What You Need to Know About Branding for Your Pilates Studio
When it comes to branding for your Pilates studio, there are multiple factors to keep in mind. We’ve put together 5 major branding steps to help get you started.
But first, let’s talk about the benefits of branding and how it can help your business.
What is a Brand?
Often people assume that their brand is their logo. While that’s definitely one part of branding, it’s only one element.
According to Seth Godin, renowned entrepreneur and author, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another…”
In other words, your brand is the corporate identity that people associate with your business, your studio’s personality and vision. It’s something that’s important for you to create and cultivate, so that your company is perceived in the way you want it to be.
Why Your Brand is Important
Why is it so important to establish your brand? Well, if it’s about perception, you want to be in control of how people view, interact, and remember your business. Perception matters almost as much as the reality does when you’re talking about the success of your studio.
Do you have a favorite coffee shop? Do they have friendly staff? Do they offer a consistently positive experience? Is the look and feel of their business something you can relate to? That’s is all part of their branding.
Now, let’s apply these ideas to your business. Here’s where our Pilates studio branding tips can really help you up your game! We’ve compiled a short list of how a great branding strategy can have a direct impact on your Pilates business:
- Increased public recognition
- Higher perception of professionalism
- Consistency for your team
- Increased revenue from repeat business and new visits
The bottom line on branding is that it creates a certain expectation of experience, which encourages trust, loyalty, repeat business and referrals – exactly what you need to boost your bottom line.
How to Set Up a Brand
Pilates studio branding step #1: Define your purpose
Step one might sound easy, but we suggest you take your time with this one. By defining your purpose, you’ll find your voice and that’s where your branding journey begins.
Start by asking yourself what you want your studio to represent. What are your core values and beliefs? Think about what’s important to you, where you want to be in the marketplace, and what goals you want to accomplish. These are all crucial elements in launching a successful brand.
As part of this process of self-discovery, you must also determine your unique value proposition. What sets you apart from your competition? What do you have to offer that no one else does? Why should your students choose you over any other studio? Maybe it’s your values, maybe it’s your services or maybe it’s something totally different…Seek out something unique about your business and use that to tell part of your story.
Defining yourself and your business can be a tough task, but take a critical look at what you value most and your voice will come.
One thing is for sure: be yourself.
When you make a promise to your clients, you need to keep that promise. Your students will quickly realize that your brand is fake if you try and build your business on imitation values. One of the quickest ways to lose trust is by trying to fool your consumers.
You do you: your business is unique and your brand needs to reflect that, so figure out how you’re different and run with it!
Pilates studio branding step #2: Design your logo
You’ve spend a lot of time defining your studio, so your next move is to get visual. But don’t overthink this one. Many business owners get caught up in tiny details that delay the process and can dilute their brand in the end. Don’t fall into that trap!
Design your logo with your vision in mind. What kind of vibe do you want to project? Is there a certain color you’re partial to? Do you have a tagline or mission statement you’d like to incorporate? It may seem overwhelming, but the main goal is to choose something that’s visually appealing.
Choose a logo that’s simple, clear, and true to your values and goals.
Pro tip: Think about how the logo will translate onto other mediums! If you’re planning to produce merchandise, how will it look on a hoodie or water bottle? If you have a sign outside, how will it look when scaled up to a larger scale? If it needs to be smaller on your website or letterhead, will it still make sense?
A good logo leads to brand recognition and loyalty. Combine that with a fantastic team and you’re well on your way to building your brand successfully.
Pilates studio branding step #3: Build your team of brand ambassadors
We know that business owners are often the jack-of-all-trades, but you need a great team to support your brand and help you get your name out there.
Consider them your brand ambassadors! Your team represents your business, so they need to reflect your vision, your message and your brand.
You can’t do it all yourself and enlisting a reliable team of brand ambassadors will provide the professional experience that your students deserve. Hire staff that believes in your brand so that your clients can trust that they’ll receive the same great experience again and again.
Once the word gets out, your brand will continue to grow and so will your bottom line!
Pilates studio branding step #4: Market your brand
Once you develop your brand and get your team together, it’s time to spread the word!
Consider how you want to tackle this part of the process. Who is your target market and what’s the best way to deliver your message to them? Do some research and find out where your audience is spending their time, then launch your marketing.
Social media marketing
Are you social media savvy? Great! Start posting branded content (with a visible logo, sign or merchandise) and working on getting your audience to engage with you. Also consider sharing sponsored posts to increase the reach of your brand and attract a wider (and more targeted) audience. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get results, and this approach comes with the bonus of analytics, so you can start to tailor your content.
Partnering up
Think you can get more people in the door by cross-marketing? Fantastic! Choose a local like-minded business (or two or three!) and give them your pitch. Start small, like offering a link on each other’s websites or even having brochures at the front desk.
This approach could really widen your market by exposing your brand to their existing customers – not to mention that you might even help build up another local business in the process!
You never know, these types of alliances could develop into a prosperous relationship for both of you…
Finding a community
Want to reach a community with the same core values? Consider sponsoring an event, hosting a booth in a local fair or trade show, or donating your time for a demonstration or talk. Even an auction donation might gain you the sort of attention you’re seeking.
It’s a great idea to look for places where your target market might be and try and get their attention to build your community. If charity is important to you, or you have a cause or value that’s at the top of your list, donate or partner with them.
Pilates studio branding step #5: Be consistent
The secret to solid branding really comes down to one thing in the end: consistency.
From start to finish, from your logo to your team, your company’s personality must be consistently represented. The secret to loyalty, repeat business and referrals is a consistent, positive experience.
You start to confuse your customer when you veer away from what they perceive to be your studio’s personality. Once you’ve developed that brand and have worked to get it out there, you need to maintain your strategy to keep building that customer trust and loyalty.
Consistency is the key.
The Final Word on Pilates Studio Branding
When it comes to Pilate studio branding and getting started, keep in mind that you need to be patient with yourself. Get your team on board, market your business and provide a consistent, positive experience to support the brand you’ve built.
Choose WellnessLiving
At WellnessLiving, we’re branding experts. From our branded client app to our mobile marketing campaigns, we’ve got you covered! We can help build your business and boost your brand with our wellness software, which is trusted by professionals worldwide. Book a free, no-commitment demo with WellnessLiving today and get your brand noticed!
