4 Pillars of a Thriving Brand

“Why am I the only one stuck? How come those who started with me are already light-years ahead and I am still stuck in the same rotten rut?

Forget followers, no one is even SEEING my content!!”

Well, duh.

That’s what happens when you dive headfirst without a plan like a 3-year-old with her 1st sketchbook.

You end up with a MESS.

So, save yourself from a few episodes of throwing everything away in frustration, curling up in a ball and feeling like the most useless piece of shit to ever exist and make sure your brand abides by the

4 pillars of foundation.

• Content

• Unique Identity

• Target Audience

• Offer

If you don’t get even 1 of these 4 right, your brand will topple off like a pyramid of cards when things get even slightly windy.

1) Content (The meat of your brand)

You’re creating a your brand online, right? That means no one knows who you’re or what you do.

That means the content you write is what determines the path your brand takes.

Write bad content, your brand goes down the endless chasm.

Write good content, your brand soars up to cloud nine.

Simple as that.

One single dish can’t do the trick. You need an entire MENU.

Divide your content into 3 parts depending on their purpose.

• Educational (to build authority)

• Entertaining (to keep them engaged)

• Inspirational (to drive them to take action)

Your content first has to attract, then engage, and finally commit your readers.

> EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

Starting out you sure won’t have testimonials and pretty stripe accounts to vouch for your skills.

This was my BIGGEST stump starting out. But luckily, there’s a way around.

Drown your readers with a tidal wave of value.

Give out SOOO much value for free that your readers keep thinking “Ooh, if the free stuff is this good, I wonder how good the paid ones are…”

But wait, what kind of posts are value posts?

PROOF: Tackle a goal and share your overwhelming results

INSIGHTS: Your unique ideas, things you noticed that others did not

STRATEGIES: What strategies did you use to achieve XYZ? Share them

> INSPIRATIONAL CONTENT

The world we live in now? Its filled with people putting up a confident front but secretly stressed, anxious and looking for some form of motivation.

Give it to them. Grant their inner desire and they will come back looking for more.

This is the secret behind Nike’s million $$$ business.

Their ads are not some rash “Its the best shoes out there“ or filled with fancy features. Their ads are all about evoking that warm feeling of “I can do it too”.

EMPATHY: Relate to your readers’ pains. Show them a way to escape it.

MILESTONES: Encourage them to set goals and show them they have everything they need to shine.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Show proof that it is possible to achieve XYZ. If you or someone else can, so can they.

> ENTERTAINMENT

I am sure we all had that one teacher who used to joke around in class, told stories and made learning fun. The kind of teacher whose class everyone looked forward to.

And that teacher who went on drilling one topic after another in a monotone. The kind who could instantly put you on snooze mode.

I am pretty sure I know which category you want to belong to.

So space out your value content and squeeze in some entertainment.

HUMOUR: Wriggle out a little laugh with some lame jokes and memes.

ANECDOTES: Maybe something that happened to you or someone you know. A short funny story about how you spilled coffee and started a war. You know, something hilarious and memorable.

POLARIZING TAKES: We love a good brawl, a burst of refreshing conflict. Something you don’t agree with? Say it. (One of the best ways to get more engagements)

Now take some notes and spice up your content. If you’re posting on X(twitter), 3 posts/day, one from each type is the optimum combination.

If you’re on LinkedIn, mix and match these elements into one long form/day.

Next 3 emails will cover the 3 other pillars. So stay on the lookout.

By the end of this series, you should have one heck of an unshakable foundation, BUT only if you’re putting in the work from your end.

The fate of your brand ultimately lies in your hands.

Until then,

Take care, stay safe and drink lots of water.

Love,

Khadija

Still here? Aren’t you AMAZING?

Wait, I got a goodie for you, the ultimate guide to build your personal brand, your very own money-making-machine.

(Those of you with no experience, no idea how to start, have less than 100 followers… I got you covered 🤫😊)