How to keep your best ideas from being forgotten with branded frameworks
And a question for you about which free course I should build next
Hello,
Welcome to this Thursday’s edition of Course Builder’s Corner.
I have 3 things to share with you this week.
I. Update on my current build in public project.
II. Article: How to keep your best ideas from being forgotten with the branded framework
III. Two ways I can help you
This week's article took me a long time to write so I hope you enjoy it.
The concept of the branded framework is something I'm very proud of. Please let me know what you think of it whether you love it or hate it.🙂
Let's begin.
I. Build In Public Update
You can see all the updates on this link:
https://twitter.com/roddaut/status/1651373473158275073
The lesson this week: You never know which of your ideas will land.
I posted a short essay to Twitter with one version of my framework for developing winning course ideas. It's titled "How to create winning course ideas (and avoid building a dud)"
The last idea was branded frameworks. And I got a few comments about it. So I decided to write an article with more information about branded frameworks called "The branded framework: Why some ideas fail and others succeed." Several people on LinkedIn commented.
With all the feedback lately, I'm starting to wonder if I should switch from creating an email course about creating winning course ideas to one about branded frameworks instead.
What do you think?
II. How to keep your best ideas from being forgotten with branded frameworks
Even our best ideas are quickly forgotten.
You can write a fantastic article, make a stunning video, or author an amazing book, but if you ask people what you shared 6 days later, chances are they'll remember little.
Then what do people remember?
Consider this example.
You go to a party. You meet Anne, Jeff, Ben, Joanne and Zephyr.
A few days later, you struggle to remember most of the names. But one name is more likely to stick in your mind, right?
Which one is it? It's likely the most unusual name of the group. The one that seems unique and special - Zephyr.
A unique name stands out and is memorable.
But how do we leverage this concept in our own business? We do that with something I call the branded framework.
What is a branded framework?
A branded framework is a system of ideas or practices with a name, attributed to a person or organization.
Many popular ideas are branded frameworks
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Five Love Languages, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).
Branded frameworks have been used to move the masses for thousands of years
Ever heard of the Ten Commandments, The Four Noble Truths or the Five Pillars of Islam? You guessed it, they are branded frameworks. And as such have helped ideas spread to billions of people.
There are three major types of branded frameworks
1. The numbered concept.
This is just a number followed by the name of the concept.
Examples are:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The Four Agreements
The Five Love Languages
The Three-Box Solution
12 Rules for Life
2. The acronym concept.
To have an acronym concept we turn each part of the framework into a letter that spells a word to make it easier to remember.
Examples include:
SWOT for business strategy
SMART for goal setting
GROW, a coaching model
OKR, objectives and key results
CODE, a system for developing creative ideas
3. Name + process word.
This one involves giving your framework a name followed by a process word so people know it's a unique approach.
Examples include:
The Eisenhower Matrix for time management
The KonMari Method of keeping your house clean
The Endless Idea Generator for creating writing topics
Once you know what a branded framework looks like, you'll easily spot them in the wild.
But how do you create your own branded framework?
Use the 4-step branded framework process:
List the steps you use to solve a problem or achieve a result.
Distill the key insight for each step into one or two words.
Arrange the insights into a logical order.
Name the entire system using one of the three common types of branded frameworks.
You now have a branded term to describe your work that you can share with others.
Here's how I'm applying the branded framework process to my own project
I'm developing a framework is to help people create course ideas that their customers will love which I'll include in a free email course.
Below are the results of Steps 1, 2 and 3 list, distill, and arrange.
Problem - Find a problem your prospect complains about that your course idea solves.
Result - Define a specific result your course can deliver. Give it a number if possible.
Obstacles - Identify the obstacles in your prospect's way.
Framework - create a framework that solves the problem, overcomes the obstacles and delivers the promised result.
The final step is to give your system a name using one of the three branded framework categories mentioned earlier.
I'll try name + process word first.
I decided to use the word "Winning Course" with process words after it.
The Winning Course Method
The Winning Course Protocol
The Winning Course System
The Winning Course Blueprint
The Winning Course Checklist
The Winning Course Criteria
The Winning Course Benchmarks
The Winning Course Test
The last three ideas in bold I liked best. They make it clear that this is a system for determining if the idea is any good and not a system for building an entire course.
Next let's try the numbered concept approach.
I resorted to ChatGPT to help me brainstorm some of these options as I couldn't think of many. Most of the ideas were awful. But here's a few I thought were passable.
The Four Pillars of Winning Course Ideas
The Four Aspects of Winning Course Ideas
The Four Principles of Winning Course Ideas
The Four Keys to Winning Course Ideas
The Four Tenets of Winning Course Ideas
I don't really like any of these. I'll try an acronym next.
Problem
Result
Obstacles
Framework
That creates the acronym PROF. That's memorable and reminds me of professor. I might still need to add some process words such as "method" or "blueprint."
The PROF Method of finding winning course ideas.
The PROF Approach to developing dinning course ideas.
The PROF System for creating winning course ideas.
The PROF Criteria for validating course ideas.
I feel a bit better about these options.
What do you think about PROF?
How about trying it on one of your own course ideas?
Use it to refine an idea and post it in the comments.
Or if you have a question, let me know and I'll answer it.
If you got this far, you are a champ.
And before you go, you may want to check out any of the following:
The Atomic Course Blueprint- Want to create a course without the usual overwhelm? Try creating a tiny course. Find out more here.
iPARA: How to organize your digital life for action- Is digital disorganization keeping you from reaching your goals? What if just four folders could let you not just stay organized but actually get things done. See for yourself here.
That’s it for this week. I’ll see you next Thursday with another issue.
This is very cool, Rodney! Captured 😊
Good stuff. Love this framework for frameworks.