Issue 21: Personal Brands, Headline Writing 101 Pt. 2, Do The Work, and Crazy-Good Blueberry Scones
Mary Rose "Wildfire" Maguire
Author & Lead-Gen Ghostwriter ????? | Authority Marketing for Financial Advisors | Host of "The Financial Advisor Authority Podcast"
Why should you create a personal brand?
In The Leading Edge, I tackle this debatable challenge. Some wonder if the personal brand is dead (it’s not) and may not understand it still carries a punch. And of course, I “turn up the volume” (pun break!) on one of the best ways to establish your personal brand.
In The Sharper Edge I continue to talk about one of my favorite copywriting topics: headlines. This is Part 2 of a four-part series (Part 1 is in this issue ). This one is a “read all about it” type of headline. It works like gangbusters if you actually have something to shout about.
I’m going to repeat what I said a few weeks ago regarding headlines. As far as I’m concerned, everything needs a headline. Emails, sales letters, web copy, in addition to regular sales pages and blog posts. Headlines are what get your reader’s attention. The rest of the copy’s job is to keep that attention. But you can’t get your reader to commit—or convert—unless you hook them first with a great headline.
Next, battling yourself when it comes to productivity. If you’re fighting “The Inner Critic,” you’ll appreciate my advice in The Cutting Edge. Just remember “the critic’s” goal. It’s to stop you from creating anything good. And to create something that is good, you may need to create something bad first, and then renovate it until it’s good.
Finally, I have an incredible scone recipe. The U.K. has all the fun with this delicious baked good. I finally found a recipe that I believe would please even their high standards. The great thing about a scone recipe is once you have the basic part down, you can experiment with different additional ingredients such as strawberries, chocolate chips, or even ham and cheese.
You can still find my “Apology Letter” here. I wrote it to anyone who is thinking about writing a book. Read it if that’s you. It just may save you hours of anguish in the end.
My mission is to not over-complicate things. You have enough on your plate without a dense newsletter that will give you heavy marketing lessons that will take a long time to comprehend let alone implement.
This newsletter is divided into four parts:
The Leading Edge: Focusing on YOU, leadership & authority building
The Sharper Edge: Focusing on your business, sharpening the axe to get things done
The Cutting Edge: Focusing on your environment, productivity tools/hacks, and decluttering your space
The Italian Edge: I’m a foodie. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes and food-related items in this section.
Congratulations on filling your tank. You’re going to receive a lot of good ideas for free!
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Write and Publish Your Lead-Generation Book
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, there’s a good chance you’ve seen me mention my “BOOK It!” Home Study Program . The 8-module program came from my live 8-week guided book writing course I offered in 2021. The Home Study Program allows anyone to go at their own pace through the course while still having access to me.
But now… I have distilled the program even further and created a WORKBOOK, now available on Lulu.com !
So yes, if you want to write a lead-generation book in 2024 but don’t know where to start, grab your copy of The BOOK It! Workbook: The Quickest Way to Write Your Lead-Generation Book So You Can Build Authority, Attract Amazing Clients, & Create Lucrative Opportunities!
It’s full of information to help you begin your book and tips on how to self-publish it. Most of the same forms available in the Home Study Program are in this book.
PLUS, there’s a special offer for the Home Study Program at the end of the workbook for those who want the fuller experience.
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NEW Podcast Episode:
Your USP is what sets you apart from your competitors. It's the reason why potential clients should choose you over anyone else. In a saturated market, having a clear and compelling USP is critical for success. Check out this episode to discover how to craft your USP, tips for identifying your uniqueness, and how to communicate it.
Available on iTunes and Spotify . You can also listen through Podbean and Podcasts.com .
And for inspiration and food for thought, check out my husband’s podcast, “Aim High.” The latest episodes:
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Common Decency (Guest: Me!)
The Art of Personal Branding: Building Authority in Your Industry
I recently read an article about being a content entrepreneur. It focused on how much has changed over the past decade (no kidding). The author mentioned that it’s difficult to sell a business if it’s based on a personal brand.
This is true. But does that mean building a personal brand is a waste of time? Not at all. In fact, I think it’s more important than ever. If you’re a business owner, you likely have a different name for your business other than your own name.
