What is a brand?
What do you think of when you read the word “brand?” Probably a logo, colors, and font. This isn’t wrong, but it’s also not the whole picture.
If marketing is how you talk about what you do, then branding is the story you tell. It’s how you distinguish yourself from everyone else.
HubSpot, one of my favorite marketing blogs, defines branding as, “the process of researching, developing, and applying a distinctive feature or set of features to your organization so that consumers can begin to associate your brand with your products or services.”
That’s a lot to unpack. As a therapist, your “distinctive feature or set of features” is your specialities (couples or individuals) and your “products or services” are your offerings (weekly sessions or intensives).
It can be helpful to think about a brand you love. Why are you so loyal to them? Is it just because of their products or services? Or is it something more?
One of my favorite brands right now is Peloton. Yes, their product is great, but so is their customer experience. Everything from the purchasing and delivery process down to the design of the cycling shoe is thoughtful and intentional with the customer in mind.
You may be thinking, “I’m a therapist. I don’t need to be a brand.” But you’re not just a therapist. You’re a person who does therapy. Your brand should reflect that identity.
Here are some questions to help you think about your brand.
Who is your ideal client?
Who definitely isn’t your ideal client?
What are your core values as a therapist?
What makes you unique as a therapist?
What words describe your approach as a therapist?
Why are you a therapist?
How do you want people to feel when they interact with you as a therapist?
Now review your website, social media channels, therapist directory profiles, and other marketing assets with those questions in mind. How well are you communicating your answers to them?
In her wonderful book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb describes an experience with a branding consultant for therapists. The consultant tells her, “Nobody wants to buy therapy anymore. They want to buy a solution to a problem.”
This is marketing-speak, but it’s not far off. You should be able to complete this sentence.
"For (audience), I provide (solution) to (problem)."
If you can’t do it, then you may need to spend some time thinking about your brand.