As someone who’s worked in marketing, I’m aware of the importance of ‘rebranding’ – giving your brand new life, new concepts, and a new aesthetic to rejuvenate a business. And up until very recently, rebranding used to be a word you’d only use with big companies and changing logos in mind.
Now, in an era of self-promotion, rebranding has become something personal, it’s no longer about a brand, but rather your own brand. From YouTube vloggers, to Instagram models, Podcast members and all-round creatives, the idea of rebranding has become synonymous with personal growth and a change in creative content.
I admit, the idea of starting fresh, getting rid of creative clutter and becoming a better version of myself is too tempting. But in order to successfully rebrand, you have to be consistent! I say this with personal experience. Last year, I found myself being sporadic in all areas of my life, and especially with my writing; the content on my site switched from personal to general news, and the time in-between each post ranged from a few weeks to a few months. And even though I was still writing, (on other online platforms), anyone visiting my blog wouldn’t take me seriously (meanwhile I still kept it attached to my CV). Likewise, I was trying too hard to seem professional; instead of creating content that reflected my personal brand and my own personality, I tried to make it look and feel like an online magazine, which in turn made me doubt myself and made every post I wrote feel forced.
The inconsistency in my personal brand extended to other social media platforms, a breakup and breakdown made me go off Instagram completely, and I decided to be active on Twitter, only. This led to people thinking I was either pregnant or ghosting because I wasn’t posting, and made me lose loads of followers. And while there’s definitely more important things in life than the following count, when you’re trying to create businesses and gain exposure, sometimes it can be vital to your brand.
So, I decided in the new year, that I’d follow other influencers and refresh my personal brand, refusing to bring the same professional mistakes I made from 2018 to 2019. I’ve changed the name and theme for my website, revamping it from an all-over-the-place site to a personal and authentic space with my own domain. I’ve deleted all posts from the last year, choosing to start fresh with this promise to myself to be more consistent and disciplined.
I’ll be posting all of my personal posts here, writing on news and culture on other platforms. I’m taking a few holidays this year, so I plan on writing travel diaries as a young woman of colour. I’ll also be making posts on my mental health journey, with tips and book recommendations on well-being. I’ll be posting 2-3 times weekly, so make sure you follow me!
Charnté Mariah x
C. 