In today's competitive marketplace, establishing a personal brand is not just for the “cool kids” but a necessity for you to stand out from the crowd. Your personal brand is not merely a logo or a tagline; it's the essence of who you are, what you stand for, and how you can add value to your audience's lives.
Building a personal brand takes time, effort, and consistency, but the rewards are invaluable. I’m going to give you a strategic blueprint to craft and showcase your personal brand effectively. As you move forward, you’ll also be building more authority so you can be seen as the “go-to expert” for your profession.
U-What?
In the previous issue, I talked about your USP, otherwise known as your Unique Selling Proposition. Now I’m going to talk about your Unique Value Proposition.
What is the difference between the two?
From the website Difference Digest :
My simple definition: A USP is all about you. A UVP is all about your customer.?
How to Create a Strong Personal Brand
Let’s take a look at what you can do to create a strong personal brand. You want to:
1.??Define Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP): Start by identifying what sets you apart from your competitors. What expertise, skills, or insights do you possess that can benefit your target audience? Your UVP should resonate with your audience's needs and aspirations while showcasing your authentic self.
2.??Identify Your Target Audience: Understanding your audience is key to tailoring your personal brand message effectively. Conduct market research to identify your ideal customers' demographics, interests, pain points, and aspirations. This insight will guide your content creation and engagement strategies. It’s the rocket fuel for building your personal brand.
3.??Craft Your Personal Brand Narrative: Your personal brand narrative is the story that encapsulates your journey, values, and vision. It should be authentic, relatable, and memorable. Use storytelling techniques to connect with your audience emotionally and inspire trust and loyalty. Check out Harvard Business Review’s article, “A New Approach to Building Your Personal Brand.”
4.??Consistent Branding Across Platforms: Ensure consistency in your branding elements, including your logo, color scheme, typography, and tone of voice, across all online and offline platforms. Consistency breeds familiarity and reinforces your brand's credibility and professionalism.
5.??Content Creation and Distribution: Create valuable and relevant content that showcases your expertise, educates your audience, and solves their problems. Leverage various content formats such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, and social media updates to engage with your audience and amplify your brand message.
6.??Build Thought Leadership: Position yourself as an authority in your niche by sharing your knowledge and insights through public speaking engagements, guest blogging, podcast interviews, and media appearances. Consistently deliver high-quality content that demonstrates your expertise and adds value to your audience's lives.
7.????? Engage with Your Audience: Cultivate meaningful relationships with your audience by actively engaging with them on social media, responding to their comments and messages, and participating in relevant online communities and forums. Authentic engagement fosters trust, loyalty, and brand advocacy.
The Best Thing You Can Do To Create Thought Leadership
Speaking of thought leadership, one of the best ways to establish it is by writing and publishing a book. Authoring a book instantly elevates your status and establishes you as a credible authority in your field. A well-written book demonstrates your expertise, thought leadership, and commitment to sharing valuable insights with your audience.
A published book provides a platform to reach a broader audience beyond your existing network. It opens doors to speaking opportunities, media coverage, and collaborations, enabling you to expand your reach and impact.
My specialty is creating books that serve as a powerful lead magnet, attracting potential clients and customers who resonate with your message and want to learn more about your products or services. It also facilitates the conversion process by building trust and credibility with prospects.
Writing a book allows you to leave a lasting legacy and make a meaningful impact on the lives of your readers. Your insights and experiences can inspire, educate, and empower others long after your book is published.
Finally, you can use your book to emphasize your personal brand by giving it to prospects, clients, and customers. If you have a specific name, such as “The Wizard of Webinars,” you can use that on your book cover and inside the book’s content. A book’s cover can broadcast your personal brand in many ways.
We all are battling invisibility in the marketplace. By creating a personal brand that is unique, interesting, and smart, you can capture the attention of your target audience—and keep it by delivering excellent solutions. And by writing and publishing a book, you will solidify that audience’s opinion that you are the expert they’ve been searching for.
Headline Writing 101: How to Write a News Headline
The news headline is my favorite kind of headline. Or close to my favorite. It’s hard to decide. All I know is that anytime I see the word “NEW,” my eyes are immediately glued to it.
And that is exactly why it’s such a powerful headline.
