As your business grows and evolves, sometimes your brand direction needs a bit of refocusing to make sure it’s still performing at its peak. Certain aspects of your business might have become outdated, ineffective or inconsistent (check out my post on how consistency in branding helps you grow your business).
There might be other areas with new potential to explore. And don’t forget that the way we market our businesses is always changing and adapting. To make sure your brand is in alignment and continuing to be as effective as it can, every now and then you should do a little health check to measure its impact.
So here are a few great reasons why you should do a brand audit right now (if you haven’t recently)!
What is a brand audit?
So, you can think of a brand audit as that little health check into your business. It is a detailed examination of the various elements that make up your brand, and a review of how those elements are performing. A brand audit helps to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your business’s current brand, as well as identifying any specific problems and ways your brand can improve.
What does a brand audit cover?
A thorough brand audit will take a look into things like:
- brand goals, values and message
- target audience and effectiveness of communication & engagement
- visual identity, such the logo, brand colours, typography, and its consistency
- business cards, stationery, packaging and other branded collateral
- website homepage, about page, header, footer, contact page etc.
- social media accounts
- and a whole lot more.
Brand audits are as varied as the brands themselves, and the approach taken when auditing a specific brand should be tailored to that business.
What are the benefits of a brand audit?
Brand audits give business owners better insight into their brand and helps them to identify how they can improve their business. It is important to make sure your brand’s message and purpose continues to be strong and clearly communicated — it’s crucial for the profitability and value of your business!
By evaluating your brand and ensuring that it is effectively engaging with the right audience, brand audits give you vital information about the current position of your brand.
When should I do a brand audit?
Here are a few situations where I would recommend getting a brand audit done on your business.
- your business is new and you’re in the process of establishing your brand goals and direction
- your business has grown considerably in recent times
- you’re feeling unsure of your brand direction
- your business growth is starting to stagnate
- you don’t feel like your brand is strong at all
- you are going to rebrand your business
Regardless of where your business is at, getting a brand audit at regular periods will help keep your brand at its most impactful. Getting a brand audit done every one or two years is a great pace for most businesses.
Through a brand audit, you can get great look into the condition of your brand. You’ll have a solid idea of what you’re doing right, and what you can do to boost up weaker elements.
If you’re interested in undertaking a brand audit on your own business, take a look at my step-by-step brand audit guide and download the free brand checklist! It’ll take you through all the important points to consider when reviewing your brand.
Is it time for you to conduct a brand audit?
Looking for more content? Try these:
- Reviewing your brand: How to conduct a brand audit yourself
- How defining your core customer will boost your business
- A complete guide to creating a brand that perfectly suits your business
- How a strong foundation will ensure an engaging, profitable brand
- The value of a great logo and why logos are worth investing in
- How to use consistent branding to grow your business
- Useful questions to ask when self-critiquing your business’s designs
- Take the brand personality quiz and learn the traits of your business
Brand audit is an overwhelming task, always best to hire professionals to do it for you.
Definitely true for big brands or those that have been in business a long time!