Keep Them Coming Back: The Art of Brand Seduction

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you're struggling to get noticed, constantly chasing after attention, spending hours promoting your work, thinking that it will lead to your success.

You're practically tap-dancing on the internet, yet the spotlight seems to have a restraining order against you.

What do other creators have that you don't? Is your work just not good enough?

You know you're missing something, but you can't quite put your finger on it.

Most creators only focus on grabbing people's attention, but in reality, that is just the first step.

The real challenge lies in keeping it.

It doesn't matter how niche you are or how many eyeballs you attract; if you can't retain their interest, you'll never truly succeed.

The best creators aren't constantly begging for attention; they have people coming to them because they know how to tell a compelling story.

When I first started my journey into creative entrepreneurship, I believed that having a good product to sell was all it took.

However, after ten failed business attempts, I realized I was missing something crucial. Even when I was getting attention, I still wasn't making any money.

I came to understand that no matter how much attention I received or how great my idea was, if I couldn't get people to care about what I did, I was just another face in the crowd.

Why You Can’t Keep Attention?

One common mistake many beginner creators make is underestimating the power of branding.

Now, before you roll your eyes and mumble, "Branding? Isn't that just fancy logos and corporate jingles?" Let me enlighten you.

Your brand is your identity—it's what sets you apart from everyone else.

Here's the thing: your work might speak for itself, but if people don't understand the story behind it, they're not likely to stick around.

That's why branding is so important. It's what gives your work meaning and helps people connect with it on a deeper level.

I remember when I first started—I spent so much time trying to convince people to notice my work that I barely had time to create anything. But once I figured out my brand, things started to change.

Now, people come to me asking for help instead of the other way around.

What Is Branding Really?

At its core, branding is about telling a story. It's about giving people a reason to care about what you do.

Sure, you might have a great product or service, but without a compelling story behind it, you're just another face in the crowd.

Think of your brand as the main character in a story. It has goals, motivations, and obstacles to overcome. And just like in a story, people are drawn to characters they can relate to.

Without a strong brand, you're constantly chasing after people, trying to convince them to care.

But when you have a compelling story to tell, people come to you—and they stick around.

Finding Your Brand:

Personal branding is just regular branding but you're telling a story about yourself.

When you build a personal brand, you become the main character. By sharing your story, you make people like you, and in turn, like what you do.

The best part? You get to be yourself, unlike big brands that often pretend to be someone they're not.

To figure out your brand, we need to dig into your life story a bit and make a plan, kind of like outlining a book.

(Ps. I got this idea from Dan Koe)

Every story has 4 things:

1. A Hero: A leader to get behind
2. Big Goal: The reason behind the action.
3. Journey: How they got there.
4. Obstacles: The problems they face.
5. Resolution: The benefits that came with it.

The best brands give others an identity to adopt and a lifestyle to practice by sharing your story people will want the same big goal as you and follow the lifestyle you used to get there.

Here's how you can do it:

1. Know Where You Came From: (A Hero)

Start by thinking about your past.

You will use this to relate to your audience and showcase authenticity; nobody likes a flawless main character; you need to add depth.

• Where did you grow up?
• What problems did you face?
• What experiences shaped who you are today?
• What are your philosophy values and belief systems?
• What problems did you face?
  

2. The Dream Lifestyle: (Big Goal)

Good brands sell a fix, but great brands sell a lifestyle; think of the difference between Toyota and Ferrari.

Toyota sells the most reliable cars, but Ferrari sells status.

Knowing where you want to go gives you direction and helps you focus on what matters most as you move forward.

• If you had all of the money in the world, what would your ideal day look like?
• What kind of environment do you want to live in? Specific location?
• Do you want to travel?
• Do you want a family? What do you want that life to look like? Visualize an average day of family time.
• How long of a workday do you want to have? If you could do anything, what would you do for work?

3. The Anti-Dream lifestyle: (Obstacles)

Everyone who is running to something is also running away from something else.

Imagine the worst possible lifestyle and describe it in detail.

• What is the bane of your existence?
• What were your lowest points in life?
• What are some consistent pain points in that life?
• How do you not want to look?
• Where do you not want to live?
• What do you not want to do for work?

4. List Your Skills: (Journey)

These skills are like tools in your toolbox for reaching your goals.

It’s the journey you're on, It's what you need to learn and who you need to become to achieve your dream lifestyle.

Think about the problems you're facing and what you will have to do to solve those problems:

• What are you good at?
• What skills do you need to learn?
• What type of person do you need to be?

Ps. The more skills you have, the better, because different people will connect with different things about you. Don't worry about it being all over the place; that's the power of a personal brand!

5. How You Want To Be Seen:

This is where appearance comes into play.

Yes, branding isn't all about logos and slogans, but that does still play a role.

• What are beliefs you have that others would consider extreme or offensive?
• What do you want to become known for?
• What feelings do you want to be associated with your brand (e.g., Creative, professional, fun, warm)?
• What are your brand colors and how do they make others feel (here's a good article to read)
• How do you want to speak? With what tone? With how much depth?
• Write down names of people that you aspire to be like here.

Conclusion:

These 5 things—cover everything you need to tell a compelling story and help you understand why you do what you do. And when you understand why you do things so will others.

From this point on everything you create goes through this lens

You write like you're writing to your younger self. You build what you wish you had when starting out. You sell it using the problems you solved.

When you put them together, they create your personal brand—the story of who you are and what you're all about.

By thinking about these things and telling your story in a clear and honest way, you can define your brand in a way that makes sense to you and other people.

You will start to attract people to your work, and they will keep coming back for more.

Remember, your brand isn't just about what you do—it's about why you do it and how you make a difference.