Introduction To Branding For Therapists

A Basic Branding Introduction For Therapists by Devin Dyason

In 2005 my path took an interesting turn after 8 years in the wellness industry. I studied for a post graduate degree in Brand Leadership and Copy Writing!?

Strange change but it allowed me to combine my experience in health, (I had practiced as a Kinesiologist for over 8 years, working with clients on holistic wellbeing which included working with supplements, spas, clinics, organics etc), with my knowledge of branding to fill a much needed gap…helping therapists and other ethical businesses become successful.

I have found over the years that so many excellent therapists just aren’t good (to put it mildly) at branding and marketing themselves. In fact many will not even understand the concept of branding, thinking it to be a company logo or something similar. This is not so. Think Coca-Cola, or rather in our industry, think Solgar vitamins and Bach flower remedies. These are brands. Recognised and understood. But it is not just large companies that qualify. You as an individual are a brand too!

This begs the answer to the question, so what exactly is a brand then?

There are numerous technical and much argued over definitions of the term brand, all of them correct in their own right. My interpretation is this:

A brand is the overall perception people have of you and your business. These perceptions are created through what they know about your business through visual, physical, intellectual and emotional contact with elements of the business.

The idea behind successful branding is to create a strong identity that other people can understand, relate to and ideally fall in love with. Developing a relationship with people is what a good brand is all about, ensuring trust and thereby ensuring your business grows. Branding incorporates developing this identity and relationship, positioning yourself in relation to others, ensuring differentiation and developing creative brand strategy which will include how to market yourself and communicate your brand/self to others.

Just think as an example, how many leaflets do you see when you walk into a health store? Nobody is going to pick up every single one of those leaflets and then go through all of them to chose one. Now I’m not knocking leaflets, they can work, but what’s special about yours? Amongst so many others using the same medium, the only thing differentiating you from them will be your brand identity-The way you communicate who you are, what you represent, and why they should choose you.

This comes down to:

• who you are specifically trying to communicate with (your target audience)
• how you should be ‘talking’ to them, (be it with text, language tone, design qualities etc)
• what medium you’re using (leaflets, cards, internet, demos, WOM), and
• whether or not they understand and relate to what you’re trying to communicate.

Your brand then needs to be managed, ensuring that what you are communicating follows through across every contact point people have with you and your business.

You are the only face of your business so it is obvious that your behavior needs to comply with your values and what you say you represent, (don’t go eating fast food and smoking cigarettes if you tell your clients not to!) Then don’t forget your website, your practice room, your brochure, business card, telephone manner and more!
All of the above can leave an impression on the people who come across you (if its done correctly) and it is a lasting positive impression that will bring them to you and keep them coming back.

Once these key foundations of positioning, identity and strategy are understood and in place, then only can you start thinking of how to promote yourself.

Depending on your identity and positioning, and if you haven’t already, then think of:

• Developing relationships with other therapists, yoga studios etc, offer them treatments so they can understand what you do and how it may help their clients.
• Arranging demos at health stores or your local clinic and what about hair salons etc?
• Giving introductory talks at schools and health clubs
• Arranging a holistic health week at your local library
• Offering your services as prizes to companies who run incentive schemes for sales staff
• Doing the same for health insurance companies who want to offer a service to clients
• Attaching a sample bottle of aromatherapy oil to your brochure
• Arranging retreat holidays for your clients or potential clients
• Arranging charity work sessions for those less fortunate
• Sending in articles to magazines and websites or your local paper
• Having a feedback and question and answer section on your website

But don’t do any of those things unless you’ve developed a strong brand identity to convey to others. The stronger your identity is the more impact the above will have so manage your brand well and build on secure foundations.

Copyright Devin Dyason, Founder *s-nce ethical brand counsellors

contact devin@s-nce.com or mobile 0777 33 899 30 (UK)