106. Baking it Down - A Refreshing Rebrand

👋A Refreshing RebrandWhen you likely got started in your cookie biz, "this will be something I'm still doin' in 2 years" wasn't probably top of mind. If you're like us, this was a random idea > turned hobby > turned money pit > turned "I need to make money or my SO will have my head" - fast forward to today, it's a business - but it wasn't an intentional business. So likely - again, if you're like us - "branding" wasn't as much the focus as "juggling 17 hats while baking" was 👒🎩🎓⛑️. Which lands us two years later with a poorly chosen brand identity and business name. So what do? 👀 *rebranding enters stage right*Ideally, no business would have to rebrand - but, like in the case of Corrie, there are times when it makes long-term sense for short-term growing pains. Such was Corrie's plight - and here are 4 tips and 4 rebranding snafus we've seen while marketing (and rebranding ourselves). ❤️ Tip 1 - Check What's Available Rule of thumb - don't fall in love with someone that's unavailable. Rule of thumb in branding - don't fall in love with a name that's unavailable. So - before you start planning your billion-dollar baking biz, check what's free - social media handles, domains, etc. Here are two websites I like to use that help with the research:✅ Social Media: https://namechk.com/✅ Domains: https://instantdomainsearch.com/🚫 Snafu 1 - Overcomplicating ItI love the thought and care some y'all put into your brand name - but I don't always love how that reflects your user's experience when typing your name, searching for you, etc. Overcomplicated branding will mean uphill marketing for you. Examples of overcomplication can look like:Brand names that include articles like "a" "an" and "the" Brand names that include misspellings like "Cookiez"Brand names that include punctuation like dashes "Cookie-z Company" Brand names that are too long "The Best Cookies in America Cookie Company" ❤️ Tip 2 - Including Brand + KeywordIn "SEO" best practices, including a brand name (who you are) + keyword (what you're selling) can help you get ahead in search results (Google). This is because you're not keyword stuffing (Cookies Cookies by Cookie Lady Cary - too many keywords in this one), but you're also not too vague (Art for your Plate by Cary - no keyword at all in this one). Examples of brand + keyword can be:Mixing Bowl Cookie Company (Mixing Bowl = brand, Cookie = keyword)Heather's Best Cookies (Heather's Best = brand, Cookies = keyword)Cool Cow Cookies and Cakes (Cool Cow = brand, Cookies and Cakes = keyword)