By: Nancy Blanton
Like a kid in a candy store, I used to love walking through a
large bookstore like B&N. But now, as an author, I think two things and in
this order:
- OMG, there are so many books out there. Why even bother writing my own?
- Of all these books, none tell the story I’m telling. I have a purpose and must see it through.
Whatever your genre and inspiration, most of us write with
purpose to an intended audience. But how can we reach them in such a sea of
colors, titles, expensive posters, ads and gimmicks? The answer is ageless: you
must shine like an irresistible gem. You need a personal brand!
For centuries, kings and queens have used the secrets of
personal branding, and not just to define themselves to their subjects. They
needed support for policies and taxes, to be likable enough to prevent
rebellions or assassination, and they needed to appear strong enough to
intimidate other monarchs who might contemplate invasion. What can we learn
from them? Plenty.
Look at one of history’s most notorious kings, Henry VIII,
for example. On England’s throne from 1509 to 1547, he was the granddaddy of
personal branding, and the perfect model for generating and expressing a
memorable persona.
Most people are familiar with the famous Holbein portrait of
him standing tall, broad-shouldered, filling up the canvas in his regal robes
and codpiece. An icon of strength and robust health, this king gave the people
what they wanted: physical power, great wealth, cultural sophistication, grand
architecture, athletic supremacy, and a direct link to God.
What you see was not always what you got with King Henry, but
he lived in an age without mass communication or the immediacy of social media,
so he could get away with projecting an inflated persona that suited everyone’s
needs. In today’s world, authenticity rules.
What we learn from Henry is that the strongest brands are
built in values that connect with the audience. The power of a brand persona
lies in its ability to touch people you may never get to meet.
So, what is a
brand persona?
. . .
To read the rest of the post, click here:
~*~
If you missed my
latest writing and marketing tweets, here they are again:
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