Danait Berhe on Elevating Your Yoga Brand
Danait is a brand and marketing strategist who is passionate about helping her clients stand out through the power of messaging.
After graduating with a degree in biochemistry, Danait decided against attending medical school and chose to pursue her interest in business instead. She launched her first business in the sixth grade, creating custom bookmarks, and she knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur at some point… so why not now? She thought she might want to run her own clinic, but in the end, she was drawn toward the psychological element of marketing and messaging. Thus, her agency was born.
I love branding, but admittedly, it’s not my area of expertise, so I was thrilled to jump on a call with Danait and pick her brain about how to elevate your yoga business through branding. Spoiler alert: It’s so much more than just the visual aspects of your business! I learned so much from Danait, and I know you will, too.
Business Lessons
Know what “branding” really means.
Often, when we think of branding, our attention turns to our logos, websites, and color palettes. We focus so much on the design elements of our businesses that the other aspects of branding fall by the wayside.
More than eye-catching graphics, branding is about what makes your business unique. It’s about the people whom you serve and your long-term plan to improve their lives. Branding is your messaging. What are you sharing and how are you sharing it? This is how prospective clients will connect with you.
Design is important, but it’s not everything. The words you use to speak to your people are vital.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Many of us struggle with writing copy because we’re afraid to get it wrong. This takes the fun out of creating a brand, turning it into something to be dreaded (and sometimes avoided altogether).
With her background in science, Danait suggests treating your messaging as an experiment, rather than something that needs to be perfect. Think of it like a game! The same creativity that you bring to your design elements can translate to your copywriting as well. Your only goal should be to connect with your dream student.
If your messaging isn’t performing the way you’d like, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, roll up your sleeves and investigate. So, you didn’t fill your first workshop—how will you strengthen your marketing copy next time? Messaging is meant to evolve as you gain confidence, inspiration, and feedback from your students. It is never perfect and never finished—and that’s great news. You are free to experiment.
Start with your vision.
If you don’t have a vision of where your business is headed, you will find yourself jumping from one idea to the next, which makes branding an unnecessary struggle.
Once you’re rooted in your vision (for both your business and your life), the path forward becomes clearer. You’re able to anchor yourself in those ideas that will propel you forward, rather than throwing things at the wall and hoping something sticks. This, in turn, makes your messaging clearer and attracts your ideal students.
Niche down.
If you try to speak to everyone, you’ll reach no one. Instead, get clear on your niche. Who are you targeting? How can you connect with them? What are they struggling with, and how can you help?
This brings us to Danait’s next point…
Define your services.
Once you’re clear on your niche, it’s time to hone in on your unique methodology. How will your offerings solve a problem for your students?
Defining your services has less to do with what you want to do and more to do with your clients’ needs. What will transform not just your life, but the lives of your students as well? How can you facilitate that? And how can you write about it clearly and effectively?
The way you differentiate your work dictates your branding.
Don’t try to create in a vacuum.
As we’re writing, we become attached to certain words and ways of describing things. But when we put our messaging out there… it falls flat. Maybe your audience doesn’t understand what you’re trying to convey, or maybe they can’t feel the heart behind your words. Either way, the lesson is clear: we need to do market research.
Market research does not need to be overwhelming. In fact, it can be as simple as jumping on Instagram Stories and saying, “Hey friends! Does this phrase resonate with you?” or “What do you think of when you hear ____________?” This allows your audience to chime in with direct feedback as you’re creating the brand that will serve them. You can also replicate this exercise in person or via your email newsletter.
Of course, market research is not the be-all, end-all of branding. This is your yoga business, and it’s important that you’re excited about your offerings. You are the expert, and your unique methodology and results are why people want to work with you. Always balance feedback from your audience with your vision and core values.
Yoga Business OmWork
To create clear and impactful messaging for your yoga business, there are three overarching things to keep in mind:
- The people you want to serve
- The transformation you provide
- Your unique process
This is what Danait works on with her clients, and they are the vital components of a solid brand. With that in mind, grab your journal and brainstorm around these three points. It may take some experimentation to discover your niche, but the effort will be worth it.
“We get caught up in all these ‘shoulds,’ and we lose sight of the fact that we started our own businesses to carve our own path in the world… You’re the person who’s going to pave the way.” – Danait Berhe
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Photo by Alexandra Tran on Unsplash
