March 2020:
“We’ll be back in-person in no time!”
October 2020:
“So, how much is the yearly Zoom subscription?”
Leading a wellness business right now, whether you’re a small business or personal brand like a yoga teacher, means you are now an online business.
Even if part of your business model still requires some type of in-person one on one work, right now everything is online. And well, if you’re an online business then creating content is going to be your best friend (if it’s not already!).
But understanding what content to create is based on some of the core aspects of your wellness business marketing.
What exactly is content?
Content can be anything from writing blog posts to creating a YouTube video, recording a podcast, your newsletters, and even down to any educational resources you provide to your clients.
Did you make a one-pager that explains your specialties and modalities? That’s content.
Did you offer a class and then sent out the recording? That’s content.
Did you post something on IG? That’s content.
Foundational pieces of your wellness business marketing
Far too often what I notice—and what I personally did for so long because of fear!—is businesses launch a logo, a barebones website, and haphazardly creating content.
Also, what I’m seeing more of during this “new normal” is people throwing money at ads without a thoughtful why.
I totally get the need to grow and move in any direction instead of no direction, but it’s also so important to invest some time in building the foundational pieces of your wellness business marketing like brand identity (mission, vision, value proposition), website copy, revenue-streams, and a thoughtful strategy to tie it all together.
Should you create a Youtube channel?
Why should you create a blog?
What do you write in your newsletter?
All those types of questions are answered by a thoughtful strategy based on the foundational pieces of your business model.
Creating content requires a lot of creativity and it’s normal to run dry or be in a bit of content creation block (i.e. like writer’s block) but when those foundational pieces aren’t in place, it’s not only challenging to create content but it’s also really hard to grow your wellness business.
As a business owner myself, I know that this is one of the main reasons why I was stagnant for a long time. And even now, I know it’s important for me to refine and go back to these foundational pieces to continue to expand.
Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.
What goes wrong with the personal brand?
For personal small-businesses and brands like yoga teachers, coaches, or solo acupuncturists or naturopaths— what often happens is that they are never informed that they are a business.
Most programs like yoga school or coaching programs have a very small section for “Business and Marketing” but it’s honestly a joke (my personal bias).
Those foundational pieces are never established which then leads to a lot of confusion and unrealistic expectations on how to grow or make it a living career with these beautiful practices.
I would hypothesize that that is one reason that while the wellness industry is a billion-dollar industry, yoga teachers, coaches and the like, often struggle to expand their growth.
These big companies are, in a way, required to have these foundational aspects while the individual providers are left out in the cold.
What goes wrong with the non-personal small-business
For small businesses like wellness clinics, studios, or boutique wellness brands, what I’ve seen are parts of the business foundation are in place but the structure around a strategy is lost.
Winging it can only go so far and when the foundational business pieces are vague, there’s nothing to fall back on. Decisions are based on the moment instead of the next best step for the vision and mission.
It doesn’t need to be perfect but having a clear focus on what the business stands on creates the path for growth.
Stick with it for a while
Set yourself up for success from the start!
Foundational pieces of the business aren’t as fun as pushing live on your website and creating a marketing strategy isn’t as thrilling as all the ‘likes’ on your social posts but it will set you up for growth and consistency. Stick with it for a while and see what happens!
As a small business owner or a personal brand, you often work for yourself and therefore you have no one to keep you accountable. That’s the reality of it. Find the right support system you need to create that accountability while going back to your vision to fuel you! It is so powerful to sit with your vision and project where you want to go.
*In writing this article, I realized that wellness is such a limited word but the only word that partially conveys what I’m trying to say. It means everything from holistic, sustainable, healing, teaching, coaching, health, lifestyle, body movement and so much more.*