Part 1: The 5 Essential Parts to Your INNER Brand (for Voice Teachers)
Do you hear the word ‘brand’ and your eyes start to glaze over? You’re not alone!
Let’s be real — branding isn’t one of the core subjects we learn in music school. (Neither is making money! 🤷♀️) You may find that the word itself come across as salesy, business-y, and not relevant to teaching voice lessons. But oh man how wrong that is!
Without having a brand — especially teaching in the online world — the only way to grow & maintain your private studio is through word-of-mouth referrals. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with referrals! We love referrals. BUT, if it’s your only strategy for studio growth (or even just sustaining your income!), you may be in for a rude awakening.
Having a brand simply means that others can clearly see and feel how awesome you are as a teacher!
And here’s the kicker — your brand is way more than pretty pictures.
When I first got into marketing years ago, I became obsessed over the idea of having a beautiful brand. I loved Instagram (still do! 🙋♀️) and secretly wished to be a blogger-photographer sharing beautifully curated photos.
Having an eye for design, I'd spend weeks, if not months, capturing & posting (what I thought were) gorgeous "lifestyle photos" of coffee cups & sunsets.
There was just one problem...
Pretty instagram pictures didn't do anything to grow my business.
No increase in clients.
No interview requests.
I didn't even really get new followers!
All because I was neglecting the most important thing —my inner brand.
When we think of ‘branding,’ we’ll immediately visualize a logo, graphics, and cohesive colors. But what does the logo mean? What vibe are the colors creating, and why? And most importantly, what feelings do you want to convey to those who you want to attract?
Here's the thing — humans like pretty things. Good brands know how to use the power of visuals to connect with their audience. But great brands connect their visuals to the deeper mission behind their business.
So with every “outer” brand you see, its “inner” brand working behind the scenes.
Your outer brand is the gas that runs your business.
Your inner brand is the foundation that shapes your business.
Think about it this way — your outer brand is what people see. Your inner brand is what people feel.
Without clarifying the components of your inner brand first, your outer brand will be meaningless. It’ll be pretty, sure, but it won’t have a purpose behind it. And trust me when I say — people can feel this (or lack of this) immediately. (Especially online!)
Ready to learn how to create your inner brand?
Learn the 5 things every voice teacher’s inner brand needs inside of The Aligned Voice Teachers facebook group. (It’s free!)
