3 Books on Branding Every Creative Must Read and Why
It’s no secret that building a strong personal brand is essential to succeed as a creative entrepreneur. But what seems like a secret is how to do it. Instead of racking your brain spending hours on Google trying to piece together brand-building strategies for creatives, three books get straight to the heart of understanding the wisdom needed for a successful and effective creative life.
These books may not directly address personal branding, but there’s still a lot to learn from them. Rather than nitpicking at the details and particulars, they’ll show you how to take on the right mindset to create the perfect brand for yourself. By combining all of their unique perspectives, you can finally become the master of your brand’s destiny.
Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
Do you ever feel like you just can’t connect with your customers? Like no matter what you try, they never quite understand you or your product? In this book, Donald Miller will show you how to solve that problem once and for all.
He centers around teaching you the seven universal truths of storytelling. He also teaches you about the real hero of your story: the customer. Once you understand these elements, you can create a compelling story to show customers just how much they need your product.
Miller will also show you things like how to simplify and create effective marketing messages. After all, your new story can’t work its magic unless people actually read it.
Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
If you’re looking for something quick and quirky, this book is for you.
Austin Kleon’s book started as a list of just ten simple things to discuss at a community college. But when the slideshow from his talk went viral, he knew it needed to be more.
This expanded version of his famous speech uses quotes and simple illustrations to demonstrate quick tips for being an effective and authentic artist. Its emphasis on the importance of taking action to achieve your goals has inspired people of every profession.
By the end of the book, you’ll have a much better understanding of how you can (and will) take inspiration from every little thing you let into your life. You’ll learn the 10 things nobody told you about being creative and much more.
The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
Marty Neumeier uses this book to present the first-ever unified theory of brand-building, causing it to become a classic in the industry. In it, you’ll learn how to unite the strategic and creative approaches to marketing. Once you’ve mastered that, customers will feel that their lives couldn’t go on without your brand to save the day.
This book uses a set of five disciplines to connect brand strategy to customer experience. You’ll explore the ever-changing nuances of branding and competition. Finally, you’ll get a glossary of 220 words you need to know to understand how to build a brand.
The perspectives Marty displays may just be the trick to ultimately “getting” the big bad world of branding.
For more outstanding books on personal development and branding, check out Sincerely Tam’s book recommendations and reading list.
