How to rebrand your Facebook page
A question we hear a lot: "I’ve rebranded my business – can I rebrand my old Facebook page?"
If you run your own business, you will know that things change – ALL the time! To keep up with developments or stay in line with your offerings, you may choose to re-brand or rename your business at some stage. We won't go into reasons you may choose to rebrand, but once the decision is made, you need to tie up loose ends, including getting your social media channels in line.
For this article, we will be referring to Facebook only and the process in which you can utilise the platform to assist with your rebranding. Firstly ask the question, am I:
a) changing my offering completely orb) providing the same or similar service or product and upgrading the brand aesthetics.
Suppose your answer is “a” – START FRESH. You may have a Facebook page with 10,000 fans (that you’ve worked so hard to build up!), but these people “liked” your page or joined your community because they were interested in a product, service, or idea you were offering. By altering your offering completely, trying to utilise this community for your future endeavours will likely result in low engagement rates, skewed reporting (due to disinterest amongst fans), and user displeasure. Even if your target market is roughly the same as before, these people didn’t sign up for your new product or service. Social media allows consumers to have choices in what they see on their newsfeed, and coming in the back door (so to speak) can cause a feeling of mistrust towards your brand. Start a new Facebook page.
Alternatively, suppose your answer is “b”, and you are simply changing the name and branding for your business yet offering the same product or service. In that case, you can recycle your Facebook page (provided the rebranding hasn’t altered your target market too dramatically).
Steps to rebranding on Facebook:
You will first need to let your community know what is happening—post about your rebranding for at least a week leading up to the changeover. Create excitement around the rebrand. Have people guessing what’s going to change by sending out a series of teasers. This will enable you to hold their attention and gain their acceptance once the rebranding occurs. If you rebrand overnight, consumers may feel betrayed and won't recognise the new brand as something they have a loyalty to – which you’ve worked so hard to build up!
Rename your page. Facebook will allow you to do this ONE time without any issues – so make sure you get it right! You will find the option to change your page name in the “About” section under “Page Info”. If the new name is significantly different to your last name, you may need to supply Facebook with some documentation proving the location or business credentials.
Reintroduce yourself to your customers! Let them know that you’re the same old donkey with a new lease on life—highlight areas you have improved on and any new offerings that may enhance their experiences with you.
Use your new branding material (colours, logos, slogans etc.) on the majority of your posts so that your old fans can familiarise themselves with your new look.
Keep it consistent! Don’t upload material with your old branding on it.
The image below shows where to find the "Rename your Page" option.
If you would like some help from our team of social media gurus with rebranding your Facebook, growing your social media audience, or generating leads, we are ready to help. You can contact us here.