Ep 43. How Theming Helps You Stand Out From the Competition (Theming Part 2)
Nourish Your Brand · Episode 43
Today's about that feeling you're craving: a brand that actually feels like you and finally stands out from a sea of similar offers.
We're in such a crowded space now, with AI churning out content left, right and centre, so it's not always the best service that gets booked, it's the one people remember. Part two of the theming series is about how to become that one. Let's get into it.
Why you blend in
A lot of online service providers offer very similar things. Stripped back, it's "I help people with X so they can achieve Y."
Mine would be "I help business owners with branding so they can attract clients." True, but not enticing, there's no hook, so you end up sounding like everyone else.
So you try all the things: new content style, new visuals, new tone, maybe even changing your offer (an eek moment for me, that shouldn't be your first port of call). And even when people do find you, they think "sounds nice, I'll come back later," then forget who you are. Not because your work isn't valuable, but because it isn't positioned clearly enough for them to remember you.
What a working theme looks like
When your theme is doing its job, your service doesn't just make sense, it stands out. You become the one who makes learning podcasting feel like summer camp, or the one who explains branding through food, or the one who's unapologetic about making money.
Clients quote your metaphors back to you. Your offer becomes a conversation starter, not just another sales page people scroll past.
You're not one of many, you're the one they remember and already feel connected to. (This is the flip side of Episode 20, where playing it safe makes you forgettable.)
The two Lauras
I worked with the two Lauras, who teach social media managers how to run their freelance business. They had traction and their audience loved their teaching, but they weren't connecting with their branding. Instead of the aspirational "working from yachts, drinking champagne" look so many in that space use, we leaned into their real life. Their theme became "jeans and a jumper" energy, comfy, no-BS, real.
The result: they felt comfortable showing up as themselves again, and their clients felt it too, because what they saw on social matched the website and the offer. Now people don't say "who were those two who taught social media managers?" They say "the two Lauras, the ones who keep it real." That's what theming does, it builds differentiation that feels genuine, and that builds trust.
"But what if my theme boxes me in?"
Valid question. Here's my answer: your theme isn't meant to become your brand, it's meant to support and clarify it, and highlight what makes you memorable. It makes it easier to show up, connect and sell without reinventing the wheel.
How much you keep internal versus showcase outwardly is up to you, but having a theme and using it will filter through your whole brand and help you stand out. (More on the "boxed in" fear in Episode 29.)
Ask yourself this week
If you stripped your offer back to "I help people with X," would anything make you memorable?
Do clients quote your way of explaining things back to you, or forget who you are?
What's the real-life truth about how you work that could become your point of view?
Where to go from here
What you offer is great, now let's brand it so people remember it. That's the power of a theme when it's intentional, not just aesthetic. To find yours, join my free Knead a Theme challenge, where we land on the theme that helps you stop looking and sounding like everyone else. And when you're ready to build it out, that's my Brand Chef's Special. Next up, part three: when your branding problem is actually a theming problem.
Related episodes
Ep 42: How to theme your brand with purpose (Theming Part 1)
Ep 44: 3 signs your branding problem is actually a theming problem (Theming Part 3)
Ep 20: Why playing it safe with your branding is costing you sales
Resources mentioned
Knead a Theme challenge – my free challenge to find the theme that makes you stand out
Brand Chef's Special – branding your business and offer together
The Spread – my email newsletter, with new episodes straight to your inbox
Here's More…
Why does my brand blend in even though my work is good? Because in a crowded market, the brand people remember gets booked, not always the best one. If your offer isn't positioned with a clear point of view, people forget you, even when your work is valuable.
How does a theme help me stand out? It gives your brand a point of view and an emotional through-line, turning your service into an experience people remember and quote back to you. The two Lauras went from forgettable to "the ones who keep it real."
Will a theme box me in? No. Your theme supports and clarifies your brand rather than becoming it. You decide how much to showcase, and used well it makes showing up, connecting and selling easier. My free Knead a Theme challenge helps you find one that fits.
About the host
I'm Aiza, the brand chef behind Studio Coya, a branding studio with a food-themed twist. I help established coaches, creators and service providers brand their signature offers so their best work looks as good as it actually is, and sells like hotcakes.
