Today I want to talk about the roots of any business: What makes your business a BRAND?
A capital-B Brand is all about what you're promising your customers.
It's derived from who you are, who you want to be, and who people perceive you to be.

Through your Brand, you are stating what customers can expect from your products and services. It differentiates what you're offering from what your competitors are offering, so it's kind of a big deal.

‍

Keep reading to learn more about what makes your business a Brand:

• The obvious elements of branding — logo, colors, and tagline
• The deeper elements of branding — your med spa's personality, your copy, your staff and processes, your customer journey and your ideal clients

You may or may not know this, but I actually majored in graphic design back in college. Little by little, I learned about the importance of graphic design and branding, as well as how to apply that to a growing business. It’s a true passion of mine! 

To help you complete your branding, I recommend trying to define your passions and the main focuses of your business. That said, let’s dissect the various elements of branding.

‍

What are these elements? First of all, you should decide your medspa’s personality.‍

For the most part, the business often takes on the personality of the business owner. But a lot of the time, it might take after other people within the business — for instance, employees who have been there a long time, other staff members, or even the customers. Maybe your medspa is geared towards an older generation, such as women over 50 that want to look better. It might help to shape your business’s personality to appeal to that demographic of women to connect with them more closely. That is the whole reason for a brand. You want to connect with your ideal audience.‍

Visual Branding ‍

These consist of design elements such as colors, materials, shapes, fonts (typography), and functionality. Successful visual branding creates a memorable experience for the consumer, makes them trust the company, and encourages referrals and repeating business if the experience was great.

For example, my friends know me as a plant lady. Even my husband, instead of giving me flowers, usually gives me a plant. So plants are part of my brand. They are also part of my branding, because I use the colors that I love from plants and I bring these colors and shapes into my own designs. However, when it comes to a Brand, the fact that I love plants can help me connect with people on a different level. Your branding is just what people see as the first impression —  just like your handshake or your first nine photos inside Instagram. Your visual branding is just that first piece that people see. However, you want to make sure that your branding becomes a Brand by adding certain other elements.

‍

‍‍

Verbal Branding 

‍Your social media, your blog posts, your newsletters — in every piece of copy, the writing should display your business personality. 

Verbal branding refers to the words and messages associated with the Brand. Those verbal elements could be part of the Brand identity, such as the Brand name and slogan, or the copy on a website, a brochure, an ad, a video, a blog post, a tweet, etc.

All of these texts should reflect a consistent identity to help people foster feelings of connection and trust with you. 

Unique Selling Point Branding‍

Branding is the visual element, but your Brand is how you make people feel. 

The key element of a unique selling proposition is how your business’s products or services fit in the competitive landscape. 

How can you define your unique value? How will you make your customers feel something unforgettable?

Make a list of features and benefits that are unique about your business. Add a star beside anything that cannot be easily duplicated, reproduced, or copied.

Answer the question, "What's in it for me?" in an unforgettable way. Create phrases about your unique product or service that are short, clear, and concise.

Another really important step is hiring your staff, because they are also part of your Brand. The staff needs to understand the value of your company and why you are so passionate about med spas. 

As you complete this process, ask yourself these questions: 

Who is the face of your Brand? What are your processes? What do they look like? What does your customer journey look like? And what are all those touch points? And in what ways are you training your staff to make sure that they also deliver this Brand to every single customer that crosses your door?

If you have any questions about your Brand, the branding process, and how we can help you and your business, make sure to check us out. Keep following us on Instagram and Facebook, and listening to our podcast.