hearten and hone
One of the main concerns I see entrepreneurs struggle with when they start their business is standing out in the ever-so-saturated wellness market. With almost every idea on the planet being taken, it may seem impossible to “invent” a new service that will make people take notice. But I believe that there’s room for everyone. And even with a lot of competition, there’s so much opportunity for you as a wellness brand to stand out and be a leader in the industry.
So how can that happen? How can you set your brand apart from your competition? Here are six ways on how to stand out as a wellness brand:
1. Convey your values upfront
One of the key things I work on with my clients is their brand values. Brand values are basically the ideas and principles that you stand for. Others call it their purpose, beliefs, pillars, etc.
When you’re able to stay firm the things that you believe in as a brand, it becomes a natural lighthouse for every action that you take in your business. From the way you treat your contractors, to clients, to how you craft your overall messaging.
Different brands have a different set of values. And when you’re consistent in embodying these values in your brand, you eventually become known for this.
More often than not, this is what people look for in the wellness industry. For example, it doesn’t matter anymore how superior your service is if you’re known to be a company to exploit workers. Or how knowledgeable you are about promoting overall health and well-being, if the methods you take are not sustainable for the planet.
There’s far to much manipulation, shame, and falsity in the wellness industry and so sticking to your values is definitely something that people will take notice of.
Action step:
Think about areas in your marketing where you can communicate your values. Often, you can add these in different touch points like your website, social media, or maybe infuse your content with the causes that you believe in (if you have any).
2. Identify your unique differentiator
Every time I ask my clients what makes them different, I often get this as an answer: “I don’t know. I’m doing the same thing as everyone else.”
And I understand that it can feel quite heavy to think about a completely novel innovation. Most of the time, it can get people stuck on putting things out there because of the thought that “it has been done before.”
But take a look at the skincare industry. There are hundreds and thousands of skincare brands out there. Both big and small ones. That doesn’t stop other brands from putting up their own skincare line, doesn’t it? It only means that there’s no one stopping you from entering the market. Even if it’s been done before, it hasn’t been done the exact same way YOU would do it. How would you do things differently? How does your service deliver results that other brands can’t?
Just by the very fact that you’re a unique individual with a unique combination of skills, knowledge, and perspective – goes to show that you CAN stand out even in a saturated market. (tbh, I don’t really believe that there’s such a thing as a saturated market).
Here are some areas where you can possibly identify what makes you different:
- Your target audience
- Your brand concept
- Your brand story
- Your unique method
- Your perspective
- Your brand visuals
- Your personality
- Your tone of voice
- (I could honestly go on)
The more you hone in on what makes you, YOU, the more likely you can stand out.
Action step:
Try this exercise. Examine your current market and try to list down the things that you like about your industry, things you don’t like about it, and how you can make it better. Look at trends, ways of working, themes, and tactics and see if there’s something that you can leverage as your unique differentiator.
3. Maintain consistent brand standards
Standing out isn’t necessarily about being noticed first. But it’s all about being remembered. There’s no point in having so much visibility if people forget your brand the moment they scroll down five times through their phone.
And to be memorable as a wellness brand means to create familiarity in the minds of your audience. Remember how as kids we were taught to repeat certain words for it be ingrained in our minds? Or how we get to memorize lines from our favorite show because it’s the only show we ever watch.
It’s the same thing here. To standout in the wellness industry, it would massively help if you employ some form of repetition in your brand so that people eventually get to create a concrete memory of it. So how do you achieve this?
That is through maintaining consistent brand standards. What I mean by that is to stick to the same colors, fonts, layouts, photography style, tone of voice, and vocabulary across all your touch points. These elements all have to make sense together for your audience to easily comprehend what your brand is all about. That includes how your brand looks and how it makes them feel. This way, no matter what platform you’re on, or no matter what marketing material you put out – they know it’s your brand. And that should be your goal.
Action step:
As you grow in your business, sometimes it can be hard to keep up with the brand elements you have to use. I suggest creating your own brand guidelines that details all the components of your brand as well as how to use them. This is so you’re able to maintain a standard in how your brand is presented.
4. Show your personality
It’s a common trend for health or wellness brands to carry a professional, serious tone. But to stand out, I think it’s a given that following this same trend is not the way to do that (unless, that’s really what your brand is all about).
Whether you’re the go-getter, type A type or the happy-go-lucky, fun type – don’t be afraid to show who you truly are. By showing up as yourself, you’ll stand out to those who are seeking out the exact energy that you exude. And based on the results I’ve seen in the work I do with my clients – those are usually the best types of people to work with.
