Skill Arbitrage Blog

This article helps you turn your passion for brands into a powerful, repeatable consulting service that sets you apart in a crowded market. By leveraging emotional connections with superfans, you will create actionable insights that drive brand success, attract clients effortlessly, and position yourself as a specialist in fan-driven brand growth.

Previously on Video-First Freelancing…

Raja taught a pleasantly surprised Swathi how video-first outreach builds compounding influence, wins trust faster, and positions freelancers as irreplaceable allies, not disposable hires.

But what if you didn’t have to pitch cold at all?

In this article, Raja reveals how to flip the script. By auditing the brands you already love, the Superfan Audit helps you turn irrational obsession into strategic opportunity and emotional clarity into client acquisition. No research. No begging. Just proof of care that clients can’t ignore.

(Continued…)

Raja didn’t care where they went, as long as she was talking.

Tonight, it was a tucked-away Syrian-Lebanese place in Besant Nagar. Candlelight. Brass plates. Some oud-heavy playlist looping in the background. Not his usual hang, but she picked it, and he was already losing track of what the main course was called.

Savitha was mid-rant about a perfume again.

No, listen, it’s not just jasmine. It’s not that fake department store jasmine. This one smells like… like temple flowers after a summer thunderstorm. Like the jasmine had a heartbreak and decided to grow up.

She wasn’t looking at him. She was somewhere else entirely. Maybe Pondicherry. Maybe 2017. Somewhere jasmine still mattered.

I swear, Raja thought, if the fragrance had a face, she’d leave me for it.

She opened her bag and pulled out a slim, dark glass bottle with a frayed paper label. Held it up like a relic.

Neela. That was the name.

I carry it everywhere. Even when I’m not wearing it. I just like knowing it’s near me. Like a shield.

Before he could respond, she uncapped it, leaned over, and spritzed a little on his wrist. Here. Just smell it. Tell me that’s not divine.

He nodded. Smiled. Let her run.

Savitha talking about perfume was better than most people flirting.

And then, just like that, between bites of kuboos, she said it.

I think I’m going to quit Yamini Skinworks.

He blinked.

She took a sip of water, like she hadn’t just dropped a small bomb.

I mean, it’s fine. The team’s nice. But I’m tired of writing launch emails for eye serums I don’t believe in. I want to freelance. Do my own thing.

There was a pause. Then she was back at it.

Anyway, this brand? I don’t think they even know how good they are. No Instagram filters. No influencers with dewy cheeks holding the bottle like it’s a magic potion. Just this… raw, old-world scent. It smells like memory.

Raja, meanwhile, was hearing something else entirely.

You want to quit. You don’t know where to begin. And yet here you are, doing a better job selling this bottle than the brand’s own website.

He waited till she paused, eyes bright, bottle still in hand.

You already have your first pitch, he said.

She frowned. What do you mean?

That perfume brand. You’ve bought it. You live with it. You know what it means to people like you. You’re not just a copywriter. You’re a customer who can sell. That’s rare.

She looked at the bottle. Then at him.

But I don’t know them. I wouldn’t even know how to approach them.

Superfan Audit strategy

That’s the easy part, Raja said. You already speak their language. Now you just need to introduce yourself.

That shut her up for once. She looked down at the bottle in her hand like it had just turned into a business card.

And for the first time that evening, Raja wasn’t thinking about her cheekbones. He was thinking about strategy.

“So you really think I can just… pitch them?” Savitha still looked skeptical. One hand on her wine glass. The other was still cradling that ridiculous perfume bottle like it needed protection from the air.

Raja nodded. “I don’t think. I know.”

She squinted. “But I’d be nobody to them.”

He smirked. “No. You’re already somebody. You’re the person they’re trying to reach. And you’re already there. Bought in. Tattoo-level brand loyalty. They just don’t know you exist yet.”

She didn’t respond. So he went on.

“Most freelancers pitch like beggars. Holding up a portfolio like it’s a bowl. Please, sir, can I optimize your conversions?”

Savitha snorted into her glass.

“But this?” He pointed to her. To her eyes still dilated from talking about that damn scent. “This is different. This is a Superfan Audit. You’re not begging. You’re diagnosing. You’re saying, here’s what you nailed. Here’s where you’re off-key. And here’s how to fix it.”

“Sounds arrogant,” she said, but her smile said otherwise.

“It’s not arrogance if it’s true.”

She went quiet for a beat. Then: “Okay. But I’m not some perfume expert.”

“You don’t need to be,” Raja said. “You need an edge. And you already feel it. You know exactly where the brand loses its voice. Where the homepage stutters. Where the tagline tries too hard. That’s not guessing. That’s knowing. That’s being inside the signal.”