People love to learn what’s new. Your reader doesn’t want to be left behind, left out of the loop, or left clueless. They want to be informed, aware, and generally be seen as on top of things. And even more, your reader loves it if she finds out about something before it’s common knowledge.
You can take advantage of this “need to know now” driver by featuring headlines in your copy that say NEW!
What Is a News Headline?
A news headline simply informs your reader that something new is on the scene. It tells your reader about new uses and new improvements to an old product or service.
Short story: I used to sell Pampered Chef. When I first started, I asked my director why the company discontinued items. “Sooo…. we can bring out new products?” She said this slowly while nodding her head up and down, as though I was ten fries short of a Happy Meal.
And she was right. The Pampered Chef corporate office was right. Who wants the same selection year after year? Pampered Chef understands the powerful psychological concept of collectibles and they are masters when it comes to introducing a “new” addition to a current collection or category.
Their fans have to buy the new item. They drool over this stuff. Believe me, they do. I’ve been at conferences when they roll out new items. You’d think we were at a Taylor Swift concert.
Examples of a news headline:
Introducing a Special Offer Only Available to Our Subscribers
Announcing the New ABC Bank
Say Hello to our Newest Addition
Each headline pulls in the reader with its promise of informing them of something new, something that just rolled out and can help them.
Why? Because it’s improved.
Whenever a reader sees something “new,” they immediately wonder what type of new features or additions have been developed, knowing instinctively that it’s all been done (usually) for their benefit.
The “new” says to the reader: “You’re the center of our universe and we’re now going to prove it by delivering something so amazingly fresh and brilliant—that you’ll know you must have it!”
Doesn’t matter if that promise really materializes. We usually fall for that promise over and over again.
And it’s a good thing. Because a news headline is one of the easiest ones to write.
However, a few caveats.
领英推荐
Remember the Purpose
You have to actually have something new to announce.
And you can’t announce something “new” and then leave it in your marketing collateral or on your website for two years and expect people to respond to it.
How to write a news headline
Use these words:
Think of a news headline just as you would a newspaper’s headline. Newspapers need to grab a reader’s attention immediately. With a news headline, you do this by using such words that will cause the reader to pause and find out why there is such a fuss.
I’ve noticed that many web services start rolling out a new service or product by sending out teaser emails to their lists. “Get ready…” “We’re about to blow the lid off…” And so on. They’re building up anticipation and excitement. So, if you have something new to introduce to the world, consider following that strategy.
Then when the time comes, blare out your news headline EVERYWHERE. On your website. In social media. Send out press releases. Target industry thought leaders and let them know.
The news headline is the equivalent of a battalion of horn players, blaring out a victorious song. Announcing the best thing since sliced bread! Since peanut butter met chocolate! Since touchpads made our lives so much easier and occupy the attention of toddlers!
Yeah. You’ve got something to shout about. Let your headline do it for you.
How to Do the Work
Years ago, I led a visual artist’s group. My favorite topic was the creative process and how others channeled their creativity, so they actually felt they accomplished something.
It didn’t take long to notice that everyone had to fight to be creative.
I talk about Steven Pressfield’s book, Do The Work, all the time. In it, he describes Resistance (and yes, he capitalizes the word, making it into an entity) as such:
Resistance (i.e., fear, self-doubt, procrastination, addiction, distraction, timidity, ego and narcissism, self-loathing, perfectionism, etc.)
That’s a lot of Resistance.
Fear, Doubt, and Self-Loathing
I’m going to throw out some commonly held platitudes but I’m hoping that if you’re in the place where you need encouragement, you’ll give yourself the chance to really absorb the truth.
You have something special, and you are someone who is special.
It is very easy to look at all the well-known business leaders, the movers-and-shakers, the ones fielding countless speaking invitations and think, “I will never reach that level of influence.”
As Henry Ford famously quipped: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.”
The point is, your level of success is determined by you. People like Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ann Handley, Jeffrey Gitomer, Joe Polish, Mary Ellen Tribbe, and many, many more – all started from the same place as everyone else.
The bottom.
But there is a very simple reason why many people know about them today.
They never stopped trying.
Whatever it is that you’re doing, if you really want to do it, don’t quit. Fight through the Resistance that tells you that you can’t do it, that you’re not worth it, that you’re a fraud.
