Do feel like there’s too much competition and wonder how to stand out in your field? Wondering how to stand out and get noticed? How to reach the people you want to work with and who are looking for YOU?
You’ve taken your passion and honed it through study and practice. Now you’re ready to put yourself out into the world and, when you look around, it’s hard to figure out how to distinguish yourself from everyone else promising “body, mind, spirit healing”.
Because no matter what you’re skills are, you’re competing for the time and money of people basically looking for the same results:
- Reduction of pain and stress at all levels
- Increased happiness, health, and wellbeing
- More ease and inner peace
The question is, How do you stand out in a crowd of practitioners who all promise those things?
Use these 7 ideas as a guide:
- Resist being generic or mysterious in your marketing.
In your marketing, dig deeper than the first idea you have of your business name, tagline, and what benefits you offer your clients and students. If it sounds familiar to you, don’t use it. Generic terms like “health” and “wellness” could mean you’re a nutritionist, a yoga teacher, or a shaman. Be more descriptive and specific.
- Take time to explore exactly what part of your work you are passionate about.
What lights you up? What kinds of clients, problems, and sessions/classes could you do all day and still be energized when you’re done? Knowing this will help you understand how to talk about your work in an engaging and magnetizing way.
- Be specific about who your ideal clients are and speak directly to them in your marketing.
A big problem I see with my clients and students comes from having a huge heart and being open to working with anyone and everyone. That’s beautiful! But you can’t market to everyone in a meaningful way. Don’t be afraid to narrow your niche, in fact, it’s a vital step to standing out.
- Don’t forget that how, where, and when you work also makes you stand out.
Do you do phone appointments? What part of town are you in? Is there free parking? Do you work in the early morning? Weekends? What’s your setting? These kinds of details set you apart.
- Be consistent.
Your message and how it’s expressed should be consistent everywhere you promote your business — which as an entrepreneur is everywhere you are. Be sure that the facts and benefits of your work, your signature colors, style, and the feeling of the things that represent you are consistent. This means your website, print materials, and social media presence (personal and professional) should all convey a cohesive message.
- Say No to the wrong clients
Knowing what you don’t do and who you don’t work with is just as important as knowing you’re Do’s. it’s okay — in fact it’s great — to refer clients and students to someone else better suited to fulfill their needs. This allows you to focus deeply on the work and clients that make you the most knowledgeable and expert person around. It also gets that person the absolute best care, which is why we do what we do in the first place.
- Express your uniqueness.
Someone else may have the same exact training as you, but they aren’t you and therefore your sessions/classes will be different. So there really is no such thing as competition. We each bring our life experiences, situation, personality, interests, and passions to our healing work, and that makes what we do special. Just be you, and remember that you are enough.
Discovering your unique brand takes time.
When you can clearly see your work through the perspective of these 7 ideas, you’ll have the beginning of your Brand Identity. It takes time, but as you clarify your uniqueness in the marketplace, you’ll be energized to share your work and you’ll leave your doubts behind and promote your work with a new found confidence.
I knew when I closed my school for the holistic healing arts 6 ½ years ago that I wanted to see private clients and teach online programs. But it wasn’t until this past fall that I REALLY got clear on my brand identity. And I teach this stuff!
I love working with anyone and everyone, too. I love the diversity of my clients and students and I don’t want to turn anyone away. But it became clear that I was spreading myself too thin in my online presence and I had to narrow down and dig deeper.
When I explored what I love teaching most, it turned out to be the two things I’ve been teaching for a very long time — holistic life coaching and teaching health and wellness professionals how to be successful in their work. I guess I had to take the long way, as usual, to figure it out.
Need help with your unique brand identity as a wellness practitioner? I can help! Let’s find out if working together is a good fit for you. To book your free 30 Minute Discovery Session, click HERE, or on the image, below. I look forward to hearing about you and your business!
