5 Reasons Why I Rebranded, And Tips on How You Can Too

The big reveal! Are you shocked? Happy? Confused? I guess I wouldn’t blame you if you’re slightly baffled by this change, but believe me, it’s been in the pipelines for a while now! That’s so Gemma V2.0 is now live, and I’m writing this post to help you understand why I’ve rebranded, and how you can too if you’re an owner to a blog or website that you fancy sprucing. I want to firstly begin by saying that I am extremely proud and happy of this transformation, but I mostly hope that you are too! Another point that I want to URGE before rambling on; I am still the same person, writing the same content, at the same domain. This transformation by no means means that I am changing what I do, how I write or what content I share… It’s still me y’all!

Over the past few weeks (months?) I have slowly been planning a rebrand for That’s so Gemma and I’ll make my reasons for this crystal clear below! It’s been something that I have thoroughly concentrated on to ensure it’s exactly what I want and purely ME. In amidst my photoshoot schedule as a stylist I have been working hard to pull all of the plans together, hence the sudden lack of actual posting (sorry!). I hope you have enjoyed my subtle hints on social media over the past couple of weeks though!

So, I’m going to share with you my 5 reasons for the big change, and give you some tips and tricks along the way if you’re feeling in a similar situation that I previously was, and keen to know how you can rebrand.

So, here goes…

Ok. The only simple way that I can explain this in terms that you may understand is that I just fancied a ‘new look’. Do you ever get those times when your standing in front of a mirror, looking at your reflection thinking ‘I really fancy having a different haircut. Maybe I should try wearing a bold lipstick for a change. I’m bored with how I look so I’m gonna try something new’…? Well, in rebranding terms, I felt exactly that. The kind of drastic change that doesn’t cause too much upheaval (like hey, I may get a new haircut but hell-no am I dying my hair to a new colour because that’s  a step too far). I felt like I was bored with my old look and just wanted a change. That’s so Gemma has just turned two years old, so I wanted to celebrate this occasion and tie it all in with a new image. Over the past two years That’s so Gemma has progressed far more than I could have ever expected and I want to keep an image that reflects exactly me, and exactly who I am. And this is the outcome, do you likey?

Are you feeling the same?

• Do no rush in to rebranding! Analyse every aspect of your brand/company and figure out why you feel this way.
• Write down ideas and goals of what you want your ideal website/blog to look like (blog goals!).
• Assess the current situation of your brand and weigh-up pro’s and cons to see if rebranding will really benefit you and your followers.
• Take your sweet sweet time at getting it exactly how you want.

I often wondered what people would think as a newcomer to my blog. With a name ‘That’s so Gemma’ it’s not hard to figure out that it’s pretty much anything that floats my boat as one individual, but I wanted to add an instant impact of ‘this is me, this is what I do, and this is what I like’. Last year I made a fantastic purchase on the No Bull Blog School blogging lessons from Sarah Akwisombe and it was the best investment I’ve ever made (I highly recommend). One of the lessons was purely about finding your niche, then clearly putting it out to the world  showing what your website/blog is about. As you all know, I’m a lover of interiors and handmade crafts. I’m also an interior stylist and set dresser by profession, so I needed to find a theme to tie everything all together and make it very clear to newcomers exactly what my blog is about.

Is it clear what you’re all about?

• Research other companies/brands in a similar field to your own and check how ‘obvious’ their niche is
• If you already know your niche, assess whether or not your brand currently reflects that (does it scream ‘you’?)
• What makes you happy? What are your interests/goals? Does your online platform share this with the world?

A dramatic title I know (it’s not that scary, honest) . When I began That’s so Gemma back in March 2015, I was one naive little ‘blogger’ with a hella-lot to learn. I’ve mentioned this before but when I started up, I literally just used this online space to document things that I crafted, created or liked in hopes to inspire other like-minded people. I didn’t for the life of me know where this blog would get me too or how big it may expand. SO, me being unknowledgeable about absolutely everything, decided to rush at creating a logo just so I could hurry up and have a blog. I then slowly learnt that there’s not actually a slow way of learning things in the blogosphere, everything suddenly HAS to happen all at once.

I feel like I am really taking my time to get to the point here…

Basically, the point is that when I wanted a blog, I had to hurry to make a logo. Instead of investing some creative time (which we all know I have lots of) and conjuring up my own design, I naively decided to do a google search for ‘bunting drawing’. Whey-to-go Gemma. I’ve always felt a little bit bummed out about the fact that my blog is all about things that I make, yet my logo is just 2 lines down from one simple online search. I really must add that NO the bunting image is not copyrighted or shutter stock, it was perfectly up for grabs. However, if you click the ‘visit page’ link from the image, it leads you to a lovely handmade bunting website and although the image was free for taking, I’ve always felt a little guilty and cautious that having it as my logo may well come back around and bite me on the bum.

To newbies or non newbies…

• If you’re new to the blogosphere (hey!), then please do take the time to create a unique logo!
• Never use a copyright image (not that I did… but yeah, just, don’t)
• If you’re looking to rebrand then maybe just changing some colours in your logo will help? Really put some time in to figuring out if you want to totally rebrand.

I’m sure that all of my dedicated followers know that I like to do things in a special way, with added sprinkles of  pa-zazz, and topped with a glimmer of excitement. I guess I just didn’t feel that my old theme represented that anymore. Every single part of this new theme represents my personality down to a tee, and it makes me so much happier knowing that this is now what people see when they come to my blog. Going back to the atrocious analogies, I guess you could say that I’ve thrown out a once-loved jumper that’s shrunk in the wash and replaced it with a favourite new jumper which fits me perfectly. I also love the fact that this ‘new look’ was solely created by me. I spent hours drawing my little logo designs over and over until I got them spot on, then transferred them into digital form (whoah what a learning curve) and animated them myself. It literally took me an entire day just to complete the animation logo at the header of my page, but it’s totally worth it now knowing that my page is now true to itself and myself.

Does your online world reflect you?

• Firstly, do you actually want your online world to reflect you? As a blogger, I’m sure…but as a business, ensure there’s a balance between personality and professionalism.
• Slowly introduce your new theme, give your readers something to look forward to and make them aware something big is going to happen.
• Bring your personality not only in to your ‘new look’, but in to your writing too. Be on the same level as your readers… you’re not an online zombie!

Last but certainly not least. In fact, probably the most important point of all. I am now back in full motion, well and truly spruced up with my new make-over and it’s made me feel more motivated than ever. Sometimes things just have to change in order for them to carry on working. I’m back with a bang, feeling shiny and new and ready to roll in to That’s so Gemma’s third year. Sorry to keep on blasting these out, but you know that feeling when you take the plunge and get that goddamn haircut you’ve been eagerly anxious about, then walk out ABSOLUTELY LOVING IT!? Well, that’s me right now.

If you’re struggling to figure out how you can go about rebranding your blog/website then hey, I know how you feel! I hope this post has not only helped my followers understand the reasoning for my big change, but also inspired others in similar situations to either go-on and go forth, or, at least remind those unsure to use the time wisely to consider every option. Rebranding is a pretty big deal, but it’s a deal I had to make not only for myself, but for the future of my blog as it fits in perfectly with my interests, goals and career. Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any more questions or want any more advice…I’m just one email away at gemma@thatssogemma.com

Here’s to a new look, and a new year in the blogosphere!