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Don’t underestimate the selling power of a brand

Don’t underestimate the selling power of a brand

Developing a brand is 95% of the battle.

 

As an owner of a medical laser aesthetic business, the biggest mistake you can make is to deprioritize branding. Without one, it’s impossible to set your business apart from your competition in a meaningful way. What ends up happening, is that your selling strategy becomes dependent upon price point. The problem with price point selling is that you end up being undercut by your competitors.

 

 

Plus, branding is the blue print for crafting the type of marketing messages that successfully convince your targeted audience that you can give them something that is both necessary and invaluable.

 

How can you tell if your medical laser aesthetic business has a brand?

 

The answer is simple. The tell-tale sign of not having a brand, is not generating enough business. It’s not anymore complicated than that. There’s no such thing as a weak or strong brand. You either have one or you don’t. If you aren’t generating business it’s not because the market is too saturated. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.  The purpose of creating a brand, is to compete in a lucrative yet highly competitive market, by positioning your business in a different way than your competitors.

 

How do you create a brand?

 

Creating a brand is akin to developing a complex, well-written character in a movie or play. It’s essentially a charismatic personality that possesses the same look, mood, preferences, quirks, aversions, values and goals – as your targeted demographic. This can be anything from a shared: history, sense of humour, culture, responsibility, political view, social preference, attitude, struggle, etiquette, vernacular, skill set, belief system, challenge and much more.

Two shining examples of effective branding are Nike and Puma. They both sell running shoes. However, the Nike brand crafts messages that resonates with athletic supporters and sports enthusiasts. Their marketing messages celebrates a joint passion for physical prowess and endurance.  Puma on the other hand, appeals more to the urban dweller, who takes pride in sporting trendy footwear, (apparel and accessories), while enjoying all the cultural perks that city life has to offer. In other words, not every person who wears running shoes should be addressed in the same way.

So, if you’re an Medical Laser Aesthetic business owner, who is interested in creating a brand, make sure you consider the 5 tips listed below:

Number one, brands have empathy.

 

Branding is useful to demonstrate that a business owner feels, strives for, enjoys and values the exact same things as their targeted audience. For example, don’t create content for an acne treatment campaign that is based upon a sale or the type of equipment you use. It won’t inspire loyalty or respect. Focus more on figuring out how your treatments will help people with acne fulfil their needs, overcome their challenges and help them achieve goals. This builds up a trust – which inadvertently positions you as an expert in a specific area.

Number two, brands are not superficial.  

 

Branding is so much more than just coming up with a catchy name, a crafty headline or an elegant design. Be careful not to get fooled by self-styled marketers who are all swag and no substance. Don’t get bedazzled by letterheads, pretty graphics and intricate logos. While those elements are certainly part of what makes up the look and feel of a brand, this look must not only have a personality but must be in alignment with that personality. A brand shouldn’t be just another empty-headed pretty face. It needs to have enough substance to be perceived as an invaluable asset to the right people.

Number three, brands always stay on point.

 

If you craft messages that doesn’t address the right people’s problems, challenges, goals, objectives and so forth those people aren’t going to want what you’re selling. Why? It’s simply not brand appropriate content. So, keep it tight by getting to know what characteristics to dramatize, so you can sell. For example, you’d be way off point, if you mentioned athletes foot when trying to sell Nike running shoes. You have no solution for this skin condition and it has little to do why your audience would want to buy Nike running shoes. What’s more important that the shoe is ergonomic designed to help an athlete achieve their goals. Durable materials are relevant to a lifestyle full of wear and tear. It is also germane to sensationalise how certain shoes are better suited for a lifestyle dedicated to competition, breaking records and outperforming your opponents. Mentioning subjects like drive, perseverance and giving it your all is brand appropriate. Research the characteristics that matter.

Number four, brands are not self-absorbed.

 

Always research your competitors’ brand and figure out who they’re appealing to and why and extrapolate what they aren’t doing so you can be different. The more intel you gather on your competitors, the better chance you have of marketing yourself uniquely and successfully. And that is why awareness is an important element of branding.

 

Number five, brands don’t generalize. They specialize.

 

If you find that you are crafting marketing messages that make you appear like a jack of all trades (instead of a master of one), you’re chances of effectively resonating with the people who would benefit from what you have to offer is slim to nil. In fact, you’ll most likely come off as an expert of nothing. This is because each targeted demographic has their own character traits that need to be dramatized for you to sound trust-worthy, empathetic and credible.

 

As owners of SharpLight’s Omnimax, FormaxPlus, Formax and Beamax machines, our marketing messages should focus less on the types of treatments we offer (which is very general) and more specifically on being experts in the lifestyle, desires and values of people like the idea of: restoring facial symmetry, jawline re-sculpting, body contouring and weight loss, detoxification or complexion rejuvenation. Each example is its own right is a separate brand in and of itself. Streamlined businesses that specialize in one thing are considered more trust-worth, more competent and unique enough to capture a niche market. This is why you can’t have a brand without demonstrating a specialized expertise.