Do you ever have trouble choosing what to focus on?
Being a business owner sometimes feels like being a kid at a Golden Corral buffet.
Which desert do you want, Jackon?
All of them.
With extra gummy bears on top.
…ok, just this once, only because it’s a special occasion.
I admit it’s a little overwhelming for a 7-year-old, especially for his first time (we were only there because it was my grandmother’s 87th birthday).
Ice cream and cupcakes and cookies and brownies and chocolate-covered marshmallows and rice krispy treats and chess pie and much more (tragically, no chocolate fondue fountain).
It’s hard to say no when it’s all there for the taking.
Picking a niche is often like that for new PTs.
I don’t care exactly who it is, give me all the sweets.
That’s ok for special occasions, like when you just opened and need to pay the bills however you can.
But at some point they often come to me with unfocused messages and generic websites, asking, “how do I even explain what my brand is?”
If I get a little bit of sports, a handful of moms, a few bites of medicare, and a slice of cheesecake, what should my message be?
It’s hard to know what connects all those groups (apart from paying money).
Don’t worry, you’re not hopeless.
You can still create an effective, compelling message.
Having a defined niche is nice, no doubt, for making things easier.
Your brand isn’t just about what services you provide, though, or even simply the people you serve.
Your brand is the thread that ties all the things you do together.
How have you been able to build a business serving such different groups?
What makes you great at helping them?
Why do you keep doing it?
A PT who serves both children and moms, to take a very simple example, might consider their brand to be as family therapists whose mission is to help kids and their parents with hectic lives, numerous sporting events, and tight schedules.
A practice that sees all different types of orthopedic patients may instead have a brand built around the local outdoors community.
If you’re having trouble recognizing your unique brand (or you’re worse than a first grader at the dessert bar), get past the outer coating and find what’s holding all the parts of your business together and appeals to everyone you serve.
That’s your brand.
So now you can create effective marketing without ever having to say no to anything.
Just get ready to loosen your belt buckle.