How To Make Your Brand Go Viral

your brand

Anyone can start a business. Your brand is what is going to make you stand out.

More specifically, people are more likely to follow a personal brand than they are a business brand. Just look at how Neil Patel went from 185,980 website visitors per month to 454,382 monthly visitors once his name became “Google-able.”

The key to a successful personal brand borders on obsession. Have you noticed how people who are enamored with certain actors are willing to wait in lines all night to see their latest film? Simply because of the actors who are in it.

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And have you seen the lines for meet-and-greets at concerts? The fans who are anxiously bouncing on their toes clutching onto Taylor Swift merchandise are in that state of temporary frenzy because they’re excited to meet the musician. For some, what may start as faint respect for Swift’s lyrics slowly turns into admiration, respect, and — eventually — an undying loyalty to their favorite artist.

But what exactly does it take to elicit that type of response for your brand so that you can cultivate your own audience?

How To Get People Obsessed with Your Brand

Needless to say, there is a healthy way to get people enamored with your brand.

Once you start creating content that resonates with people, it’s just a matter of time (and consistency), before you build a loyal audience of your own.

I’ve written a ton of blogs on the importance of consistency, and you’ll find plenty of information on social media content strategies here.

Today, I want to focus on a few simple tricks I’ve discovered in my 10 years as a personal brand consultant that I don’t think you’ll find anywhere else.

Because if you can get people to obsess over your brand (minus all the paparazzi and screaming fans), there’s no limit to where your life will lead.

Here are my 5 hacks for creating a brand that people will never forget.

RELATED: WHAT IS A PERSONAL BRAND CONSULTANT?

ways to make your brand viral

5. Have a Theme

This is something I’ve noticed a lot recently, especially on social media.

It’s not enough to know your brand colors and to have a pack of Lightroom presets at your disposal.

While these visual representations of your brand will help people recognize your content, what you’re saying in your captions, blogs, and in your videos matters just as much— if not more.

So, consider what key subject matters you want to speak on. What minute details can you derive from those topics to really help people?

If you’re a real estate agent, you don’t want to give tips for first time home buyers, luxury real estate, commercial real estate, buyers, and sellers. Your reputation as a real estate agent at that point will become too broad and you’ll risk losing the interest of your ideal client. After all, luxury home buyers aren’t going to be interested in your tips for first time home buyers, right?

Pick a niche and stay in that lane. This will help you further develop a theme around your content. This makes it easier for you to create it and makes it even more refined for your ideal client.

Hollywood Tricks

Here’s a trick that you’ve probably noticed but never thought about using for your brand,

Think about your favorite TV shows. They usually begin with a cold open, but then they all jump right into the same thing:

The theme song and the introduction.

There’s a reason why all TV shows and films have this. If I mention the roaring lion for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  the rotating Universal globe, and the Pixar lamp, you can probably instantly visualize these clips. You can probably even start humming the catchy jingles if I just mention the words The Office or How I Met Your Mother.

(Did you start singing it?)

Hollywood production companies have done this for decades because it’s simply smart branding. They make it easy for fans to recognize and associate certain images or sounds with their films or TV shows.

You need to be doing the same thing with your own video content.

When you’re creating video content, you should start and end the exact same way.

Every time.

This is a subtle way to get audiences to recognize your brand right from the beginning. Of course, you’ll want to differentiate it in some way, but the messaging should be the same. Maybe you’ll have your own animated graphic or maybe you’ll begin your videos by saying the same tagline.

Whatever you decide, just stick with it and use it consistently. Eventually, people will be able to associate your graphic or your opening line with your brand. This type of subtle marketing will make them subconsciously eager to come back for more.

And eventually, watching your videos becomes embedded in their routine.

4. Create Exclusivity with Your Brand

Every smart entrepreneur knows that having a limited time offer works.

It’s called product exclusivity and its success is based on pure science.

For example, if I told you that I’m offering a FREE personal brand consultation, you might think, “That’s interesting. I might look into that”

But you’ll probably forget and just move on with your day, right?

However, what if I told you:

I only have two spots left this week for a free personal branding consultation, and if you sign up NOW, you’ll get instant access to my private video training to learn my secrets to successfully market your brand.

Now, you’re fighting against the clock. I’m only giving you this instant to make a decision before you lose your chance.

Instead of passively dismissing this offer, I’m forcing you to actively debate as to whether or not you should be one of the lucky two to earn a spot.

This marketing mentality works for all brands and you see it all the time: 20% off, TODAY ONLY, and the entire concept of Black Friday is based around product exclusivity.

RELATED: HOW YOUR PERSONAL BRAND CAN FUTURE-PROOF YOUR CAREER

Create a Winning Lottery Ticket

When you constantly have a limited time offer, it forces your audience to keep up with you. They’ll start to actively consume your content, sign up for your email list, and turn on your post notifications because they want to win your brand’s “lottery.”

