Your brand is what makes you stand out from other businesses in your industry in the eyes of your customers. It defines what your business is, what it does, and what it stands for. These aspects of your business should be relatively stable as they are a part of your entire business philosophy. But what happens if they do change? Luckily, high-quality digital marketing for movers can help you change how you are perceived by the general public. You can become a brand new company, with a completely new image, and a completely new target demographic. Now you just need to figure out how to retain customers when rebranding your business or you’ll have to start over from scratch!
Why should you try to retain customers when rebranding your business?
Rebranding is a major overhaul for any business. You’ll have to change a lot, from major things like your marketing strategy to minor details like the appearance of the moving quote calculator on your website. The main goal of such a huge effort is usually attracting new and different customers. But just because your goal is to target a new demographic doesn’t mean you should forget about the customers you already have.
In fact, customer retention comes with many benefits. Repeat customers are more likely to convert again, don’t require as much marketing effort, spend more money on your products and services, and are more likely to recommend your business and refer new customers. They would be difficult to replace; it’s much better if you don’t try.
What can you do to retain customers when rebranding your business?
When rebranding your business, you’ll have a lot to think about. So to avoid stressing over how you’ll retain existing customers on top of everything else you need to do, follow these steps:
Have a comprehensive strategy before you begin
Arguably the most important thing to have when rebranding is a good and detailed plan. Given that rebranding is a complex process that involves multiple different aspects of your business, winging it is simply not an option. So take the time to think it over, talk to your staff, and consult professionals. During this time, decide what you’re going to do about your current customers – make plans to inform them about the future of your brand and convince them that the decision to rebrand is for the best.
Finally, make your peace with the fact that you will lose some customers. However, if you can retain most of them and make an effort to attract enough new ones, this won’t be a problem.
Be clear and transparent about your intentions
One of the reasons businesses lose customers during and after rebranding is because people simply are not aware of what happened and assume that the new brand represents a new business. That’s why it’s important to announce your rebranding plans. All the great ways to advertise that you’ve been using to promote your old brand can be used to announce your new one as well. Post about the rebranding on your website and social media accounts, take ads if you can afford them, and be as loud as possible. That way, your customers won’t be taken by surprise when you change everything about your business.
Keep existing customers in mind throughout the process
One of the reasons why your existing customers converted is because they liked your brand. Changing your brand could change that too. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you’ll want to make your new brand attractive to current customers as well.
One way to do this is to keep elements of your current brand in your new brand as well. Choose some of the best qualities of your brand as it is now and use them when rebranding; keep the same or similar values to make sure you stay recognizable and consistent. Finally, consider the wants and needs of your existing customers. How can you keep them happy after rebranding? If you’re not sure, don’t be afraid to ask. Market research in the form of polls and focus groups can be very helpful.
Slow and steady wins the race
Rebranding is not something that happens overnight. Even if you could change everything about your business so quickly (and you can’t), changing how the general public perceives you won’t be so easy. So don’t rush! Choose a date in the future when you will launch your newly designed website, imagery, and marketing strategy. Then take steps to gradually switch to the new brand. Not only does this give you the opportunity to test out your ideas before you commit to them but it will also allow your existing customers to get accustomed to all the changes instead of getting blindsided.
Be ready to address potential concerns and answer questions
Even if you do your absolute best to announce your rebranding plans, transition gradually, and stay recognizable, there will always be customers who remain unaware of the change. Some of them may contact you to find out more about your new brand. When that happens, you want to be certain you’re providing good customer service that alleviates their concerns.
Consider what your current customers might have questions about. Then, teach your representatives how to best represent your new brand to your old customers. One-on-one personal contact is your best chance to convince them that rebranding is a good idea.
Is it really possible to retain customers when rebranding your business?
The truth is that every major change to your business is a risk. Rebranding is no different. While it can be massively beneficial, it is also likely to cost you a bit – at least in the beginning. So you should be ready to lose some of your existing customers. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to retain customers when rebranding your business. In fact, it’s an argument in favor of taking your customer base into account when planning a new brand. With a few easy steps, you can minimize your losses, keep most of your current customers and enjoy all the benefits of a new brand all at once.
