Rebranding is not something that every company needs to worry about, but for some businesses and organizations, it is. Perhaps you are hoping to shorten the name of your brand to fewer words, letters, or even create an acronym, or maybe your services altogether have shifted and you’d like to incorporate this is your company’s title. Whatever the case may be, we know that establishing this new name across all of your marketing material is important, as well as updating any online presence and of course your website itself. Prioritizing rebranding tasks is certainly essential, but be sure not to leave your social media on the backburner for long. Starting early with rebranding across each social network is a sure way to help keep this entire process a bit less stressful.
There are various reasons as to why you should start these efforts early, especially because you will often find that you need assistance and approval from those who work internally for these social media networks. If you are attempting to alter your brand name on Facebook, for instance, you will typically find that you need to apply for a rebrand request. Submissions include requesting a new Facebook page name and a vanity URL change, and you should have proper documentation this official branding change and proof of legal trademark. These requests could take anywhere from days to weeks to be processed and approved, so the earlier this is completed, the better.
The steps you must take to successfully rebrand will vary across each network, as there are distinct features that set each apart. While a page name and vanity URL may be important for Facebook, this may not be true elsewhere such as on Twitter, where your company handle is what is key. Rebranding on this particular network would require you to secure your new handle, which you must hope is available and not yet obtained by someone else. You cannot pay for a handle name on Twitter, so if you do find yourself in a situation where your new brand name is already taken, you can attempt to negotiate with this person/establishment.
By touching on only Facebook and Twitter, we can already see that the rebranding process differs for each specific social media platform that your business is established on. Giving your company enough time to alter each account is crucial in order to keep your rebranding consistent. If you are a larger, well-known company across these networks, this process is even more important to your brand; you want a smooth and easily acknowledged transition for your followers. You may also need to alter the appearance of each of these profiles, so take this into consideration as well should you need to work with a graphic designer on a new logo, icon, etc. Since social media management is a significant contributor to the overall success of your brand’s online presence; be sure that you have taken the appropriate actions for each of these networks and confirm that all profiles are consistent and ready to go for the launch of your updated brand name.