[WP:67] Building A Brand Without Building A Brand
What if I told you that YOU… Yes you, the average joe, with an iPhone can build and scale a brand with 10 dedicated friends?
Huge if true right? And yet someone did just that, amassing nearly 10 million supporters online, posting workout routines. And soon enough the collaborators in the Gym industry came crawling. This article will dissect how even you can build a brand without actually getting your hands dirty, and letting a legion of online supporters hammer away at building it for you. Let’s examine these case studies.
This article is a companion piece summary of the podcast featuring Nataniah Colucci, discussing branding and peer to peer cheat codes.
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How to Build a Kickass Brand from Scratch: An Insider's Guide
Building a brand from the ground up can be a thrilling yet daunting journey, especially if you're a designer or creative professional trying to navigate the business landscape. Here’s a no-BS guide based on a recent conversation with a seasoned graphic designer who’s been through the trenches and come out the other side with valuable insights.
Meet the Designer
Our expert is a graphic designer with a passion for creating visually appealing work that helps people. Having worked with nonprofits, art galleries, and community centers, they’re now branching out to create a personal brand that combines aesthetics with functionality.
Key Takeaways from Our Chat
Own Your Digital Turf
Website is Your Kingdom: The designer has maintained a personal website since 2021. This serves as their primary digital turf where they control the narrative and user experience.
SEO Mastery: Focus on strategic backlinking, using platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, and Facebook to boost SEO. This organic strategy helps in making your website a central hub of activity and information.
Say Goodbye to Vanity Metrics
Ditch the Follower Count: Emphasize content quality over follower quantity. It's about meaningful engagement rather than superficial numbers.
Be Authentic: Authenticity in branding resonates more with audiences than inflated follower counts. This approach builds genuine connections and trust.
Create a Friendly, Inclusive Brand
Appeal Beyond the 'Chads': The designer highlights the need for a welcoming, non-intimidating gym brand. Aim for a warm and inclusive atmosphere that appeals to newcomers and diverse audiences.
Lifestyle Over Workouts: Focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle rather than just workout routines. This broader appeal can attract a wider audience who are interested in overall well-being.
Utilize Social Media Wisely
Leverage Multiple Platforms: Use Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to create a seamless brand experience. Cross-linking accounts helps maintain consistency and maximizes reach.
Collaborator Posts: Start with collaborator posts on Instagram to tap into existing followers while establishing a new brand presence.
Local and Community Engagement
Engage In-Person: Attend local events, such as running clubs, and engage with the community. Personal connections can translate into online followers and loyal customers.
Wear Your Brand: Be your own brand ambassador by wearing your merchandise. It’s a subtle yet effective way to generate interest and start conversations.
The Designer’s Journey: A Summary
Starting with a strong foundation, our designer has meticulously crafted a brand strategy that leverages personal experience, digital savvy, and community engagement. They emphasize the importance of owning your digital space, focusing on authentic engagement, and creating a brand that is inclusive and lifestyle-oriented. By utilizing social media and in-person interactions effectively, they are building a brand that resonates on a deeper level with their audience. Now with the real meat of the matter at hand.
Fixing the Giga Chad Gym Bro Culture: A Designer's Vision
So, you're sitting there, minding your own business, and suddenly, BAM, you're asked to create a brand without actually creating one. Cool, right? Yeah, no pressure at all. Let's dive in, shall we?
First off, forget everything you have the arrogance to think you know, the laws don’t apply the same in the online world. Be it you’re a seasoned graphic designer or some noob about to get into your first boss battle. I’ve spent two hours honing into what career cheat codes builds and scales brands working with nonprofits, art galleries, influencers, peer to peer networks and community centers. You will soon learn that sometimes, zero effort is all you need.
The Freelancer's Hustle
All your freelance work flows through a single email, which you might soon expand into its own brand with dedicated contact info. A website although not a requirement certainly is a strategic asset to own. Regardless, you should curate YOUR little corner of the internet. It’s all about being understated but effective, and it’ll do wonders for traffic and conversions. If you’re serious about your online presence, owning your domain is crucial. Forget the technical mumbo jumbo of SEO – it’s all about backlinks. Think Reddit, LinkedIn, and, yes, Facebook. Laugh all you want, but Facebook still drives some serious traffic.
Step Up, Gym Bros
Alright, Gym Bros, it’s time to listen up. Why is it that with all your muscle the vibe at the gym is still boring, you’re scaring the hoes… Bro. Let’s break it down into three easy steps to fix this mess:
STEP 1: ABOLISH THE FOLLOWER/FOLLOWING COUNT
“How do I make number go up?” My brother in Christ you’re worried about the wrong number, call God’s hotline if you’re this infatuated with your greed. Get rid of those metrics. Your self-worth shouldn’t be tied to a number on a screen. Just have 10 friends, take in their honest feedback about what they like and certainly don’t like about your brand. You’ll be shocked what such a small sample size can do for you.
STEP 2: KILL THE ADS
Yes, we get it, you need a business model to please the people buying in. But drowning users in ads? Seriously? Create a separate section for your shopping madness and keep the main feed clean. The people aren’t slow, they know where to go. It’s called reading the room. Let people decorate their virtual home without billboards flashing “BUY NOW.”
STEP 3: BE CLEAR
Enough with trying to be everything to everyone. Stick to your lane by adopting the 3 core pillar approach. Pillar 1, who is my ideal community? Pillar 2, what about my products will keep the community satisfied? Pillar number 3, what format am I regurlarly using to communicate with the community so everyone is up to date on the brand’s status. And for heaven’s sake, stop copying each other. No one asked for Instagram to become a second-rate TikTok.
Branding for a New Era
Now, back to my world. Branding isn’t just about slapping a logo on things. It’s about creating an experience. Enter Lean Beef Patty, best described as a gym enthusiast, anime fan and brand ambassador. Make no mistake, the description used here is deceptively simple, observe.
What works with her is that she makes the gym, a place that can be intimidating with harsh, macho branding actually appealing. She also shatters the stereotype that anime fans don’t take care of themselves. You want something that says, “She just like me for real” and just like that, you’ll have an audience moving mountains for you.
Connecting and Growing
Building a brand is more than just online presence. It’s about real-world connections. Local running clubs, for instance, are gold mines for community engagement. Follow a few, show up in person, wear your own merch. Let people see you, talk to you, and connect with you.
Staying Hip and Functional
Fashion in the fitness world isn’t just about the gym. It’s a lifestyle. Similarly, your brand isn’t some non descript package ready made for mass consumption. Not if you want to achieve Network State status that is. Those that need a refresher… What do Jesus, Beyonce and Lean Beef Patty all have in common? I’ll let you make up your own mind about the implications of that comparison but numbers do not lie, and numbers leveraged in the context of a Network State can turn one simple idea into a virus that spreads, hijacking the minds of millions. Congratulations, you just built a brand with zero effort.
Final Thoughts
We all remember the classic phrase, sex sells, right? Here’s why I disagree with the premise when examined through a lens of brand building. Sex, preys upon temporary, although powerful desires & impulses. If a functional brand is what you’re looking for don’t make your brand sexy, make the idea of discussing the brand sexy. That’s why we never get tired of discussing the latest scoop, for better or worse. It’s a communal act, a way to confirm that your lived reality isn’t as much of a nut case as you’d think. That someone else out there, or maybe millions of them are as deranged as you and take comfort in knowing that. For all I know the world’s next biggest brand might be launched on some random kid’s phone as a joke, and if they can do it, no reason why others can’t do the same.