A Utah mother had the name of a casino tattooed on her forehead in inch-tall block letters to raise funds for her son to attend private school. The publicity stunt garnered her—and the casino—worldwide media attention.

While you won’t be auctioning off space on your forehead, you do need to understand why branding is the central first step in expanding your writing or speaking career. Branding doesn’t have to be painful, either. During this hands-on course, you’ll CRAFT a Consistent, Relevant, Attractive, Frequent, Targeted brand message that sears itself into your audience’s memory.

A strong brand reflects the values you hold most dear. We’ll discuss what branding is—and isn’t—and you’ll pinpoint unique qualities about yourself that you can begin developing into a stellar brand.

Your audience is finicky, fickle, and narcissistic at heart; before they “buy” your story, they want to know, “What’s in it for me?” You’ll learn how to identify your target audience and how to build a brand that meets their needs and desires.

Similar to a 30-second “elevator pitch,” your brand’s promise must engage your audience. You’ll learn how to avoid muddling your message and you’ll prepare a promise with pizzazz.

People bond with your brand when you promote it compellingly. You’ll learn how to guide and influence your brand so it makes a consistent emotional connection with your target audience.

Your marketing materials must reflect and promote your brand. You’ll learn how to enhance your brand with a logo, business card, stationery package, sales brochures, and other print pieces.

Your Web site will likely serve as the hub for all your branding efforts. You’ll learn how to solidify your brand via a Web site, blog, and social media such as Twitter and Facebook.