Wellness coaching is one of those job titles that is becoming more popular but most people don't really know what it means. This is a big challenge for a health coach because not only are you fighting for the select group of people who do know what it is but you also have to explain what you do to people on the edge of needing your services.
I'm in a lot of online membership groups and I see there is a common issue with wellness coaches... they don't know how to launch their brand. They have the subject matter expertise, the training, and the drive but they don't know how to START their actual business. They also get caught up in which style of program they should do, usually between a membership platform and online course format.
The real problem, in my opinion, is that most of them haven't done the foundational work that will help them answer these questions. In the corporate world, this is called brand development, but it definitely parlays for entrepreneurs. Actually, it's probably most effective for entrepreneurs because many of them have not been exposed to this kind of work. I recently partnered with an agency to create a free 9-part branding guide that offers exercises for brand building.
Here are my 3 top takeaways about branding that wellness coaches can use to launch their business.
1. Pick your niche thoughtfully
Please don't ever say that your business exists for everyone. That's a one-way ticket to nowhere. No one wants to be seen as "everyone." Everybody sees themselves as unique so when you choose a niche that you can serve well and you speak directly to them, you're going to get a much stronger response. There are several steps to this in the brand identity space, but the key one here is to identify your target market and then to develop your ideal client avatar (ICA). This two-step approach means that you find a group of individuals you can serve with excellence and then you create a 360-degree picture of them. You give them a name, you know where they shop, their likes and dislikes, what they drive, what their problems are, what they would never ever ever consider doing. As well as you know your best friend or your partner, you should know your ICA. Spend time here. This is not a slapdash exercise. Get as deep as you can so you can know them well and then use that info for every decision you make.
2. Communicate what makes you different
To become a wellness coach, you've invested time and energy learning your craft. In many cases, you have personal experience that is valuable to your potential clients. Now is not the time to be shy! Be able to communicate what makes you the perfect fit for your ICA. This is why it's important that you know your ICA inside and out. Would they value real-life experience that's similar to their own more than loads of certifications and degrees? Are they driven by data more than emotion? Share your story and personal experience to attract the people you want to serve. If you aren't sure whether certain parts of your background are relevant, talk with others in the field or even interview people you'd consider your ICA. Oftentimes, we are too close to our own experience to know whether it is valuable. Seeking outside opinions will help you find angles you probably didn't even think of. You may even identify areas that you need to firm up or get more experience in in order to attract more ideal clients.
3. Create relevant content
Now that you've identified your audience and how you can serve them best, you can start creating relevant content. In the wellness space, there's a lot of competition so you need to begin finding your people and speaking to their current challenges. Offering something for free is a great place to start. For example, developing a short "how to" guide that addresses your ICA's primary pain point. Let's say it's weight loss. As a health coach, you know that the weight is just a symptom of something deeper that is out of balance. However, weight concerns are usually the first thing your ICA (a busy working professional woman) is looking to resolve. So you may want to consider creating a simple guide to address that. Go narrow and deep on a particular issue. This will help get your ICA into your database so you can create and sell paid offerings to them once you've established trust with them.
So how do you know what to give away for free and what to charge for? The general rule of thumb is: free = what to do and paid = how to do it. Make sure you have a plan to continue engaging with your audience once you've brought them in. If you're unsure of what sort of program your clients are looking for, you can ask them! You also don't have to limit yourself to just one type of offering. Many entrepreneurs create both online courses and membership programs. For wellness coaches, this is a great model because you can develop your core teachings into specific courses and then give purchasers access to your membership platform where you can offer more interactive components like community, weekly talks, mini-classes, or 1:1 consultations. Remember that the most important thing your clients want is progress. If you help them make progress, they're more likely to stay with you. Don't offer too much content, particularly if your ICA has a lot of time demands. People are more likely to give up if there's too much to do and they feel like they're getting overwhelmed or failing.
Personally, I love this kind of work. I find it fascinating to develop online courses and freebies in the health and wellness space. After working for more than 5 years with Deepak Chopra, I have seen how many people suffer in their daily lives and are seeking physical solutions to non-physical problems. The lack of knowledge in this area is exactly what health coaches are called to address.
As a wellness coach, it's vital that you do the work to understand yourself and your brand. Until you do that, any lead generation techniques or focus on growing your client list is just busy work. Developing your brand foundations will help you get clear on who you are looking to serve, what you should offer, and most importantly why you want to do it.
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