Branding is more than a name, a logo, or a catchy tagline –– it’s an ongoing creative process, striving to stay up-to-date with ever-evolving market demands. Tastes and trends constantly change, making branding a never-ending endeavor for coaching companies of all sizes.
When deciding what your coaching brand encompasses, it's essential to consider the overall client experience. This includes online factors –– such as a logo, social media presence, and a website — in addition to offline experiences, such as in-person client support, location service, and general etiquette.
But before we dive into what branding is and why it’s important, let’s understand the difference between a brand and branding.
What’s the difference between a brand and branding?
A brand is a collection of values potential and existing clients have about your coaching practice, including all factors mentioned above.
Branding, on the other hand, is a personality created for your company that appeals to clients in a certain way. It's a set of conscious decisions to communicate your brand to the world. If your brand is how people see you, branding is how you shape that view.
But where do you start? Branding is subjective and can be challenging for beginners, especially with many different kinds across various channels.
We recommend setting a solid foundation with a branding statement.
So what is a branding statement?
A branding statement briefly describes your company's objectives, methods, and unique characteristics. Your target market should be able to comprehend your company's goals and beliefs through this statement and understand how your brand differs from others.
People often confuse branding statements with mission statements. Simply put, a branding statement is externally focused, while a mission statement is internally focused. This means a branding statement tells the general public and clients what your company stands for, whereas a mission statement defines the organization's internal operations.
Let's look at the branding and mission statements of one of the most successful brands in the world — Apple.
- Apple's branding statement: To make the best products on the planet and leave the world better than we found.
- Apple's mission statement: Committed to bringing the best user experience to customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.
So the company’s branding statement clarifies to consumers that it aims to make the world’s best tech products for a better and more connected society. The mission statement, however, tells its employees that they should aim to provide customers with the best possible user experiences.
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What are the different types of branding?
Whether you're an entrepreneur who owns an agency or a solo coach, understanding branding is essential for success. To that end, it’s important to know the different types of branding to implement the right marketing strategy.
Personal branding
Thinking of a human being as a brand may initially seem unusual. After all, we aren't products. We have our own innate personalities rather than manufactured brands.
While true, personal branding isn't about developing another personality for yourself. Instead, it creates a unique public persona that communicates your personality online and offline. By fostering a public persona, you direct people to view you in a particular manner.
Personal branding includes your images and videos, your communication on social media, the people you collaborate with, and more. All these factors combine to create a perception that significantly impacts the brand image and reputation.
Product branding
Like how personal branding creates an individual’s public perception, product branding aims to connect the appropriate target audience with a brand’s product and cultivates the company’s specific image in people’s minds.
For example, say you sell online coaching video courses. A certain kind of client — a customer avatar — buys your digital products. Product branding helps the customer avatar discover your brand, visit and follow your website and social media channels, and ultimately direct them to enroll in a course.
Service branding
Yes, clients demand swift, efficient, and professional services, and you fulfill those by offering high-quality, worthwhile coaching sessions. But going the extra mile helps your coaching brand stand out. And service branding is all about taking that additional step to develop an emotional connection with clients.
For example, offering prompt client support, free services bundled with products, or checking in with feedback forms shows clients you care. This builds trust and customer loyalty as well as encourages people to return and recommend your services to friends and family.
Online branding
Online branding refers to all forms of branding that occur on the internet. It's all about specific designs and copywriting choices, especially if you have an offline store. It includes everything from social media to advertisements run on various digital channels.
For instance, Starbucks’ brick-and-mortar stores have a common brand identity — warm lighting, green tones to mimic the logo, and earthy colors expressed through wood, brick, or marble to accentuate the brand's aesthetic. You'll notice a similar design theme if you go to the Starbucks app or check out their ads –– green, rustic, and minimal –– highlighting an extension of the offline experience.
Walking into one of these stores and ordering through the app are different experiences, but both feel connected. That’s the result of strong and consistent online branding.
What is branding in business?
Branding influences how people view your company. It also boosts brand awareness, drives sales, and attracts new clients. However, it can have the opposite effect if you don’t implement it properly. Let’s understand the importance of branding in business.
- Increases brand value: Branding benefits small coaching businesses by strengthening their identity and giving them a foothold in the market. As a company’s value rises, it becomes more reputable and trustworthy among clients.
- Generates new clients: A good coaching brand will easily generate referrals and positive reviews among its client base. People are more inclined to seek services from a familiar and reliable coaching brand and become potential clients.
- Highlights your company’s DNA: Branding represents your promise to clients and shows them how you plan to achieve it. This includes the visual identity — typography, tone of voice, and logo design — and extends to the company culture.
Create a strong coaching brand with Practice
Branding alone isn't enough to grow your coaching business. It requires motivation, perseverance, and excellent organizational skills.
At Practice, we have the tools to cover the latter so you can focus on other aspects of your coaching company. Our professional CRM system manages clients, automates workflow, handles payments, and more. Try it today.
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