Do I even need a brand?
Yes. Next question!
OK, that’s a bit flippant (and a pretty obvious answer from someone writing this particular post), but it’s true.
What is a brand?
The first thing that comes to mind for most of us when thinking about brands are names, logos, and colours – or a visual identity. These things are certainly important, but they are just one element. Branding is what you do and how you do it, it’s what makes you unique and identifiable, which is especially important if the competitive Health & Wellbeing sector.
Really, branding is about how others perceive you and what you do, so it’s just as much about everyday interactions as it the sign above your door.
Why branding is important
- It’s what makes you recognisable and memorable
- It lets others know what’s important to you
- It makes you relatable, so you’ll attract like-minded people
- It conveys an emotion and builds trust
- It’s what sets you apart from your competition
- It defines how you work
- It’s what makes you, you
You probably already have a brand…
What do people tell their friends about you? What do they tell you are good at? What do they thank you for? Even if your practice or studio is still just a concept in your mind, you probably already have plenty of ideas of what you want to do, what you’re not going to do and how you will be different to others in your field.
This is your brand, or at least the beginnings of it…
Interested in finding out more?
We can help you understand and develop your brand, get in touch today.
How to start building your brand
Before you begin to think about designing a logo or advert, be clear about your mission and ‘vibe’. The feelings you give off, the atmosphere you create, and the way you approach your patients or clients will all influence your visual identity, so the first steps towards defining your brand are to work through the following questions:
- What problem(s) do you solve?
- How do you approach your work?
- What type of people do you want to help?
- How do you want people to feel when they interact with you?
- What’s important to you?
- What are you passionate about?
- How and why are you different to other therapists? What makes you special?
- How much are you going to charge for your services?
Describing your brand
If you’ve been making notes, you might have pages by now, and that might feel a bit daunting. So, try this – describe your brand in five words.
If you’re finding it hard to distil who you are and what you do in five adjectives, you can use up to ten words, but no more! You could also try to group similar words together and then choose one or two words to summarise each category.
This is the level of single-mindedness you need when creating a brand. If you don’t focus in, your brand could feel lose and hard to work with. You need a starting point for whatever you are developing, and that’s exactly what these words are, your core. These words should guide everything you do and should be reflected in:
- The images you use on your website
- How you deal with enquiries from perspective clients
- Your social media and blog posts
- The conversations you have with patients
- Your logo, font, and choice of colours
It seems we’ve come full circle – branding being associated with logos and colours. We’ll talk more about this in a future blog post, but for now, a few closing thoughts.
- Your brand is more than how you look. It’s how you act, day in, day out.
- Your brand is your identity. Be crystal clear about, and confident in, your unique attributes.
- Your brand is how you sell. It’s why people come to you, rather than a competitor.
If you’d like any help with developing your brand, get in touch today. And when you’re happy with your brand, check out how we can apply it to your website, blogs and social media to help more people fall in love with what you do and how you do it!
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