He leaned forward.

“Superfans don’t pitch. They present truth.

Superfans don’t write copy. They fix the signal.

Superfans don’t specialize. They feel the edge like a blade to the skin.”

She looked at him then. Really looked. And Raja, for once, didn’t look away.

But then he couldn’t help himself.

“Okay, imagine you were a girl at a bar…”

Savitha cut in, deadpan. “Me? A girl? What are you SAYING?”

He grinned. “Just go with it. So. Guys walk up to you. Say dumb things. Try hard. Brag about their car, their startup, or their stupid crypto wins. But you? You know what you’re looking for. You know exactly what they need to say, and how, for it to work on you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “So this is… build your own boyfriend?”

“Exactly,” he said. “Except you’re doing it for a brand. You already know what it needs to say to win someone like you. That’s insight. That’s value.”

“BYOB?” she said. “You’re telling me BYOB is a freelancer client acquisition strategy?”

Raja clinked his glass against hers. “Build Your Own Brand. Yep.”

She laughed. Then went quiet again. The perfume bottle still in her hand.

What is the Superfan Audit?

Raja watches Savitha, still caught in her quiet reverie about Neela, the bottle now resting on the table between them. The fragrance is heavy in the air, but his mind shifts back to the task at hand.

“You’re still caught in the spell of Neela, huh?” he says, raising an eyebrow. “There’s something about that perfume. It’s more than just a fragrance. And that’s what the Superfan Audit helps you figure out.”

Savitha’s eyes snap back to him, a mix of curiosity and challenge. “Superfan Audit? What’s that?”

He leans forward, taking a breath. “It’s a four-step ritual that helps you dissect what makes people fall for something. Really fall for it. Like you just fell for Neela.”

She picks up the bottle again, eyes flicking from it to him. “Okay, I’m listening.”

Part 1: Emotional truth

Raja doesn’t miss a beat. “The first step is identifying the emotional truth. What makes someone fall in love with a brand? What made you trust Neela over all the others?”

Savitha’s lips curve into a small smile as she starts to lean into the thought. “It’s not just the jasmine, you know. It’s the story it tells. Like… temple flowers after a storm. It smells like it’s been through something, like it’s not trying to impress. It’s real.”

Raja nods, his gaze sharpening. “Exactly. It’s not just a fragrance; it’s an emotional experience. You feel something. Like it’s got history. But what’s the unspoken promise there? What’s the emotional pull that stays with you long after the bottle’s empty?”

Savitha seems lost in the scent for a moment, her voice softer. “It’s like… I carry it around with me, even when I’m not wearing it. It feels like a shield. Like something I can hold onto.”

Raja smiles. “That’s the power of emotional truth. It’s not just about the perfume. It’s about how it makes you feel.”

Part 2: What’s working

He sits back, watching her, keen to dig deeper. “Now, what’s actually working? What’s really making you come back to Neela every time?”

Savitha doesn’t have to think long. “It’s the simplicity. The bottle. It’s understated, but it’s got a presence. It doesn’t scream, but it doesn’t need to.”

Raja taps his fingers on the table, pleased with her answer. “Right. It’s subtle. It’s not trying to be everything. It’s doing most of the work without being loud about it. And you know what? That’s doing 80% of the heavy lifting.”

“Yeah,” Savitha agrees. “It’s the kind of thing you don’t notice at first, but once you get it… you can’t let go.”

Raja leans in, his voice low. “Exactly. And that’s the magic. Don’t mess with that. That’s the foundation.”

Savitha raises an eyebrow. “So, just leave it alone? No overhyped ads or influencers?”

“Exactly,” Raja says with a slight grin. “Keep it simple. Don’t ruin the magic.”

Part 3: What’s not working

Savitha pauses, furrowing her brow. “But what if something feels… off? What if there’s something in the way?”

Raja leans back, considering her words. “That’s part three. You’ve got to figure out what’s diluting the signal. Where does it go off-tone? Where does it feel out of sync with what you first fell in love with?”

Savitha picks up her glass, swirling it slowly, her thoughts racing. “It’s the social media stuff. I get that it’s trying to be everywhere. But it feels like Neela’s getting lost in the noise. Like it’s trying too hard to be modern, trendy.”

Raja nods, understanding. “Right. That’s the buzzword trap. It starts feeling like everything else. When a brand tries to be everything to everyone, it loses what makes it special.”

