The Wellness Influencer’s Guide To A Visually Connected Brand
by Briena Sash

So you’re ready to step more energetically into your role as a wellness influencer, but the visual appearance of your brand is holding you back? 

If you’re like many business owners – feeling scattered and directionless with your visual presence – this is where to start.

First, I want you to know, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the branding phase. Especially if you love so many different looks and styles and you just can’t figure out which one is “right” for you.

Plus, with a highly saturated market, you don’t want to settle on just any look. You want something that stands out. Catches the eye of your ideal client. And gets her to notice, remember, and choose you.

Did I hear an “amen”?

If you’re struggling with this, here’s what you need to know:

A successful brand is the warm, cozy meeting place for you and your dream client. It needs to be a space you both love and feel comfortable in.

Too many times, wellness pros get stuck on the idea that their brand is solely a visual representation of themselves.

And while it’s important that you feel confident about your visual presence and love it so much that you’re excited to send people to your website or social media, it needs to be designed with your dream client in mind.

The secret to making your branding process easier, more successful, and irresistible to your audience is to meditate on your mission, your values and your message, and then ask yourself – how can I be attractive to my dream client?

And here’s the extra good news…

Once you invite the spirit of your dream client as a creative collaborator in designing your brand? Amazing things happen, like:

The branding process flows easily + organically
Any doubts about choosing the “right” elements (colors, fonts, logo) disappear
Your ideal clients become attracted to your brand, like bees to honey

Now that you know how important it is to include your ideal client in your branding process, here are 5 steps to help you create a brand that’s magnetic, connected, and authentically you.

GET CLEAR ON YOUR MESSAGE

Before you can translate your message through visuals, you need to know what that message is. Do this by tuning into your ideal client – her struggles, values and desires (in relation to what you offer). Then tune into your heart to formulate a message for her.

STEP 1: Write a letter to your dream client acknowledging her struggles (internal, external and philosophical). Let her know how you can help, how you can relate, why you’re the best solution for her, what makes your product/service unique, what you can’t stand about the way others in your industry are doing things and what you do differently that gets better results. Let her know how working with you is going to enrich her life.

CREATE A FEELING

Memorable brands summon up an emotion for their audience. The easiest way to do this is to translate your message into a feeling, or mood. (Note: If you skipped STEP 1, go do it now. It’s important to meditate on the struggles of your ideal client in order to get the most out of this next exercise.) FYI, this is my favorite part of the branding process, because it offers so much clarity and helps you to easily create a cohesive look. It’s time to set the mood of your brand.

STEP 2: Choose 5 “mood words” that embody how you want your ideal client to feel when she lands on your website or interacts with your brand. Example mood words: Empowered, Playful, Soothed, Inspired, Sexy, Vibrant, Nourished. Always meditate on your mood words when you’re choosing any branding elements, posting a photo or creating a design to use for your business. Ask yourself, “does this (photo, font, design) fit my mood words?”.

KONMARIE YOUR VISUALS

According to Feng Shui, the key to purposefully decorating a space is to display only what’s truly meaningful and inspirational to you. In alignment with this nature, Marie Kondo teaches to only keep items that bring you joy. The visuals that represent your business shouldn’t be an exception. If you aren’t in love with your brand look, your unhappiness manifests in various ways that your audience can sense – embarrassment, lack of confidence, imposter syndrome. Use these guidelines to be sure your visuals stay in alignment with your authentic self.

STEP 3: It’s time to filter out any fonts, colors, photos or graphics that you don’t absolutely love and give yourself permission to replace them with visuals that inspire you, bring you energy and joy, and align with your new, authentic look.

GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO UPGRADE

As money mindset guru Denise Duffield Thomas teaches, it’s important to “upgrade” your business… by allowing yourself to invest in a visual presence you love and feel confident about.

Identify the ways in which you’re being “unnecessarily cheap”. Trying to save a few dollars here and there can burn a ton of creative energy – and may be a factor preventing you from achieving a stunning brand that stands out and has the power to excel your business.

STEP 4: If visuals and design are not a strong point for you, it’s time to give yourself permission to upgrade your branding. If you’re ready to take your brand and business next-level, perhaps it’s time to tap into professional resources, such as a professional brand designer, a DIY branding course, a quality stock photo source, or a website designer. Tap into your intuition for guidance.

You can visit Briena’s site and download a free sample of wellness themed photos at wellnessstockshop.com and join her Facebook Group – Wellness Brand Collective – for more tips on photography, branding and social media.