So, create a winning lottery ticket for your personal brand. It’s up to you to determine what that exclusive “prize” will be. Maybe that’s a discounted product, a giveaway, or entry into your course membership.

In order for your audience to have that “obsessive” mindset, you have to first make your lottery prize irresistible. Something that you know will help your ideal client survive and thrive.

Then, you have to put the offer on the table for a limited time.

You also need to be very adamant and vocal about how exclusive your offer is. You can’t just say it once and hope people will remember. You need to use capital letters, bold fonts, countdown timers, and color variations in your text to make your exclusive deal known.

Once you’ve made it clear in your message that this is a timely offer, people will be more inclined to sign up for your email list or make that impulse buy so that they don’t miss out.

RELATED: PERSONAL BRAND STATEMENT EXAMPLES & TIPS TO CREATE YOUR OWN

3. Get Personal

Naturally, the number one seller when it comes to your personal brand is your personality.

Don’t fret if you’re not a loud extrovert— not everyone is drawn to those types of people.

Your personality will align with the right audience. This is why staying true to your beliefs and your sense of self is so important when it comes to defining your personal brand.

If you try to be someone you’re not, it’s not going to work.

The easiest way to start getting personal with your personal brand is to share what you’re passionate about.

If you’re a virtual assistant who’s obsessed with To-Do lists, talk about it! Show your clients how your strategy can really help them thrive.

If you’re the CEO of a startup and you think virtual offices are the only way to run a lucrative business, then share that expertise with your social media audience, your blog readers, and your video viewers.

Find the passion in your personal brand.

Next, you need to add storytelling alongside your expertise to get people to feel connected to you Remember that like, know, trust that I always talk about? This is how you get there.

People love a good story. People want to watch your harrowing journey from a garage-based tech startup to a million-dollar company. If you take them along for the ride, they’ll stick around just to see where you end up.

And usually, they’ll be rooting for you the entire way.

RELATED: THE GUIDE ON HOW TO BECOME FAMOUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

2. Community is Everything

The reason that personal brands (like Taylor Swift) create such a strong fanbase can be loosely based on the social identity theory.

This theory, in short, suggests that people who collectively identify with one another on a specific topic (or person) will feel a stronger sense of self and will better define their place in society.

According to Britannica, “People generally prefer to maintain a positive image of the groups to which they belong. As a result of social identity processes, people are inclined to seek out positively valued traits, attitudes, and behaviors that can be seen as characteristic of their in-groups.”

Because Taylor Swift’s brand is generally perceived as wholesome and welcoming, she’s created a tight-knit fanbase that continues to spread because more people are drawn into this positive aesthetic. And as more people join in on the hype, the better they all feel because they have, in a way, found their “people.”

Aka— they’ve found their community.

This doesn’t mean that your community has to be based on sunshine and rainbows in order for people to become infatuated with your brand.

I, for one, am drawn towards confident, no-nonsense people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds. That’s why I enjoy thought leaders like Gary Vaynerchuck. Some people love Gary V for having this attitude, while others see him as pretentious, foul-mouthed, and even a little annoying.

It’s all about finding your community. I promise you that just by speaking to your personal statements and beliefs, your community will eventually find you.

And it will grow.

RELATED: SIMPLE AND INGENIOUS WAYS TO BUILD BRAND AWARENESS

1. Go Big or Go Home

What do I mean by this?

I mean that you need to get your brand name out there— and you need to be everywhere.

Collaborate with industry leaders. Invite them to film with you for your YouTube channel, Tik Tok, or Instagram Live.

Pitch your personal brand to podcasts, no matter how big or small. Actively search for and respond to journalists looking for quotes from experts in your field.

Write blogs, create social media content, and have an email list where you can have a more intimate connection with your ideal client.

Your personal brand needs to be everywhere.

Once you start showing up across multiple channels, people will have no choice but to stop and Google who you are.

“Make people stop Google your name.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKp3PXn5z_/

Conclusion

So here’s the step-by-step to creating a brand that people (from your audience to the press) will obsess over:

  1. Create content based on your personal mission and beliefs.
  2. Create exclusivity so people will be eager to join your community.
  3. Be vulnerable; invite people to watch your success story in-real-time.
  4. Make sure your community comes first.
  5. Collaborate, pitch, and grow your brand.

Need some guidance? I wasn’t kidding about my limited free personal branding consultations (I run 3 companies—I’m kind of busy!).

Do you want to attract more clients and boost revenue? Learn how to position yourself as an expert, grow your audience, and attract the right clients. Watch my FREE Personal Branding Masterclass today.

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About Claire
Marketing Agency, Strategic Communications, claire bahn group, claire bahn
Claire Bahn is a personal brand strategist and the CEO and Co-Founder of Claire Bahn Group. She has been helping high achieving entrepreneurs, investors, founders, and executives create their best personal brand for over 10 years. She helps entrepreneurs leverage their personal brand to develop the authority, influence, and trust they need to exceed their business goals.
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