She sighs, nodding in agreement. “Exactly. It’s like when people throw around ‘luxury’ and ‘authenticity’ just to sell it. Neela’s not about that. It’s real. And that can’t get lost.”

Raja’s eyes gleam with intensity. “Exactly. Protect that truth. Don’t let it get buried under generic marketing.”

Part 4: Category of 1 positioning

Savitha leans in, her expression more serious now. “So, how do we finish this audit? What’s the final step?”

Raja smiles, knowing this is the pivotal moment. “The last part is about category of 1 positioning. You’ve got to ask yourself, what isn’t this brand? Who is it really for?”

Savitha looks thoughtful, as though searching for the right words. “Neela’s not just a fragrance. It’s for people who want something deeper than just a scent. It’s for people who… value authenticity over the fluff.”

Raja leans forward. “Exactly. Now, here’s the tricky part—if you had to describe Neela to someone who has great taste but zero patience for bullshit, what would you say?”

Savitha doesn’t hesitate. “I’d say… ‘It’s a fragrance for people who know that true luxury isn’t loud. It’s quiet, but it stays with you.’”

Raja lets out a breath, his smile widening. “That’s it. That’s the category of 1. Neela doesn’t need to fit into an existing box. It creates its own space.”

Savitha looks at him, eyes wide. “You really think it can work like that? Just carve out its own space?”

Raja leans back, a knowing look in his eyes. “Absolutely. But only if it stays true to what makes it real. Keep the magic, and you’ll never need to compete.”

10 sacred questions

Raja leaned back in his chair, his voice quiet but intense as he shifted the conversation. “You know, Savitha, you can’t BYOB…Build Your Own Brand,” he chuckled… by guessing. You have to really know your audience, their triggers, their desires, and the subtle ways they make decisions. And there’s one tool I swear by to do that. These ten questions. They’re sacred. They turn fuzzy obsession into razor-sharp precision.”

Savitha put her face in her palms, intrigued. “Sacred, huh? What’s the toolset?”

Raja grinned. “It’s a set of questions that help you see not just your audience, but the very moments they decide, feel, and act. These aren’t research questions. These are taste forensics.”

He lets the words settle, then dives right in.

1. “What were you doing 5 minutes before you decided to buy?”

Raja’s eyes locked on Savitha’s. “I don’t want to hear about brand recall. I want the buying context. Were you staring at your wardrobe, struggling for an event? Were you out with friends, wishing you could smell different? Whatever it was, it’s the moment that set everything in motion.”

Savitha looked up, her lips curling into a smile as she took a moment to think. “I was in Pondicherry. Took a solo trip after years. That morning, I was sipping filter coffee by the sea, barefoot, no phone, no noise. Just… air. Later, I was walking through one of those tiny Franco-Tamil alleyways near White Town, with blue walls, bougainvillea, and old paint, and I stepped into this little perfumery. No AC, no music. Just rows of bottles, handwritten labels. That’s where I found Neela. I wasn’t shopping. I was remembering who I was.”

Raja nodded, seeing the deeper story unfold.

2. “How did you justify the purchase to yourself?”

Raja raised his brows, making the question hit deeper. “Not the reason you told your friends. Not the rational pitch. What was the quiet, internal monologue? ‘I deserve this,’ ‘I’ll wear this every day,’ or ‘This is the answer to my scent problem.’ The real reasoning. That’s where the truth lies.”

Savitha chuckles softly. “I kept thinking, ‘I deserve this. I need something that’s just mine, not what everyone else is wearing. Neela felt… like an extension of myself. I had to have it. I knew I’d wear it all the time, even on days I didn’t need to smell ‘good.’ I just wanted it near me.”

Raja smiled. “That’s the self-talk of a true devotee.”

3. “If I made a fake version of the product that looked exactly the same but felt different… what would you instantly notice?”

Raja paused, making sure she was tuned in. “I’m asking about the feeling. The second Neela touches your skin, what’s the first thing you test? Is it the scent’s weight? The subtle richness? The way it clings to you? That’s the deep product anchor. The thing you don’t write in reviews but feel in your bones.”

Savitha’s gaze softened as she answered, “It’s the richness, definitely. The scent doesn’t hit you immediately. It kind of unfolds as you wear it, like it’s there, but then it’s with you. It’s deep but not overwhelming. It stays on you without feeling… like it’s trying too hard.”

4. “What kind of person wouldn’t get this product? Why?”

Savitha’s smile falters, and she knows where this is going. “Ah, tribalism. You’re asking who’s not allowed in the club.”

