The Importance of Positioning in Your Holistic Business

Positioning is a term often thrown around, but what does it really mean?

In its simplest terms, positioning is how you and your brand sit in the mind of your ideal client. It determines how you connect with them and the services you offer. It decides where you appear in relation to your competitors, and how you distinguish yourself from them.

How you position yourself can be responsible for how you build your brand and the strategies you use to connect with prospective clients. It will determine your services and how they’re packaged, how much you charge, and ultimately, how successful your business will be.

Positioning and Branding

Positioning is intertwined with your branding and reflected in every aspect of your business. Patience is key, brands and positioning take time to establish and don’t happen overnight. Having the courage to take a stance on your position will help you to build a sustainable, thriving business.

Decide how you want to be perceived by your ideal client. How do you want someone to feel about your brand and the experience of working with you?

A famous quote from Jeff Bezos sums this up: “Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room.”

Where are you now?

What perception do clients have of you and your brand?

• Are you an expert, or a generalist who can help anyone?
• How experienced are you?
• What’s the journey clients take to work with you?
• Are you trustworthy and professional?
• What does your brand, website, photo, information, and pricing communicate to those researching you?

Who are your clients?

Clearly articulating who you help, and just as importantly, who you don’t, will strengthen your positioning. You want to create a situation where you attract people who will benefit from working with you and repel those who aren’t a good fit.

Your position lets people know what to expect from you and whether you’re the right person for them to work with.

Position yourself as an expert in one specific area and be known for that. If you seem like you can help anyone, you won’t stand out to the clients you want to attract.

Check out this blog – how to niche your holistic business.

Packages and Pricing

Create packages and services that appeal to your ideal clients, reflecting your positioning. The way you deliver your solutions (in person, online, digital products, post, etc.) will influence your pricing too.

Your pricing should reflect what you offer, how you deliver it, and the value you provide.

Remember, there’s a perceived value to the price you charge. Are you providing the value option, or do you want to offer a premium service? I’ve known people refuse to buy something because it was too cheap and perceived as being of poor quality.

Check out this blog – how do you know if you’re charging enough?

Marketing Message

Your marketing message (or help statement, or elevator pitch) is a simple sentence that tells people who you help, the problem you solve, and the results they can achieve. This can be enhanced and expanded upon when needed.

At the core, it’s a simple message that clearly demonstrates your expertise. It should be easily understood and repeatable.

My marketing message has evolved with my business and I’ve tweaked it many times. Get comfortable with it not being perfect as it’s likely to change over time.

Create a short message along the lines of, "I help (the people) with (the problem) to achieve (the results) using (your approach)."

For more information on creating your marketing message, read this blog – how to create your simple marketing message.

Focus Your Marketing Efforts

You’re positioning your marketing to reach your ideal clients. Once you understand who they are, you can work out the best way to communicate with them. There is no point spending hours on social media if your clients don’t use it.

Check out this blog – how to focus your marketing efforts

Next Step

Create two lists:

#1 Words that describe your brand - Identify key words that serve as a compass for positioning yourself. Ensure everything you do aligns with these words.

Spend a few minutes listing adjectives that describe how you want to be perceived. Think about words clients and friends use to describe you, as these offer great insights. From this list, pick a few keywords that represent your brand values, which help you make decisions on how you position yourself.

#2 Words that don’t reflect your brand - List anything that doesn’t align with how you want to be perceived by your ideal client. Being clear on these will help you to reinforce your decisions.

Conclusion

Positioning your holistic business effectively is essential to attracting the right clients and standing out in a crowded market. If you’re not sure about where to start or you feel your current marketing isn’t working, let’s have a chat. I can help you get clear about your best next steps and point you in the right direction for the support you need.