Now that you’ve found your calling as a wellness coach, you must now figure out how to turn that passion into profit; the first step is BRANDING! Before your business can be successful, you must first develop a brand that grabs the attention of your target clients and keeps them coming through the doors. Your brand represents your core values; the thing that sets you apart from your competition!
The dictionary definition of branding is a collection of experiences and associations connected with a service, person or other entity. On paper that probably doesn’t mean a whole lot to you, but in the same way big corporations invest in their brand, Wellness Coaches can benefit from the same strategic investments. Creating a business brand is important for several reasons:
- It lets your clients know who you are and what service you provide,
- It sets the tone for your business environment, and
- Your brand (if done correctly) will ultimately attract more clients – and isn’t that really the goal?!
There are three overall keys to Branding – Identify, Develop and Stay Committed.
Identifying your brand starts with you and knowing your personal values. The first part of brand identity has already been done – you’ve found something your passionate about and want to pursue it full-time. Next decide what message you want to convey to your target market. A mission or values statement will help you convey that message. I know this sounds very “corporate-y” but don’t be alarmed! A short paragraph describing the goals and objectives of your business is all you need. In this statement be sure to include: exactly what you do, what benefits you provide for your clients, what sets you apart from your competition, and what you envision for the future of your company. Keep this statement in plain sight for you, your employers and your clients. It will keep you on track and everyday you’ll be reminded of your accomplishments. Just as your values are an extension of you, so is your brand.
A brand also creates an emotional connection with your audience. Once you’ve identified your brand, you must now develop it to keep that emotional connection going. There are four things to keep in mind when developing your brand:
1. First and foremost, decide who is going to be your ideal customer? Really pinpoint in detail what that client looks like; i.e., gender, income bracket, marital status, age, health concerns, etc. Without knowing exactly who that is, your brand message will be lost. It’s great to want to be able to coach everyone, but until you’ve specified a niche, you can’t effectively coach anyone!
2. Next, focus in on what makes your services unique. Being a Wellness Coach is still a relatively new field. Therefore, it is very important to spell out the advantages of your services to potential clients. Because you’ve already identified your personal values and niche market, you should know exactly what aspects of your business make your practice unique.
3. Create a brand strategy incorporating the most effective marketing tools to reach your target audience. For instance, do you have a website? Is it easy to find and easy to navigate? Are you good at on-line social networking, blogging, article marketing, etc? Or maybe you’re more comfortable with off-line marketing such as public speaking or teaching. Whichever way you decide to go, understand that a significant amount of your time will be spent on this step – your brand exposure can never be overdone.
Along with your physical marketing collateral, do not overlook your other abstract branding tools. Things like voicemail messages, the ones you leave for other people and your own outgoing message, the clothes you wear, how you introduce yourself to others and your overall communications to the outside world. Do a checklist and make sure that you are communicating effectively from the inside out.
4. And finally, continue to take inventory of your brand. Are you reaching your target audience? Can they say without a doubt that you are providing a unique service, one that they find invaluable? Ask your clients for specific, quantitative feedback and be flexible while staying true to your brand. Above all else, keep your message consistent!
Keep in mind that as your business grows (and it will!) your brand will also grow and evolve. Don’t be afraid to embrace that change. As long as that growth centers on your core beliefs and values, you will continue to gain solid market share.
This brings me to my final point – staying committed!
Think of some of the most successful brands you know - Oprah, Donald Trump, Martha Stewart - they all have one thing in common. Besides being billionaires, they are all committed to their brand! They have firmly established the message they want to send to their target consumer and have consistently maintained that message. Most importantly, their brand authentically represents who they are. By staying true to their brand message, these people have been able to successfully turn their passions into profits.
Staying committed to your brand may seem daunting especially when your business does not take off right away, but don’t despair - think Oprah! If this is your passion, stay the course!
Now you are on your way to becoming the brand you need to be, Happy Branding!
Kelly N. Green, CWC
Kelly N. Green, CWC, is a certified wellness coach who is on a mission to help everyone live a healthier more meaningful life by changing their behavior and their beliefs! She was certified in Wellness Mapping 360 with Dr. Michael Arloski. Kelly began her journey towards wellness when the debilitating effects of Multiple Sclerosis no longer allowed her to continue her career as an entertainment marketing executive. It was after seeking alternative health therapies for herself, that she was introduced to a health coach. Afterwards she decided to pursue a new career path that would be less stressful, more rewarding and, more importantly, help other people on their wellness journey. Kelly now designs wellness coaching programs for individuals and companies. She also offers her marketing and branding expertise as a consultant for other Health and Wellness Coaches. Kelly can be reached at
You can also follow Kelly on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/kelly3green
And Twitter, @kellyngreen.