This isn’t the truth.
The truth is, you’re just now getting serious about letting the world know you’ve got the goods.
Do It Anyway
When it comes to writing, I face my own Resistance just like everyone else. And sometimes, it’s ?downright painful.
Sometimes the writing comes easily. Sometimes not. There are days when I will stare at my blank Word document page and just sigh. And then, I push myself. Really hard.
I say to myself, “Write. Just write. Something. Anything. You can always go back and change things. Just write.”
And that’s how most of my writing is done.
I can’t afford to wait for inspiration. I have bills to pay.
The point is that I have an inner perfectionist running around, constantly nipping at my heels while screeching, “This is crap! No one cares! No one is going to read this slop!”
I’m learning to ignore that perfectionist and write the crap down, anyway.
Remember: you can always improve upon what you’ve created. But you first have to create something that needs improvement.
I Trick Myself And Play Mind Games
I bribe myself constantly.
Finish this blog post and get a piece of chocolate.
Or get a good start on this large project and I’ll treat myself to an episode of The Lincoln Lawyer.
I am unashamed to admit I need a carrot-on-a-stick to get my butt in gear. And there’s a good chance you’re the same way.
So, in order to be productive, tell yourself how you’ll reward that productivity. It could be a walk in the park, thirty minutes enjoying a good book with your favorite beverage, a phone call with a friend, or a catnap.
I cannot stress how important this is for those of us who are involved with creative work and are solopreneurs.
We don’t have a company recognition program, folks. We ARE the company recognition program!
And so, reward yourself for being productive. For “gettin’ ‘er done.” For staying late at work when everyone else is enjoying a beer or a meal with the family.
You so very much deserve it.
Set The Timer
I subscribe to the Pomodoro Technique .
I set the app’s timer for 25 minutes and get cracking.
I write (and it’s amazing how much I can write in 25 minutes) until the timer goes off. When it does, I get up, stretch, walk around, look outside, grab a cup of coffee, and thank God for having the freedom to do all of it.
Then after a few minutes, I realized I have more to do and get my butt back in the chair and start the timer all over again.
25 minutes is perfect because it handles the fidgety creative soul quite well.
Plus, I admit there have been many times that once I get rolling, I don’t want to stop. I’ve hit that much-sought after “flow” often and when I’m zoned out on producing copy, I don’t really want to stop.
However, I put my limit at 2 hours. More than that and my body starts to fossilize.
Give yourself room to breathe. Trust that when you do the work of battling Resistance, that your true genius will rise to the surface and surprise the hell out of you.
You’ll be producing the work you’ve always wanted. You just have to pound away at that brick wall with a sledgehammer to do it.
Crazy-Good Blueberry Scones
Ever have a scone—a recipe that’s partly a biscuit and partly a soft cookie?
Maybe you have and said, “never again” because it was dry and almost tasteless.
These scones aren’t like that.
I found the recipe below through one of my favorite baking sites, “Sally’s Baking Addiction.” And when I say these are good, I mean really, really good. My husband devoured them and shared an extra one with a co-worker, who said, “Boy. Your wife really knows how to bake!”
I blush but really, all I do is follow recipes. So, enjoy this one with your favorite cup of coffee or tea. It’s a great recipe to serve a guest for breakfast or brunch. Sally also has different versions of this recipe, so check out her recipe page here .
By the way, do not skip using frozen butter. I keep a box of ? pound butter sticks in my freezer. They really do make a difference with baked goods. Keep your fats (butter, cream, milk) as cold as possible because then when it hits your oven’s heat, the scones will rise beautifully.
My Favorite Blueberry Scones
Ingredients:
for topping: coarse sugar and vanilla icing
Directions:
Buon Appetito!
The Content Edge
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NEW SERVICE: Would you like to get the same benefits of having a lead-generation book but at a fraction of the time invested? Looking for a lead-generation funnel for your website that will convert visitors into subscribers? Then check out my NEW LeadGenX Bundle.
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Become a published author in 2024! If you're ready to write and publish your own book, check out my "BOOK It!" Home Study Program . The colder months are a great time to slow down and focus on writing down your expertise. Authors get more opportunities! Reach out to me if you have questions.