The Definition Of A Brand
AND WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE A SHIT IF YOU WORK IN A SERVICE INDUSTRY
Going to start this post off in the best way I know: by talking about pornography. As part of my business' social media presence, I’ve avoided explaining exactly what a brand is because it’s actually quite challenging. According to Google, a brand is “a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name”. Please don’t believe everything you read on the internet because that’s a horrible answer and how I’ll segue into porn. In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart was asked to define obscenity and pornography and he gave the iconic response of “I know it when I see it”. That’s what a good brand is.
I KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT
A brand is this intangible thing that’s hard to define but you feel it and you see it. I like to tell people that your brand is the soul of your company. If I asked someone to think of your business, the image that comes to mind is your brand. The feeling someone has when they walk through your doors is your brand. It’s so much more than a color palette or a logo…it’s your personality, tone of voice, customer service, values, and how you treat your customer.
Here’s a list of some of the components I consider when forming a brand:
Mission statement or business values
Target audience
Competitors
Brand descriptors
Tone of voice
Personality
Logo suite
Color palette
Icons and graphics
Imagery
Social media strategy
Customer service
You’ll notice that I cover a lot of non-visual items. My job is to provide you with the visual components (colors, logos, fonts, graphics, etc) but I can’t create the visuals without considering the non-visuals. When working with clients, I’m digging deep into your specific target audience, business values, mission statements, and personality/tone of voice as your visual identity needs to reflect this. Once you have these components, your job isn’t done. Branding is the act of intentionally implementing these components into every aspect of your business. With every decision you make, whether it’s creating a social media post or hiring new staff members, you want to make sure that your brand and business values are reflected in that decision. Curating a cohesive brand identity is what will help build trust with your audience and show them that you’re going to help them reach their goals. Trust is all that matters when you’re offering a service and someone is placing their trust in you to take care of their body.
WHY SHOULD PHYSICAL THERAPISTS GIVE A SHIT?
Maintaining the focus on your audience is where a lot of PTs go wrong. The biggest mistake I see with physios is that we get really hung up on being doctors. We want everyone to know how smart and professional we are. We love to write bland bios that list all of the places we went to school and put a bunch of initials behind our name that non-PTs won’t understand. We present our business as a sterile, boring medical clinic because we’re doctors and we want to make sure you know that. But guess what? It’s not about you, get over yourself.
Branding in physical therapy shouldn’t be “look how great I am”. It should be “let’s get you back to what you love”. The focus should be on your audience and seeing them succeed. PT is vastly different from other fields in healthcare because we actually spend time with the patient. We get to know them and have the opportunity to see them progress. We help guide them to success but ultimately, they get better because they put the hard work in. As much as you may want to present yourself as the hero, you’re the guide. Which works out great because good business owners know the importance of making your audience the hero. I don’t have the space to explain that fully here so go read Building A Story Brand if you want to learn how to reframe your business with the patient as the focus.
BUILDING A PATIENT-CENTERED BRAND
There are 2 primary suggestions I have to form a patient-centered brand. First, keep coming back to the fact that you are offering a service and your audience’s success is the primary goal. With every piece of copy you write and content you put out, ask yourself if you’re achieving this goal.
Instead of broadcasting your long list of credentials, showcase your experience in honest testimonials from patients. As a potential patient, I want to see myself in these testimonials as I hear how great it was to work with you. Convince me that I want the same amazing results that those patients had. Let your audience gain an appreciation for your expertise without having to persuade them that the letters behind your name mean anything.
Double check your ratio of I/me to you/yours. You’d be surprised how many websites are written in a way that barely mentions the reader. I’m sure you’re proud of what you do and want to portray that but again…we’re in the business of helping people. Keep the focus on them.
When providing education, consider how much the patient actually gives a shit about that topic. Do they genuinely care that BFR creates a hypoxic environment that activates type II muscle fibers and anaerobic metabolism? I doubt it. They want to know it will help them build muscle. If you have a patient that wants to know the exact scientific mechanism, by all means nerd out during their session. But when creating educational posts on social media or when explaining your services on your website, remember that it’s not a bunch of anatomy nerds reading your content.
The second suggestion is to be authentic. Instead of presenting the boring, Linked In version of yourself, present the real you that your patients will get to know. Use any time you interact with your audience as a chance to showcase your personality, tone of voice, and honesty. As we get infiltrated with AI generated content, it will become more important to bring humanity to your brand and allow your audience to feel connected with you. All of the clients I’ve worked with who tend to be outspoken and present the authentic yet professional version of themselves have said that patients/athletes reach out to work with them specifically because of their personality.
Plus you can take advantage of the fact that we’re different from most doctors. We actually spend time with the patient and that’s something we should be showcasing. Show your audience that they’re going to have a great time when they work with you by providing them with a more accurate representation of yourself. If you own a cash based PT, chances are your patients aren’t coming to you because they want the standard, medical experience. Humans want that human connection and the best way for you to stand out from competitors is to lean into what makes you unique.
BRANDING FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
As you can see a brand is a whole lot more than what you see. My job is to help you curate the visual portion of your brand but the visuals won’t mean shit without the non-visual behind it. If I asked most PTs how much they think about their brand on a daily basis it’s probably none at all. That’s not to say that I want branding to take over your already long list of things to do. However, putting intention into creating your brand and then periodically checking in as you make business decisions will help ensure that you create a strong, cohesive brand identity that helps build buy-in with your patients.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
ERIN KELLY-SULLIVAN
When you bring someone in to help with your business you really want them to understand your needs. My time as a PT gives me that background to truly understand your business, your target audience, and the field. If you want to work with someone who gets you, my specialty is helping fellow physical therapists, strength coaches, and anyone in the health and performance field reach their branding goals.
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