The most obvious way show your personality is firstly, through the way you carry yourself. How you show up on video, how you speak, how you dress, etc. Sprinkling a little bit of your personal likes and interests is also a wonderful way of letting people see a glimpse of who you are. This is what makes you relatable.
But does that mean you have to be on camera 24/7 for people to get a vibe about who you are? Definitely not! And that leads me to the next way you can show your personality: through your brand visuals. Your colors, shapes, fonts, patterns, and textures have this magical way of capturing who you are even before you say a word.
For instance, let’s say we have two nutritionists who offer almost the same types of services, have the same level of certification, are in the industry for the same amount of time. Even so, they can still be differentiated from each other if they hone in on their unique personalities.
- Let’s say Nutritionist A is the more extroverted, giddy, energetic type, and so she might probably use bolder colors, stronger shapes, and thicker fonts to reflect her personality.
- On the other hand, Nutritionist B is a calmer, grounded, and more introverted type. She’ll probably use more muted colors, softer lines, and more delicate fonts to set herself apart.
So you see how even if they’re doing the same thing, they still got to differentiate themselves from each other by infusing their personalities into their brand.
Action step:
List down five distinct character traits of yours that you want to be known for. Then, list down ways in which you can show that. Maybe it’s through your videos, your visuals, or your tone of voice when you write content.
5. Craft a truth-filled and empathetic message
In the health and wellness space, people have become more sophisticated in choosing the businesses they’ll transact with. It’s not enough to be the smartest in the room anymore. What people are looking for is real connection.
By connection I mean truly empathizing with your audience and seeing where they’re at the moment they seek you out. This means putting yourself in their shoes and understanding how they feel, what they need, what their dreams are, what scares them, what motivates them. And then letting this information guide the way you craft your message.
It’s pretty common for brands in the wellness space to pull from people’s pain, insecurities, and vulnerabilities because it’s what has worked in marketing. But I personally believe this approach is a little bit backwards, and people are starting to get ticked off by it. To the point of even calling out these brands.
But to truly stand out in the wellness space means building your brand from a human centered perspective. It means consistently practicing the art of empathetic messaging, which is the kind of messaging that makes your people feel seen, heard, and understood.
To show you a picture of how this looks, here are a few examples:
- Instead of saying: “You’re probably feel disgusting about yourself because you haven’t gotten up from your couch in days. Try out this apartment-friendly fitness program.”
- Try: “Imagine getting up energized, motivated, and excited to tackle the day. That’s what this apartment-friendly fitness program strives to help you achieve.”
- Instead of saying: “I know how you feel. I’ve been there. This worked for me, and I know it’s going to work for you.”
- Try: “I may not know exactly how you feel, but I’m here to guide you in every step of the way until you see the results you desire.”
- Instead of saying: “An investment like this is not for those who prefer to feel stuck and are not willing to take action to make their lives turn around.”
- Try: “This is absolutely not the only solution out there, but whenever you feel ready to invest, I’d gladly welcome you with open arms”
At the same time, it’s also really important to ensure that the claims you put out as a wellness brand is backed by research and is based off of facts. When you commit your wellness brand to stand for truth and empathy, people will certainly remember you for that.
Action step:
Empathetic messaging can take some practice to nail down but here’s a simple quick test to see is communicating something that makes people feel seen or heard: if you were in the shoes of the recipient of the message, would you feel comfortable hearing it?
6. Create a memorable client experience
Standing out as wellness brand is not just about increasing visibility to attract new people. It’s just as much about the way you nurture the people who are already within your space. This means that making sure that they feel cared for from the moment they land on your page, to when they hire you, to after they work with you.
I really believe that care should be a cornerstone of every wellness brand. Especially if you’re offering a service that’s so personal or so sensitive to the people you serve. So it only makes sense that as your audience interacts with your brand, they also feel the same level of love and attention that you put into your business.
And the best part about prioritizing your client’s total experience around your brand is that they will not only go back to hire you again, but they’ll even gladly recommend you to a friend (or two!). That’s why it’s so important to stay grounded in the standards you’ve set as a brand.
I’m talking about the way you uphold your brand values, the message that you convey, the promise you deliver, as well as the way your visuals reflect the quality of your work. The level of care and attention you is what will bring your clients along a memorable path that will turn them into loyal followers of your brand.
Imagine if your brand is the first one that people mention whenever your industry is brought up. There’s truly so much fulfillment in knowing that you have advocates for your brand simply because you gave them a top-notch experience. I don’t know about you, but to me, I think that’s the best way to stand out as a wellness brand.
Action step:
Try to brainstorm some ways that you can level up your customer experience. Is your website easy to navigate? How easy is it for them to book with you? Do you have ways to continue nurturing relationships with your clients even after they’ve worked with you?