So you’ve been running your brand like a boss, but something feels…off. Maybe sales are dipping, your audience isn’t engaging like before, or your logo suddenly feels like it belongs in 2012.
Well, it’s time for a brand audit.
I know, “audit” sounds like something that should come with spreadsheets, migraines, and existential dread, or that scene from the series “regular show”. But stick with me, I’ll show you how to do a thorough, honest, and actually helpful brand audit without making it feel like a corporate root canal.
Whether you’re a small business owner, a personal brand, or a marketing team lead, this guide is for you.
What Is a Brand Audit?
A brand audit is a detailed checkup of your brand’s current health.
It involves analysing how your brand looks, feels, sounds, and performs across every touchpoint. The goal? To understand what’s working, what’s not, and what needs a glow-up.
Think of it like taking your brand to therapy.
A successful audit covers:
- Visual identity (logo, colours, typography, design consistency)
- Messaging and voice
- Audience perception
- Competitor positioning
- Marketing performance (website, social media, email, etc.)
- Customer experience and satisfaction
Why You Need a Brand Audit (Yes, Even If Things Are “Fine”)
If your brand feels outdated, disjointed, or invisible, a brand audit can help you:
- Realign with your core mission and values
- Identify gaps between your brand and audience expectations
- Spot inconsistencies across platforms
- Increase brand trust and recognition
- Sharpen your marketing focus
Also, let’s be real, when your audience evolves. Your brand should too.
The 7-Step Brand Audit Checklist
1. Review Your Brand Strategy
Ask yourself:
- What’s our mission and vision?
- Who is our target audience now?
- What are our core values?
If this feels fuzzy, start here. Your brand strategy is your North Star.
2. Audit Your Visual Identity
Take a cold, hard look at:
- Logo
- Color palette
- Typography
- Imagery
- Overall style across platforms
Ask: Does this reflect who we are today?
3. Evaluate Your Brand Voice and Messaging
Scroll through your website, socials, emails, heck, even your invoice tone.
- Is the voice consistent?
- Is the tone aligned with your audience?
- Does your tagline still hit?
If your messaging sounds like three different people wrote it in three different decades, it’s time to recalibrate.
4. Check Your Online Presence
Run a full sweep of:
- Website (UX, speed, design, content)
- SEO performance
- Social media (engagement, aesthetic, alignment)
- Google My Business, LinkedIn, Yelp, etc.
Look for consistency, clarity, and relevance.
5. Get Customer Feedback
You don’t know how your brand feels until you ask the people who matter.
- Surveys
- Reviews
- Social media polls
- One-on-one interviews
Ask what they love, what confuses them, and why they chose or left you.
6. Spy on Your Competitors (Ethically)
- Who are your top 3–5 competitors?
- What’s their messaging?
- How does their visual identity stack up?
- What are they doing better or worse than you?
This isn’t to copy. It’s to clarify where you stand.
7. Evaluate Metrics That Matter
- Website traffic and bounce rate
- Conversion rates
- Engagement rates
- Customer retention
- Email open and click-through rates
Numbers don’t lie. But they don’t speak unless you ask the right questions.
Tools That Make Brand Auditing Easier
You don’t have to do this with sticky notes and vibes. Here are some tools:
- Google Analytics (for traffic and behaviour)
- SEMRush or Ahrefs (for SEO insights)
- Hotjar (to see how people interact with your site)
- Canva or Adobe Express (to compare visuals)
- Typeform or Google Forms (for surveys)
And yes, a spreadsheet might still be involved. But I promise, it’ll be your friend.
How to Turn Audit Findings into Brand Wins
Once you’ve gathered the data, don’t just toss it in a folder called “2024 Rebrand Maybe?”
Create an action plan:
- Prioritize top issues
- Assign owners and deadlines
- Start small: fix tone inconsistency, update colors, rewrite that “About Us” page.
- Re-test in 3–6 months
Audit > Adjust > Align > Advance. That’s the glow-up cycle.
Conclusion
Running a brand audit isn’t just a “when things go wrong” move. It’s a proactive, powerful tool to stay relevant, consistent, and resonant.
Take the time to look inward. Your brand and your bottom line will thank you.
So… when was the last time you really looked at your brand in the mirror?
Let’s start that audit glow-up.
