Photo: istock.com/Mirifada

We bet you never thought more about your wellness business than just a means to work and earn money. Well, this year, how about making a change and getting started with developing a wellness brand that will win clients over? That’s right, a wellness brand if developed using the right ingredients can go a long way; opening doors for more opportunities and clients.

So, are you ready to get started? Here are five steps to create a winning brand for your company. Mind you, these are just the basics so you can work on it to improve along the way.

Step 1 Vision and Goals

The first thing that business schools teach us is that a business starts with a vision, a concept that is worth pursuing. Mark Lipton in an article in MIT Sloan Management Review defines it as, “A vision serves as a road map for companies as they move through accelerated change.”

Hence, before taking the required adaptive measures, think up of a vision that could translate into actionable goals. Here we would like to offer a word of advice though–avoid abstract ideas like achieve spiritualism or making the world a better place. Instead, think of something along the line of:

• Develop a wellness community that offers organic ways of living.
• Help women over 50 years adopt a healthy lifestyle with regular workouts and healthy eating habits.
• Add playfulness into work and play for business executives through fun workout routines.

A good vision statement is one which would help the business owner to translate it into tangible, achievable and specific goals. Think of S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time bound) goals.

Step 2 Brand Promise

Equipped with a vision statement? Now it’s time to translate it into a brand promise. Think of a brand promise as a way to achieve goals by delivering certain products or services. A brand promise is a way of letting customers know what they should expect from a brand. So, if Nike says “Just Do It” it means the brand inspire customers to achieve their desired goals. What is Nike’s role in this? They will help/enable customers in their achievements.

For a wellness company, a brand promise should be achievable and deliverable in securing a healthy life or lifestyle. Avoid brand promises which are unrealistic. Make it achievable for clients-don’t promise to help them lose weight overnight when it’s not possible. Deliverable for your business-means it should be something you can offer to clients at the end of the day, instead of letting it hang in the air.

Step 3 Developing a Brand Identity

In a competitive homogeneous world the only thing that differentiates one company from the other is branding, and it starts with a brand identity.

While many confuse brand identity with a logo, it is more than just that. A logo is the face of the brand but it’s not the whole brand identity.  A logo’s design elements can be used to create a brand identity such as symbol, colors, fonts, and so forth like the following.

 With a plethora of DIY logo tools available out there, you can create a logo in minutes.

To create a brand identity for a wellness business, consider what will effectively communicate the brand message. For some, a simple set of stationery will do just fine. For others, the brand message is only complete when it reaches all types of audience including digital media. In such cases, a website, social media channels, e-newsletter, and similar platforms will need to be “branded” as well. Remember to have the logo design and colors in all brand visuals to create a consistent theme.

Step 4 Communicate

Of course, once all the prep materials are in place, the most important task begins–marketing. A beautiful brand will not communicate on its own unless someone markets it.

Considering we are living in a technological world today, we have it pretty easy. One of the fastest ways to get the word out there is via social media. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are great for branding and reaching out to wellness audience.

Alternatively, a self-hosted website with product and service listing, an active blog to offer value to potential clients, and regular updates will help promote and connect the brand with customers on different levels. What’s more, customers can reach out and ask any question anytime they like especially if it’s a mobile friendly website.

Speaking of technology, investing in a brand application (app) on Google PlayStore or Apple AppStore is not a bad idea as well. Use the app to give tips, advice, host podcasts, and offer value added services for free to garner customers on the go.

Step 5 Fulfilling Your Promise

Of course it’s no use developing a brand if at the end of the day, there is no delivery. When a brand promises, it has to deliver. This is where the real meat is, the make-or-break moment for the brand.

When delivering the brand promise, it is always wise to delight and surprise than under-deliver and disappoint. Why this works? When customers find a brand surpasses expectations and surprise them, there is more reason to celebrate and talk about it. They will spend no time at all in channeling their emotions to their personal networks, which is basically a goldmine for marketers.

Another aspect to consider when fulfilling a brand promise is to have excellent customer service. Whether it is via chat or on the phone, at the counter or in the salon, the staff and people responsible for deliverable must be well aware of the brand message so that they follow through. It’s no use developing a great brand visually, when customers will only get to interact with rude and unresponsive support staff. In actuality, they are the brand so make it count.

These are just the tips of the iceberg in terms of wellness branding. As a business owner it’s best to get creative and learn how to effectively brand one’s enterprise because it will go a long way in growing the business.

Let us know if you’ve found any of these tips useful and applicable in your own wellness brand in the comment box below. Over to you.