This Tesla covered with 3 anti-Elon bumper stickers will tell you everything you need to know about branding.
I love Marty Neumeier’s definition of branding which is that a brand is not a color, logo or typeface.
Branding is a gut feeling.
5 years ago I used to be inspired by Tesla. It was my dream car.
Now, I see a Tesla and don’t care for it.
When Elon decides to toss up a Hitler salute and jump on Trumps bandwagon (and is now attacking Trump), he loses trust.
Not with everyone, but definitely with this Tesla driver, who if was given the option today probably wouldn’t buy a Tesla. And me too.
When we buy things we are making a statement about who we are.
Having a Tesla sitting outside your home is a representation of your identities and values.
Like having a Rolex or Garmin on your wrist.
They each signal something different.
The watch does the speaking for you.
I used to look at a Tesla and think innovation, environmental consciousness and class.
Now Elon’s actions have changed those thoughts.
This car is now a a symbol of “crazy” and even anti-semitism.
This Tesla owner doesn’t want their car to be a representation of who they are and they want to make sure you know that’s not who they are by slapping, not 1, not 2 but 3 stickers on their expensive car.
Elon is responsible for controlling this narrative.
He speaks for the brand.
He is the logo, the product, and the gut feeling.
So are you.
Every single thing you do is building a gut feeling in your audiences heart.
Be intentional.
What should you post?
Every business exists to solve a problem.
Lots of companies solve the same problem.
For example, any car will get you from point A to point B.
So why would people buy your car?
🅰️ Option A: The buy your unique solution or zone of genius. Like choosing an electric car over gas
🅱️ Option B: They buy the brand—the gut feeling. Like Tesla (Elon) or the vibe of a Ford F150 (you see the difference)
While option A is a bit more logical, both of these options are a representation of your identities and values.
Building option A is something most of my clients already have when they come to me.
Building option B is the fun part.
Think of it like this…
You are the brand (as represented by your content) and I want you to imagine your product is a vehicle.
If someone were to buy your vehicle, what statement are they making about themselves with that car parked out in the driveway of their home?
Content is not about encapsulating all of you into one post, but instead, building the brand over time, post after post.
Content is an ecosystem.
Yes, you will have a gut feeling about someone right away, but you aren’t confident in saying who that person truly is. Most of us give people a chance to get to know others. Building trust happens over time.
Knowing this, if you were to look at your last 100 posts from a 30,000 foot view, what do you think would be the vibe? How would someone describe you in three words?
If someone looked at my content and could only say, “he’s a storytelling coach” then they don’t really know me and they clearly don’t have an emotional connection with me. There’s no trust in that statement. It’s simply a statement of fact like, “Tesla is an electric car.”
That is not a brand. That’s a product. And there thousands of storytelling coaches out there.
Instead, I asked a follower who’s never met me in person to tell me what they think my brand is on social media.
He said, “Well… You are incredibly thoughtful. I love the way you looks at the world. I view the world similarly and it feels good to be seen in that way. I love how you approach topics with love and curiosity and the vulnerability… Dude, that’s huge. You’re so good at articulating your ideas and telling stories… I wish I could do more of that. Also you seem to always be playing sports or doing something active and that is like, so me! haha.”
Getting a response like this is not an accident.
That is the content that I make.
This is what I have been building FOR YEARS with my content.
It’s been easy to build this because this is just who I am.
I’m not faking anything. I’m just telling the truth of my specific experiences of my journey as a spiritual, storytelling athlete.
🅰️ I solve a problem: Leaders who are disconnected from their content. With my zone of genius: Storytelling ✅
🅱️ I build the brand by allowing the truth of who I am to show up in my content (spirituality and sports). The gut feeling ✅
I’m probably not the BEST storytelling coach in the world which is fine because that’s not how people make decisions.
If you could hire any coach to help you with social media problem, why would you hire me?
Because I stand for the same things you stand for. We share similar values, world-views and are even pursuing the same goals.
I don’t sit here and tell you I am these things.
I embody them and show them to you through my content and YOU get to decide if we align or not (and by the way… you’ll do this unconsciously for survival whether you like it or not).
The same way we make a decision about Elon. Not by him trying to convince us of who he is, but by his actions.
That’s a brand.
When making content, ask yourself two questions:
1️⃣ does this position me as the obvious solution to my ideal clients problem?
2️⃣ is this showcasing the truth of who I am (my identities and values)?
If you can combine 1 & 2, then you have really mastered the art of storytelling.
I am working hard to re-build the StoryGrowth Cohort this summer to relaunch in the fall.
It needs deeper community.
It needs more spiritual work.
I am going inward to uncover how I can create something that supports you on the deepest soul level so you can truly create your best work with a group of like-minded people doing the same.
I’ll probably keep the first round limited so if you want updates and to be the first to know when it’s ready, join the wait list by clicking here.
Matt
PS – As an exercise you can pick a random account and try this out. Scroll through 10-20 seconds of their last 10-20 posts and tell me who you think this person really is. how would you describe them in 3 sentences? (try mine right now and tell me what you think)
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