Brand Smarter

PART 1: Introduction

If you’ve been in business for a while, you already have a brand—and no, it’s not just your logo. Your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.

The question is: are they saying what you want them to say? If not, your brand might be out of sync with the customers you’re trying to reach.

That’s where this course comes in. I’ll  use proven branding exercises, listening to the market, tightening your positioning, and clarifying who you’re attracting and supercharge them with AI.

With the right prompts, you’ll get faster insights, sharper messaging, and fewer blind spots. No robot-speak. No generic copy-paste fluff. Just clear, confident communication that sounds like you only better.

Assignment:

• Download the BRAND SMARTER WORKBOOK
• Read pages 2 – 3 to be sure you are ready for this course.
• Subscribe to More than a Few Words Podcast

PART 2: The Framework

It’s tempting to think AI can shortcut that process. After all, AI can write, design, analyze, and even tell you what your audience might want to hear. But here’s the truth: AI isn’t here to give you your brand. It’s here to help you refine it.  

AI won’t define your brand, but it will reveal it — by helping you listen better, focus sharper, and speak more clearly.

Because the best brands aren’t built by algorithms. They’re built by people, and powered by insight.

PART 3: Research

You probably have a clear idea of what your brand stands for. But your brand doesn’t live in your head. It lives in the minds of your customers

SO WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IN THERE?
Imagine being a fly on the wall, listening to what people actually say about your business when you’re not in the room. Whether you’re refining your message, redefining your audience, or just trying to see your brand the way the world does, AI can give you surprisingly honest and useful feedback, if you know what to ask.

AI doesn’t invent your reputation, it reflects it. By scanning mountains of data, it pieces together a snapshot of how the world sees your brand. Sometimes the picture feels uncomfortably accurate. Other times it’s way off, like a bad caricature at a street fair. Either way, it’s insight you can’t afford to ignore.

Assignment:

DISCOVER WHAT THE INTERNET THINKS OF YOU

• Review pages 5 – 6 in the Workbook
• Watch the video and complete the workbook tasks.
• Listen to the podcast interview with Michael Buckbee for some additional ideas
• Use the questions and key terms to understand what the internet thinks of you.

PART 4: Define Your Ideal Customer

Before you even open ChatGPT or start building personas, stop and think about who you really want to work with. While lots of people may buy from you, what types of individuals and companies do you really enjoy working with? Perhaps it is a
particular industry, a type of business or a demographic segment of the population. The more specific your description, the easier it will be to create messages that speak that specific customer.

EVERYONE IS NOT YOUR CUSTOMER

AI can help you refine your ideal client description, but it can’t decide who you want to work with.

And that’s the real work here.

Assignment:

• Watch the Video
• Pick your top 3 customers — the ones you’d clone if you could.
• Identify 1 client you’d fire tomorrow.
• Write down 3–5 differences between those groups to clarify with whom you want to work.
• Check your numbers. Who’s most profitable? Who drains you? What industries and what types of projects?
• Interview your favorite clients and ask what they value about working with you.
• Provide that information to AI and ask it to draft your ideal client persona.  Remember the more information  you give AI to work with, the better the result.
• Give that persona a name, a story, and why they need and care about your brand.

PART 5: Competitive Assessment

You’re not working in a vacuum. Your customers are comparing you—even if you’d rather they didn’t.  Remember that your biggest competitors may not do exactly what you do.  But if they solve your customer’s problems, they are a competitor! 

Assignment

• Identify 2–3 competitors. Not industry titans, but the actual businesses your customers might pick instead of you.
• Ask AI to create a list as well based on your refined customer profile. Be specific so the list is relevant.
• Compare the two, and select  3 – 5 companies for AI to research
• Assess Them Honestly. Use the chart found on page 11 to compare yourself to your competitors
• Spot the Gap. Ask:

• • Where are they leaving customers frustrated?
  • Where are they over-promising?
  • Where can you zig while they zag?

PART 6:  Clarify Your Brand 

When a customer asks “Why Should I Buy From You?  it is never just about the technical skills or product specs. Those things matter, of course, but they’re not what people fall in love with.

Your brand position is what they fall in love with, the intangible elements and the feelings you want your customers to have every time they interact with your brand.

It sounds simple, but it rarely is. Most businesses describe themselves with words like high quality, hardworking, or innovative. Those are nice, but they’re not differentiators.

When was the last time you heard a company brag about their lousy service, outdated tech, or overpriced products? Those phrases don’t make you stand out; they just keep you in the game

Finding what truly makes your brand different is not about stringing together fancy adjectives or trying to sound like everyone else

Assignment

Step 1. – Outline core services or products. Note how you deliver them, not just what they are

Step 2. Compare to competitors by asking AI to scan their website and social.  Understand what they promise, how they deliver and what you do differently and better.

Step 3. Choose defendable differentiators but be sure to skip price, it is a race to the bottom. Skip vague “quality.”
Pick specifics like expertise, simplicity, speed, process, guarantees, or proof.

Step 4. Tie it to your persona and pain by using the  customer persona you defined. Name the problem they feel, not the one you wish they had.

Step 5. Draft with AI, then refine. Ask AI for several position statements using the formula below.
Provide sales materials, case studies, and testimonials to ground the output.

Formula

For [target customer] who [problem or need], we provide [unique solution] because [proof].

Step 6. Edit like a pro – Make it specific, short, and human. Read it out loud. If it sounds awkward, keep trimming.

Step 7. Validate – Pressure test with three real customers or advisors. Ask what is clear, what is confusing, and what feels generic.

Important caution about AI

AI will mirror what already exists online. Expect to edit, add direction, and iterate several rounds. First drafts, human or AI, are usually too broad, too boastful, and full of jargon. Keep sharpening until your statement is crisp and unmistakably yours.

PART 7: Content Makeover

You’ve done the groundwork — defined your audience, refined your voice, and sharpened your brand position. Now it’s time to bring it all together.

This is where you start testing your message in the wild with the help of AI. Take one web page, one email, and one social post, and give them a fresh feel with AI. The goal isn’t to let AI take over, but to collaborate with it. Use your
voice guide and brand positioning as guardrails so every edit stays true to who you are and what you stand for.

• Compare what comes back.
• Circle the moments where AI improved your message
• Cross out anything that sounds off-brand.

Every time you run this exercise, you’ll refine your voice, improve your prompts, and build a stronger foundation for everything you write next.

PART 8: Closing Thoughts

y now, your brand story should feel clearer, stronger, and more like you. This workbook was never about chasing perfection. It’s about learning to use AI as a creative partner, one that helps you see your brand from new angles and keep your message consistent everywhere it appears

Building a strong brand is not a single project. It is a habit. Every prompt, every rewrite, and every post is another chance to refine how people see you. Keep experimenting. Keep showing up. Let AI make you faster and more focused, but remember, you are the one in charge.

Before you wrap up, take a few minutes to review the fine print, check out the pro-tips and resources.

These guidelines keep your AI work ethical, smart, and fully under your control. You will find a few non-negotiables, some common traps, and practical tips to make AI feel less like an overeager intern and more like a reliable creative partner