Brand: Figuring Out “Who” Before Why
The most frequently asked question we receive is, “how do I create compelling content?” and “what do I talk about?” More importantly, the question people should be answering is, “who am I?”
A common misconception is that products and services are the centrepieces of brands. In reality, a shoe is just a shoe. Shoes won’t make you run any faster or jump any higher than your body allows, but the marketing still tells you it will.
Nike became a sports juggernaut because they found an identifiable character and went all-in on him. Nike built an empire around Micheal Jordan, whose system of values and personal characteristics became synonymous with their brand.
Michael Jordan inspires people to wear his shoes and “Be Like Mike,” and the brand inspires confidence in the people who wear it. However, the real test for performance is the effort and commitment you put into improvement.
Brands are more than logos, products or services. Brands are the reputation and trust you establish with your audience—this takes work. Good content always starts with “who” and then answers the “why.”
Brand Build
What is a brand?
Branding is more than your logos and colours. The identifiable characteristics your audience attributes to your reputation are a perfect synonym for brand. It’s your job to build a positive reputation so you don’t have to rely on sales to sell products and services.
Who are you are is a combination of:
Values
Personality traits
Stories
Being clear on “who” you are creates messaging clarity. Clear messaging allows your audience to align with the vision and your brand begins to build a community of like-minded individuals.
Brand messaging is about building familiarity through storytelling, and your audience automatically recalls the key messages embedded throughout your media.
Instead of wondering if they can trust or respect you, your stories—interlaced with values and personality traits—have already resolved this internal conflict.
Brand breaks down barriers all by itself, requiring no extra effort because the clarity of conversation lives on your social media.
The Problem
Too many brands measure their success on likes, followers and other impressions. Metrics are minor compared to the mental toughness required to build confidence in the digital sphere.
Before the advent of social media, it was thought that only multinational corporations had brands. Now you’re seeing individual artists, athletes and entrepreneurs generating vast amounts of success from their personalities.
You might be doubting yourself, feeling a lack of authority, or worried about what people might say about you. What you’re experiencing is called the imposter syndrome, and everyone has these thoughts; you’re not alone.
Imposter syndrome—if left unchecked—can quickly lead to inaction and hamper your development. Curbing self-doubt before it becomes debilitating begins with improving your relationship with yourself and may involve creating boundaries around fitness, diet, substances or mental health.
The degree to which you share has its limits, so don’t feel the need to overshare. Succeeding in storytelling requires a specific mind frame: be courageous, be vulnerable and finally, be authentic.
Take the task of figuring out what story to tell and how to tell it. Take it one step at a time, and you can always ask for help.
The Brand Play
Brands are not built overnight. Brand building is a long-term strategy that can take years to develop but is enormously profitable.
The secret is to build your brand around yourself and craft compelling stories that map back to what you do and why you do it—that’s it!
The entire reason we craft brands around ourselves is to allow people to understand who you are and what you believe in. Your online persona boosts credibility and instils trust with future employers and customers, so you don’t have to.
What content do I post?
Document the journey
Start a podcast
Let people get to know you through activities you enjoy
Imagine building your brand like a puzzle. Puzzles are made piece by piece, adding small amounts of colour to the overall picture. When sharing on social media, each post is a piece of who you are that amounts to a much bigger picture.
We suggest keeping it simple. Start with documenting a defining story of your life that made you who you are. That could include troubles at school or overcoming a personal struggle. Embrace whatever adversity you’ve championed because that is what makes you special.