Branding for doctors, health, and wellness professionals
Branding is a buzzword these days. We’re inundated with messages from marketers about branding and personal branding. We read that people prefer brands and that Google will rank brands higher on a page than non – branded competitors. Sure, you say, it’s fine for Nike, Coca-Cola and Starbucks, but I’m a health professional. What the heck does branding have to do with my practice?Â
The answer is you must present yourself and your practice consistently in a manner that will make you stand out from your competitors.Â
Read on to discover which factors are most important in developing a personal brand.Â
Your brand isn't about your logo
It’s nice to have a logo that can be associated with your practice. It makes you recognizable. But your brand isn’t your logo.
A logo is essentially meaningless unless it’s associated with an experience or a message.
Think Starbucks. What’s that double tailed mermaid about -and what does it have to do with coffee? What about Apple and computers?
Below is my logo. I like it, and even though the snake and bowl are associated with pharmacy, it still suggests something to do with healing. The lettering looks somewhat futuristic, hence digital. It took me about 10 minutes to create it. In itself, it will mean nothing unless a brand is associated with it.
What will it mean to people eventually? At some point, medical practitioners will see it in their social media feeds or elsewhere and associate with my practice and the fact that I give out good tips to marketing yourself online.
Which comes first my website or my logo?
Recently, I spoke to two corporate executives who were looking for a website designer. They actually asked me if they should spend their money on getting a logo first and then think about their website.
The answer is an emphatic no. Your message comes first. Your logo is a byproduct of that message. And your website is foundational to transmitting your message.
So what is your message?
Essentially, you have to sit down and think what distinguishes you from everyone in your field. Ask yourself what unique value proposition you can offer to your clients or patients.
Then you must determine your particular voice, and how you will communicate your message to an audience.
To do that you must speak to that audience.Â
Are you a pediatrician? A plastic surgeon? A massage therapist with a specialization? Do you practice integrative or Chinese medicine?Â
The way you address your particular audience is crucial to your success.Â
Once you determine who your audience is and what distinguishes you from others in your field, you can take the next steps.Â
What should I know before I start working on branding?
- You are developing a consistent voice and look that will characterize you and your practice from this point on.Â
- Your website is your single greatest marketing asset.Â
- Social media exists to raise awareness of your brand and drive traffic to your website where conversions will be made.
What is actually involved in branding?
You are developing your public image. These are aspects you will want to focus on:
- Your voice
- Your colors
- Your fonts
- Your logo
- Your tagline
- Your images (photographs)
- Your business card
Remember, you need to be authentic and true to yourself. Not touchy- feely? Then be informational and educate your clients. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; the objective is to capitalize on your best qualities and make them work for you and your audience.Â
How does branding work in real life?
From now on your voice, your look, and your message must be consistent where ever you choose to be seen, be it on social media, your website, media appearances, and in person.
That doesn’t mean your branding can’t change or evolve over time.Â
It will do so as you grow and develop your practice.
Your aim is to:
- Increase awareness of your practice
- Establish your expertise and credibility
- Educate the public
- Grow your referral base
- Get more patients /clients
Tip: If you are using Instagram, you must have a consistent look. Don’t be all over the place with your photos. Your look should be curated so that your posts are instantly recognizable, logo present or not.Â
Questions you may have about branding
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Sadly, in our society marketing is as important as your skill set. As search engines move into voice search, Google reviews become a must. The more positive the reviews, the better you will be deemed to be by search engines. Send your satisfied patients a short message thanking them and a link to Google reviews on your Google business page. It should take them about two minutes to write a review. Â
It depends on your specialty. Remember that Facebook will only reach about 2% of your page’s fan base before embarking on your venture. Instagram has been bought by Facebook and is going in a similar direction.
LinkedIn and Google business pages are good places to be seen.Â
YouTube works wonderfully well for a number of specializations if you are comfortable giving presentations or talks.
Remember to disseminate information taking in your clients’ or patients’ perspective under consideration. It’s all about them. You may think your credentials and experience should be your focus. They will probably be more concerned about your bedside manner and ability to explain things clearly with resorting to condescension or jargon.Â
Blogging and SEO. Writing blog posts that answer a question so well that your blog post will be featured in Google snippets ( the answer box) is the goal.
Remember, the point of all this advertising is to drive people to your website and get them to convert. No marketer or marketing agency can guarantee results. You will simply have to test what will work for your practice.Â
What should my office/ space/clinic look like?
Yes, the physical aspect of your practice is important as well. The overall look of your office, comfort, cleanliness, decor, and colors are all important in establishing your reputation.
Your staff, their professionalism and courtesy is probably even more important.
And finally, the quality time you invest in each client or patient, your empathy, and manner will be the making of your practice.
Work with us
We are passionate about health and wellness. We are equally passionate about making you stand out from your competitors. We will use all of our design and writing abilities to tell your story and forge an emotional connection between you and your audience.Â
Please tell us a little bit about your project and we’ll schedule a call.
