it's super easy to use!

f o u r || make a new email & social media
I never had a specific email for Private School Prepster; I just used my personal email that I had made years ago. I knew I wanted to get a separate blog email once I rebranded, and I'm so happy I did! It's much more organized and it looks so professional. (Want to know how to make your own email address using your domain name? Read how to do so HERE!) The good thing about social media is it usually lets you change your handle/username. Make sure to change your handle to your new blog name; it's always a good idea to keep things consistent!

f i v e || share the changes
I was really worried that when I rebranded, I would lose a lot of my followers and readers. I made sure to post it all over social media, and I made a post about it on Private School Prepster. And I was thrilled when I installed my domain name because I chose a setting so that when people typed in privateschoolprepster.blogspot.com, it redirected to www.lillyandlemons.com! How cool is that?! It guarantees that anyone who manually typed in my blog address would still be brought to my blog.

Still have questions about rebranding? Email me -- ashley@lillyandlemons.com

23 comments:

  1. These are great tips! I have been meaning to create a new email with my domain.

    Mikayla | A Seersucker State of Mind.

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  2. I am new to the blogging world, but these are fab tips for when I get a little more established! Thank you for sharing!!

    Nicole // Chronicles of Home

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  4. Great tips! I've had a thought every once in a while about rebranding, but I'm still pretty happy with where I am at now, so we'll see how that goes! Thanks for sharing!
    xx, Mikkaela

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  5. Great tips! I've been working on a rebrand throughout the past few months, and it's been a lot of trial and error. This post was very encouraging!

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  6. Great tips!
    I definitely got my own domain a few months ago and have already reaped the benefits from making the switch.
    Next on my list is getting a completely new design.

    xoxo, Jenny ||Breakfast at Lillys

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  7. I love this list! I haven't been blogging for too long, but will definitely keep these in mind if I ever decide to rebrand. Thanks for sharing your experience!

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  8. These are great tips! I am trying to rebrand my blog and it gets overwhelming!

    Carley @ preppylane.blogspot.com

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  9. All the steps you listed are so important for rebranding. I've never rebranded my blog and hope not to (just because it seems like so much work) but your advice seems totally spot on!

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  10. These are great tips! I rebranded in February and it's a big process- it took me two months to prepare. :-)

    xoxo A
    www.southernbelleintraining.com

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  11. It's such a scary idea, like starting from ground zero. Thanks for the tips, though, in case I could use it in the future :)

    If you have a sec, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my latest :)

    xo,
    Abby of Life in the Fash Lane

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  12. I went though the entire rebranding process this year. Finding a designer you communicate well with and trust is so important.

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  13. Great post! I'm talking about this at an upcoming seminar in Miami!
    Lauren
    The Fashionista's Diary

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  14. Great tips! I'm a newbie blogger, but down the line these will be most helpful.

    xoxo Alexis @
    alexis-reliford.com

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  15. These are great tips! I'm also looking for re-branding my blog and found these tips really helpful!

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  16. Finding the right designer is huge!

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  17. I rebranded a year ago and it helped my blog immensely! I also recommend a good developer who can reroute your URL and make sure you don't have broken page links!

    xo, Alicia | Alicia Tenise

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  18. This is really great! I'm considering doing a partial rebrand (just to have my own logo and redesign my website) and these tips were super helpful! Thank you!

    Kayla | kaylablogs.com

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  19. These are really good tips! I love the way that you rebranded your own blog. It looks great!

    XOXO
    Marie H.
    Progression By Design

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  20. Good tips! But branding is SO deep...I don't know how much of real world branding really applies to blogs that are more of a lifestyle nature, etc., but the best brands who re-brand go so far as altering the tone or voice of communications to ensure everything is this perfectly streamlined and uniformed entity. I nerd out way too much over this stuff since it's my passion and job, but oy, I love branding. hahaha
    Awesome tips though!

    Coming Up Roses

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  21. These are amazing tips, Ashley! I love the way that your re-brand turned out, and I think that this is an amazing resource for anyone looking to re-brand their blog.

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass

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  22. I've been contemplating re-branding, so this post is really helpful. Thanks for sharing all of your steps with us!

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  23. I've been thinking about rebranding for so long. I just keep thinking about the daunting task of it and I keep changing my mind! Thanks for the help with this post!

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