#2 - Building the BRAND before the product

[Puppy]

Starting off by building a brand and a following via social media before selling any product.

The goal is to

• learn how to use social media in the first place
• establish what the BRAND is (this part is done but i may find it evolves in ways i cant see yet)
• grow a social media following
  
• establish the BRAND on social media becoming known as a BRAND
• use said BRAND to sell to the audience who follows and/or wants the BRAND.

 

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[ApeRunner]

I think a brand can't exist without a solution/offer. Because nobody will pay attention to you if you don't offer something.

People only look for what's in for THEM.

At least you can begin by talking about their problems to develop empathy. Then you study the market/niche and then the solution/product.

My 2 cents.

 

[Puppy]

I think a brand can't exist without a solution/offer. Because nobody will pay attention to you if you don't offer something... Then you study the market/niche and then the solution/product.

Hi thanks for stopping to comment. Ill try to address the points you brought up to clarify better.

I will be offering something, I mean a brand has to be built on something after all. What I won't be doing is putting any focus on selling (at this point)

As I have it blocked out selling should not be on the radar until I have a solid and engaged audience. Ideally one that is demanding I sell to them. Lol "take my money" types.

I am not anticipating to be at that point for at least a year. This progress thread is intended to focus on the strategy of building a BRAND while simultaneously (right word?) studying the market/niche and how to best package and sell the product/solution.

With this approach I'm looking to build a relationship first before I set out to get into my customers pockets.

 

[Puppy]

Have now realized I've titled this thread somewhat incorrectly. However the basic idea stands and I know of no way of editing the thread title so...

Some of the content I create now will likely be sold in the future but what I plan to be selling in the future will be content/products that haven't been created yet at this stage.

Thanks to @ApeRunner for pointing out my mistake. How to be more clear and concise about what I'm trying to say is something I'm still struggling with.

 

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[sparechange]

Absolutely horrible horrible horrible. Waiting a full year to build a brand then trying to sell products is horrible. Come up with a product and sell it now, tommorow in the next week or month. If your product is good people will tell others about it, and then you can build a brand. Look up the example by mj about selling a $100 bill for $50

 

[AndrewNC]

What's the right way to do it?

1. Build the product first? And then brand around it?
2. Build the brand first? And then create a product around the brand?

The answer is that both will work.

I have one friend from this forum who started selling products on Amazon in 2015, and two years later, he is now turning his 6-figures of sales per year into a brand.

I have another friend from this forum who started his business in July. One of the very first things we did, before building his first product was to develop the brand identity.

Take (my knowledge of) @MJ DeMarco building this forum for example - He built the Fastlane Forum around the "brand" identity of a Fastlane entrepreneur. The character traits, the CENTS values, the behaviors, the qualities of BEING the Fastlane entrepreneur.

The brand is built.

Then, the book (product) came after it.

I can't speak for MJ's process on this - since I joined in 2011 years after it started, but from this perspective, I see the product built around the needs of the brand.

For one of the friends listed above, who started his business in july. He created a brand identity around the needs of a specific market. The brand identity encompassed all the emotions, qualities, and traits that the market strives for and wants to become. After he did that, he began reaching out to his market and developed a product and service based on their specific needs.

When he did this, people were immediately attracted to what the brand stood for, and through his help in the market - they are already on board for whatever his brand has to offer.

In the true essence of a brand identity - I 100% agree that you can have success either way. But I honestly feel that to create the brand identity first, you'll have to make sure you know exactly what you are doing (the subtle nuances that are gained from experience in the market). I created my brand identity before my service with the business I'm transitioning into - but I've surrounded myself with the market since 2011.

If I tried to do so with my first business without the experience...I wouldn't have been able to do it effectively.

Not giving advice, just my two cents from my experience.

Give people what they want and you're on the right track.

 

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