If you want to build a remarkable brand in 2025…

That is, you want to build something that matters, while generating wealth for yourself and taking care of your family.

Then building a deeper human connection with your customers is vital.

I just got back from an awesome marketing conference in Denver, where some of the smartest entrepreneurs and founders shared something fascinating:

As more competition enters the market and AI makes content creation easier, the cost of ads will continue to rise, and growing your business will become harder and more expensive than ever.

The old playbook of:

Demographics + Generic Messaging + Big Advertising Budget = Dead 😵

What's working now is something entirely different—and I took detailed notes to share with you.

Today, we're diving into:

• Why most small businesses are invisible (and how to fix it)
• The hybrid business model that's crushing it right now
• How to build real connection when AI is everywhere

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Bi-Weekly Resource List:

If you're a small business owner struggling to stand out in an increasingly crowded market, here are some game-changing books to check out:

• “Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller - Transforms how you communicate your value by putting your customer at the center of your brand's story, making your message impossible to ignore.
• “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries - Shows you how to build a business that resonates with real customers from day one, saving you years of working on things nobody wants.
• "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek - Reveals the hidden pattern behind how legendary brands like Apple inspire deep customer loyalty, and how you can do the same for your business.
• “Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade” by Robert Cialdini - Uncovers the psychological triggers that make people say "yes," helping you create messages that truly connect before you even make your offer.

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Sponsored By: [Your Brand Here]

Want to reach growth-minded small business owners? This space is available for sponsorship. If you've got a product or service that helps small businesses thrive, let's talk about getting it in front of this engaged audience. Reach out to nico@digitalmentorship.co to learn more.

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3 Keys to Building a Profitable Brand in the Age of AI

The game has changed. Here's what's working now:

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1: Psychographics > Demographics

Forget age brackets and zip codes.

The real gold is in understanding your audience's worldview, or if you prefer, values and beliefs.

Let’s run through a little thought experiment.

Picture 2 women who want to lose weight…

Sally is 45. She’s got an upcoming highschool reunion in 6 months and she wants to look her best. She sets a goal of dropping the excess 20 pounds she’s been lugging around—specifically around her chin and stomach areas.

So she starts researching weight loss supplements, juice-based diets, and liposuction.

Her goal is speed. She wants to see results fast, and is going to document her progress on Instagram.

Now consider Brenda.

Brenda is also 45. And just like Sally, is going to the same high school reunion in 6 months.

Brenda’s process is different.

She does some research for a local gym, and starts asking around for personal trainers. She schedules appointments with a nutritionist, her general physician, and buys a whole bunch of healthy living magazines.

While she definitely wants to impress her friends with how healthy and youthful she looks, building healthy habits is more important to her.

Are you starting to see the different products, services, and messages that would work for each persona?

To be clear: There’s nothing wrong with either approach.

These are what we call psychographics.

And they come from our worldviews, values, and beliefs.

Age is of very little consequence. Because as you can see, there’s a big difference between both 45 year old women.

Just like:

• What car they drive
• Their average income

Don’t really give much insights into who you’re talking to.

What matters is how they see the world.

Brenda wants to connect with a brand that understands her worldview. Her problems.

A brand that comments on it boldly without fear of pushing the Sally’s of the world away.

And then she’s going to want to buy solutions from that brand that solve her problems.

The key here is empathy.

Here are some questions you should be asking about your ideal customers:

• What does a typical day look like in their world?
• How do they think about their fears and hopes?
• How do they feel about the problem your content solves?
• What are they thinking when they resist solving the problem?
• What do they hear when other people solve the problem?
• Who do they see as viable options to solve the problem?
• What do they see in the world in the context of the problem?
• What do they say or feel when encountering your advice?
• What are their potential pain points when following your advice?
• Is your proposed solution a positive or a painful experience for them?
• Will they hear positive feedback about you from external sources?
• What do they hope to gain from following you?

Answering these questions, and learning about who your ideal customers are, will help you build better products and services that they ACTUALLY want.

2: The Hybrid Business Model

The biggest mistake you can make is to assume that your business is a product, course, service.

Let me explain...

While I was at the conference, we broke out into roundtables to network and workshop each others businesses.

At my table, was an ecommerce business owner.

She sold an acupuncture device that’s been scientifically shown to reduce anxiety.

Her sales of the product were great.

The problem… was that once people bought, they didn’t buy again for another 3 years. (what I’d call a retention problem.)

There was no offer in place that got her customers to KEEP buying.

As someone who struggles with anxiety from time to time, I suggested she think about selling her customers planners and journals.

They’re great anxiety prevention tools that I use often and they need to be repurchased 2-4 times per year.

But here's the point:

Instead of running more ads to acquire new customers for the same product. Or planning an email sequence to get her people to buy more of the same product.

The solution was to introduce new products that serve her people.

The most important thing to take away from this is that her business ISN’T an acupuncture device.

It's people who struggle with anxiety.

And asking herself what other types of products and services they need can help her build a more profitable brand that stands the test of time.

Journals and planners are just the beginning.

She could experiment with in-person events, an ebook, a meditation software…

If she positioned her business towards helping people overcome anxiety, all of her products and services would now be more appealing to her audience, because it's tailored for them.

The most successful brands aren't boxing themselves in with rigid business models.

They're asking: "What does my audience actually need?"

As master marketer Brian Clark teaches, “audience first”.

The magic happens when you're flexible enough to deliver value in whatever form your customer needs it most.

So ask yourself, what else do your customers need?

3: Content-Driven Differentiation

One of the biggest takeaways from the conference was actually a confirmation of what I’ve been realizing lately.

In a world where AI can write decent copy in seconds, your unique selling point and perspective are your moat.

In other words, the real advantage is in your messaging.

It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy.

And you differentiate from the competition with your content. This happens through your lead magnet since it’s the first piece of content new customers see/read/hear.

Because the content before the offer is the most important thing. More important than the copy on your sales page.

There’s two goals with this piece of content.

1. Demonstrate how you're similar the audience (worldviews, values, beliefs).
2. Demonstrate how you’re different from the competition (through the founder story, product, process, service).

Once you have that in place, then you can start building an optimized conversion process.

Not only will you get a better return on ad spend, but you’ll build a loyal customers base.

Your message will permeate throughout your entire business, and best of all, you’ll feel more confident knowing what you stand for.

That's it, Thanks for Reading!

Here's what you learned today:

• Brand building in 2025 requires deeper audience understanding, not louder messaging
• Success comes from flexible value delivery, not rigid business models
• What happens before the offer made is the most important thing—you differentiate with content.

I'm going to be helping a few small business owners uncover their remarkable difference and turn it into an asset on a trial basis.

Hit reply if you'd like to learn more.

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P.S... If you're enjoying the Hook, please refer this edition to a friend. They'll thank you for helping them build a brand that stands out!

Keep Learning,

Nicholas

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