Your Brand Is Calling

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Antonia Hines
6 years ago
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3 CONTENTS Acknowledgements 1 What is a Brand? 11 2 Your Brand is Calling 17 3 Your Value Proposition 27 4 Positioning Your Brand 29 5 Your Brand Words 37 6 Taglines and Pitches 45 7 Does Your Bio Tell a Story 49 8 Brutal Honesty is Your Friend 53 9 Platform Schmatform Taking Action Branding for Writers Saying No 75 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To my wife, Chris. You remind me every day that being myself is the best way to build a personal brand, and the best way to live.

4 Endorsements What I love about Mike Loomis is his authenticity. There is no one more suited to help you understand that your brand is more than just an ad it s the purest articulation of who you are and what you re called to do. Listen to him! Jeff Goins, best-selling author of The Art of Work Mike s advice will help you to dramatically differentiate yourself from the masses & uniquely position your brand to make powerful connections. - Jared Easley, Author and Founder of Podcast Movement Mike helped me shape a strategic and intentional brand with a clear direction. I recommend Mike to anyone who wants to build a brand that creates influence. - Jody Maberry, Entrepreneur and Podcaster Can t say it enough: get outside perspective on your brand. My background is branding and I still invest in counsel from Mike. Worth it! - Kelsey Humphreys, Entrepreneur and Journalist Mike always lives up to his promise of helping me get to the next level. - Jeff Anderson, Author and Speaker Mike s a professional, and helps me get to my very best, while protecting my core message. - Dr. Nathan Baxter, Coach and Entrepreneur Mike has built his own successful brands and helped countless people build theirs, including mine. I highly recommend this book and all of his consulting services. - John Mason, author of the million-plus selling An Enemy Called Average In today s distracted and hyper-competitive world, your initial perception matters more than ever. The problem is, most people are confused about their brand. Mike Loomis has changed all that with an easy to understand, yet in-depth look at what personal branding is, and how it can change your future. Your Brand is Calling will open your eyes to the power of perception and how you can shape it to advance your message, your expertise, and your purpose. Phil Cooke, filmmaker, media consultant, and author of, Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social Media

5 Chapter 1 WHAT IS A BRAND? Name recognition is essential for a personal brand - Author Unknown Branding has become an overused buzzword. The term has been misused and distorted, but that doesn t mean we should dismiss the concept. Branding is a force for personal expression and influence. Whether we realize it or not, we all have a brand and are building it every day. What is a brand? One of my favorite definitions of a brand is from Seth Godin: A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer. If you ve never heard of it, if you wouldn t choose it, if you don t recommend it, then there is no brand, at least not for you. Here s what branding is not: A brand is not a logo it s what the logo stands for. Branding is not trying to please the masses, as in, How can we be more relevant to this demographic? or, I need a cool logo. Branding is not aspiring to a trendy vision to grab market share. This approach is fake, outsidedriven, and gives branding a bad name. My definition of personal branding is: The public expression of your calling. Let the simplicity of that definition sink in. Your personal brand is simply the public expression of your calling.

6 Every person and every organization has a brand. The goal is to be intentional when creating your brand in the age we live in. One hundred years ago, if you were a boot maker, the sign outside your shop would have probably been a huge boot. You love to make boots. I want great boots. I see your sign, and walk in! Simple, right? Let people know what you offer. Two keys for a powerful brand - You must be both: 1 Authentic 2 Persuasive Most brands are one or the other. For example: A blog about my life may be authentic and true, but will anyone be interested? The most amazing keynote speaker on the planet might sound persuasive - but is it authentic? A purely factual approach to branding will probably be boring. Hype that s not grounded in truth will fizzle. An influential brand must be 100% Authentic and 100% persuasive. It s possible, and essential, to express both. Three ways brands are built: 1. All the words you use in communication and web 2. Every photo and image you use and publish 3. Every action you take (Books and resources you create, events you produce) Build an authentic and persuasive brand intentionally with words, images, and actions. The process I use to audit an existing brand is fairly simple. First, I get to know the person or team by asking tough questions. Second, I review their existing materials (web, print, s, social media, products, blogs, photos everything). Third, I locate the areas of connect and disconnect between the two experiences of meeting in person versus reviewing materials.

7 Usually, the biggest revelation about brand problems is the difference between experiencing a person (or product) in person and comparing that experience with their current brand (expressed in web, marketing materials, and communications). Have you ever spent time on a person s web site, then met them in person, only to be surprised at the difference in the experience? Why is this disconnect so common? I believe it s because we re the worst at critiquing our own brand. I say that my consulting work is like getting a haircut you could do it yourself, but it probably won t turn out well! [End of sample] BUY THE BOOK FROM MIKE (Only $12, including shipping!) BUY THE BOOK FROM AMAZON

8 ABOUT MIKE Mike Loomis helps people launch and grow their ideas, businesses, nonprofits, and books. After starting and selling two businesses, he s a strategic partner to bestselling authors, global nonprofits, publishers, as well as startups and aspiring messengers. As a literary agent and brand manager, Mike coaches people to maximize their influence. He and his wife live in the mountains of Colorado, which happens to be an inspiring place to meet, and launch your dreams. NEED SOME OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE? I d be honored to review your: Web site, blog, and social media Business model Book proposal or manuscript Crazy idea Just contact me through the web site:

9 THE VIDEO COURSE YOUR BRAND IS CALLING Want a paced process through these principles, with video segments and bonuses? How about the option of a personal review of your brand and strategy? In addition to a satisfaction guarantee, as a subscriber you re eligible to receive enrollment for only $50. Simply me through the web site to receive your discount code. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VIDEO COURSE

10 WRITING A BOOK? Start planning your launch before you finish writing. I ve been a part of two successful New York Times bestseller campaigns and every Amazon campaign I ve led resulted in at least one #1 rank. Books have changed my life. But I ve seen terrific authors not maximize the reach of their books because they didn t know the basics of promotion. That s why I created this planner. Available on Amazon or

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