Are you building a BORING BRAND? (If you're missing these 3 things, the answer is YES)

You have a problem. Your prospect isn't going to get to the end and say “THIS is the coach that I have been looking for.”

I was talking to one of my new clients recently about a freemium that she is creating which will be a great “getting started” option for her connections who are looking to take a first step before hiring her.

In the process of creating this freemium, she had followed all the advice and instruction I had given her so the content and flow were on point. The value was there. The only problem was.. it just didn’t have the ignition factor that I was looking for. You know, that marketing spark that really makes you want it.

So I told her, your work is awesome and I love how much instruction and value you have packed into this thing.. but you have a problem. I don’t think the prospect that goes through this freemium is going to get to the end and say “THIS is the coach that I have been looking for.”

And of course, she was a bit surprised and asked WHY NOT?!

So I shared with her 3 things that I’m going to share with you today to help you make sure you’re not building a BORING BRAND.

If these 3 things are missing, your core messaging will be bland and unappealing, even if it’s targeted at the right audience.

Kind of like cold oatmeal, with no brown sugar or raisins. Ugh. Or pancakes with no syrup. Or nachos with no cheese.

Nobody wants that!

Here’s the list – let’s make sure you’re not building a boring brand.

Element 1: Dimension

Dimension means adding different characteristics or accents to the voice of your brand. Think of it as flavors in the perfect meal. Imagine going out to try a new restaurant when your meal is served, everything on the plate tastes the same. How excited are you about that meal? Not very. And more importantly, how likely are you to go back? Not a chance.

So what are your flavors?

Are you funny? Passionate? Down-to-earth? Practical? Techy? Faith-based? A little bit sassy? Foul-mouthed? (I didn’t just throw that last one in to see if you were paying attention.)

Some people use profanity as part of their brand dimension. While of course you that’s not something I would encourage everyone to do and I’m not personally a fan of it, it is one possible flavor.

Think about Gary V. The man weaves profanity into his conversations the way Picasso paints a canvas. He’s certainly brilliant, but would I want to hire him for 1:1 coaching? Not a chance.

When you’re working with your clients it’s very easy to get narrow-focused on your process and ensure that they get everything they need to know to move forward.

While that’s important, HOW we deliver is equally important. You need to be very aware of how you carry and present yourself in the various settings of your business. (In-person vs live online vs 1:1’s on zoom) What’s their experience with you? What are your flavors?

Boring Brand Alert: If all of your brand content and messaging is bland so you don’t offend people, you will never attract your true people.

One of my ‘brand flavors’ is direct honesty, which might also be seen as ‘authenticity’. I commit to always telling you what you need to hear which is not always what you want to hear. It’s necessary. You don’t pay me to be your best buddy and make you feel comfortable with your excuses. You pay me to help you get results! So honesty with my clients is one of my core business values, and it’s one of my brand dimensions.

So this is what I encourage you to do to spice up your brand:

Pick 3 words that express who you want to be. They should be related to who you are, but they can also be aspirational. For example, if you’ve always wanted to let your funny side show, but have been nervous about it, now’s your chance!

Evaluate your content, freebies, emails, and social posts based on those 3 words. Are you living up to who you want to be, or are you playing it safe? Are you building a boring brand?

Element 2: Vulnerability

No one wants to see perfection, especially from someone who’s trying to help them transform, grow or accomplish a major milestone. It’s annoying. It makes you feel unrelatable.

Your audience wants to see vulnerability. Because to them, it translates as authenticity.

What mistakes have you made? What struggles have you overcome? What’s personal for you? Where have you failed? I’m serious y’all, have a good cry on camera and just watch how much your audience floods to you in response. Lol!

If you’d like to see what I’m talking about you can check out this video on YouTube when I shared my testimony. This was recorded in 2016 on Periscope. I decided to share my personal testimony of all that I have been through in my adult life to ultimately becoming Justin Cappon Pro. I planned to talk for 45 minutes but ended up streaming live for 3 hours.

It's a raw unedited conversation. If you really want to know why I am who I am, I think you’ll definitely enjoy watching it.

Boring Brand Alert: If you are only ever sharing what your ideal clients ‘should do’ without telling stories and giving examples about the mistakes you’ve made and the struggles you’ve personally faced, you are building a brand that is unrelatable.

This was a challenge for me when I first started my business. I thought that for people to trust me and want to hire me that I would have to appear as if I had it all together and had all the answers. I was afraid to be transparent because I thought it would make me seem unqualified.

The reality is, transparency is so powerful. The examples you can give your audience of where you’ve personally struggled and how you’ve overcome are like magnets to draw the people in who need you and will hire you.

So here’s what I encourage you to do:

Pick 3 stories that you can share that highlight a transformational lesson you experienced that could be shared as a learning experience in your journey.

Write out how you would tell the stories, and in what settings you would use them. Then practice them, and be ready for the opportunity to share.

Another Boring Brand Alert: I said write them out and practice your delivery. There is nothing worse than trying to listen to somewhere attempting to tell a story who rambles, can’t articulate their thoughts, or get’s lost telling their own story. Don’t be that person.

Element 3: Action

Your brand won’t have staying power unless you challenge people to take action. They need to see you as the person who can get them to move; who can get them to push past procrastination; who can get them to step out into the uncomfortable.

One of the biggest challenges with transformation is that it takes time and effort to get results, whether you’re talking about building a business, creating a relationship, or improving your health. It’s a process right?

Boring Brand Alert: When you map out your services, when you create freemiums, or when you give people the opportunity to experience you in any way.. don’t make your training too big, too complex or too hard to follow. Giving grandiose, hard-to-follow instructions without providing clear actionable steps to take is a surefire way to land in boringville.

Instead, break it down. Especially when we’re talking about the free resources you’re creating or the content you’re sharing through your live videos, podcasts, blogs, stories or Reels. What is one small step that your ideal client can take today that would create a win for them?

Give them that today. Help them accomplish one specific juicy outcome. That win is going to wet their appetite and bring them back wanting more from you.

DIMENSION. VULNERABILITY. ACTION.

If you can interject these 3 things into the building of our brand you are sure to have a business that connects, engages, inspires and attracts an authentic and loyal audience of people who want and need what you have to offer.

That’s what I’ve got for you today Crew!

If you’re stuck and you know it, I challenge you to reach out to me.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and tell myself one thing in the early stages of my business, all I would say is “Get help sooner.”

I didn’t. I tried to do it all myself. And listen, there’s nothing wrong with being a do-it-yourselfer. I think that’s a natural trait of an entrepreneur.

The problem comes when you are a do-it-yourselfer AND. IT. SHOWS.

Get help sooner. Invest in the tools, training, and support you need to accomplish the things that you’ve been unable to do on your own.

I guarantee it’ll change everything.

Cheers and be great ~ JC