By Lisette Harrington, Mila Design Co.

As a medical spa owner or solo injector, each day you are given opportunities to introduce your brand to new prospects, engage with potential clients on social media or in person, and set it apart from others in town.

But how do you ensure your brand is accurately, effectively and cohesively represented each time? How can you guarantee brand consistency everywhere your business has a presence?

How can you ensure your employees and subcontractors—your receptionist, social media marketers, etc.—fully understand how your brand is supposed to sound and feel at every customer touchpoint without accidently giving the wrong impression—or, worse, turning off an ideal client?

The answer: a comprehensive brand strategy.

What is a brand strategy?

A brand strategy consists of intangible components such as ideas, tone and emotions that influence the relationship your brand has with its audience and the world. It's important to be aware of these elements so that they can inform all aspects of your operations.

The core goal of a brand strategy is to create a consistent message, communicate it well to its target audience, and sell products or services effectively.

From design through marketing communications, brand strategy not only maximizes consistency around your brand's visuals, but also helps raise awareness of your brand and, eventually, builds brand loyalty. This is brand affinity.

Brand strategy should not be confused with brand identity design. This entails all the pretty, fun parts that everyone usually thinks of when they think of a brand: colors, fonts and graphics. It's important to adhere to these principles so that your audience can always visually recognize your brand in any marketing medium.

The components of brand strategy

Defining the brand identity

The "why," "how" and "what" in brand strategy

Brand Mission, Purpose, and Vision The most successful businesses are those who can instill inspiration where others can not. By sharing your WHY, you will connect with your ideal audience. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe and collaborate with you to achieve that greater goal. Brand Vision: Your brand’s aspirations for the future and what it hopes to achieve. Brand Purpose: The reason your brand exists. Brand Mission: How your brand will achieve its purpose.

Brand values

Brand values are the foundational beliefs that a company stands for. They serve as the compass that guides your brand story, actions, behaviors and decision-making process.

Brand values attract new customers, improve brand experience, build brand loyalty, retain top employees, improve operational efficiencies and develop a competitive advantage.

Unique Value Proposition (UVP) How you're different than your local competitors. This could be pricing, training, philosophies, or a combination of all three or more. The brand strategy process helps us define this succinctly so everyone, from the receptionist to the social media manager and...eventually...your clients are 100% crystal clear on what makes your med spa unique… …and, why they keep coming back for more.

Brand persona

Brand strategy ideally gives your brand a personality based on brand archetypes. Here, your brand strategy guide breaks down the unique combination of brand archetypes and how this looks in its operations and communication with your audience

Brand voice and brand tone

The brand voice is what your brand communicates to its audience.

Your brand voice is about projecting your brand’s personality through the communications you distribute. It’s directed at your target audience and helps build a memorable connection between your brand and them.

Your brand tone is how your brand communicates to its audience.

Your brand tone or voice may vary based on a few different factors, such as target persona, where a client is at in the buying journey, communication channel, etc.

Competitor analysis and SWOT

No brand strategy is complete without analyzing your current (and future) local competitors.

What other medical aesthetics businesses in your area could your ideal client book services with instead of you?

What are their strengths, so that you can learn how to strengthen yours?

What are their weaknesses, so that you can focus on making your medical spa a shining example of how to do it right? How can you use this to your advantage to fill in a gap in the local market, so your people come flocking to you?

What opportunities do the above two observations create that you can implement and differentiate your business so it’s seen as the best option?

What threats do your competitors pose (such as pricing) and how can you overcome this? How can you communicate this to your ideal audience?

Audience demographics and psychographics

What makes your customer lose sleep at night?

What could they do if you solved this problem for them?

What causes do they care about, and is there a crossover with their interests and yours?

Only by letting your audience know that you truly understand them can you effectively let them know that you truly care about their well-being and what’s important to them.

Customer buying journey and sales objections

How do your customers find out about your business, and what possible sales objections do your marketing have to overcome in order to close the sale?

Brand strategy is a framework for your marketing

Brand strategy is how you can effectively communicate who your brand is and what it stands for to both your ideal audience and with key stakeholders in your marketing plans.

Social media marketers, digital ads specialists, SEO marketing, hiring employees—they all benefit from keeping this information at the forefront of your operations.

Corporations always onboard new employees by teaching them about the brand’s mission and values, and your medical spa should not hire nor interview new employees without brand strategy in mind.

The people who represent your medical spa should understand the brand inside and out, and brand strategy is the way you get there.

Lisette Harrington is a luxury brand designer and brand strategist, web designer and SEO strategist, and founder of Mila Design Co., as well as co-owner of Tox Shop, an elevated apparel and gift shop for aesthetic nurse injectors. Harrington brings more than 13 years of experience in brand and web design to Mila Design Co. and is dedicated to helping transform the brand presence of medical spas by combining strategy and artistry to shine a light on what makes each practice and injector unique. Her goal is to make your medical spa the kind of place people can’t wait to book with, buy from and boast about.