Raja’s grin is sharp. “Exactly. This is where you find the lines you draw. Maybe Neela’s too subtle for people who love overpowering scents. Maybe it’s too deep for those who want something fleeting. Understanding who it’s not for helps you sharpen the message that cuts through the noise.”

Savitha leans forward, thinking carefully. “Neela’s definitely not for people who are looking for something trendy or loud. It’s not about making a statement; it’s more like… quietly owning who you are. Someone who’s always about attention, who needs a perfume that screams for them? Neela’s too… introspective for that.”

5. “What other products do you love in the same way?”

Raja continued his interrogation. “Forget the product category. I want to know about the pattern. What other brands do they worship with the same devotion? Maybe it’s Bombay Shaving Company. Maybe it’s Sleepy Owl coffee. What’s their tribe? Cross-reference those patterns, and now you have a community you can speak to.”

Savitha doesn’t miss a beat. “Forest Essentials, yes, but not the big stores. I like their smaller, older blends. And there’s this brand called No-Mad, they make homeware, textiles, stuff that feels like it was dreamed up in a haveli. I also love Chaaipani. They’re not a product brand, but their stories… they make me feel seen.”

6. “When someone compliments you on your choice, what exactly do you say?”

Raja held her hand, watching Savitha. “This is the golden question. Forget what you think people will say. What do they actually say when they get a compliment? That’s the exact language your customers are using. That’s the copy that converts.”

Savitha laughed. “I say something like, ‘Oh, it’s this perfume I wear… it’s a little hard to describe, but it’s not like anything else.’ People always get curious because it’s not the same as everything else. They don’t know what it is, but they know it’s different.”

7. “How many times did you think about buying it before you bought it? Once? Twice? Never?”

Raja’s eyes were laser-focused. “This is about purchase velocity and friction points. Did you buy it the second you saw it, or did you sit on it for a while? And what finally tipped you over the edge? This tells me if we need more awareness, better persuasion, or just an urgency push.”

Savitha grinned, remembering. “Never. I picked it up, smelled it, and said yes. Like bumping into an old friend and knowing you’re going to hug them before they even look at you.”

8. “If this brand shut down tomorrow, what would you miss most?”

The tone shifted. “What would you actually miss? The fragrance? The memories tied to it? The feeling of holding that bottle in your hand? This is the emotional equity. And it tells me whether we’re selling the product, the identity, or just the escape.”

Savitha sighed. “I’d miss the feel of it. It’s not just a perfume; it feels like an extension of me. It’s like a shield, you know? It’s more than a fragrance. It’s this feeling of having something rare, something that’s just mine.”

9. “What part of the website or ad made you feel, ‘These are my people’?”

Raja’s voice softened, urging Savitha to think. “This is the identity trigger. Was it the tone? The visuals? That one sentence that made you feel like you weren’t just a customer, but part of something? This is the magnetic field. And it’s where you find your perfect fit.”

Savitha’s face lit up. “The website felt… intimate. It wasn’t about selling. It was about telling a story. The whole vibe was soft but strong. And the imagery? It felt real, like I wasn’t just looking at a product. I was looking at a piece of someone’s soul.”

10. “Do you remember what brand you were using before this? Why did you stop?”

Raja’s final question was like a spycam. “This is where we understand who we’re stealing market share from. Maybe they were too cheap. Too flashy. Too ‘mainstream.’ This is where the villain story starts. The one that tells the world why Neela is the only choice.”

Savitha pondered for a moment, then answered. “Before Neela, I used to wear something more… typical. Something ‘luxury’ but not meaningful. It was one of those big, over-the-top brands everyone recognized. But after a while, I realized it was just a brand, not an experience. Neela, though? It’s real. It’s me. I can’t go back to something that feels like it’s just about marketing.”

Use these 10 questions everywhere

Raja scribbled the list of 10 questions on a napkin for Savitha, satisfied with the shift in the conversation. “Run them on yourself. Run them on superfans. Run them on competitors. Use them to pitch. Use them to get to the heart of your customer’s truth. This is not just content. This is brand positioning GPS. This is how you get real insight. This is how truth gets on the page.”

Savitha, deep in thought, finally speaks. “You’ve made it clear, Raja. These questions are everything. They’re how you cut through the clutter and land where it matters.”

Raja smiles, knowing it’s just the beginning

Plotting your BYOB strategy 

Savitha leaned back, wineglass swirling like she was stirring something deep.

“So you’re telling me… don’t just chase the cool kids. Chase the ones I’d fight for in a bar?”

Raja smirked. “Exactly. Everyone talks about the Dream 100. But what they forget is this, most dreams are borrowed. Hype from LinkedIn. Prestige from design awards. Everyone’s trying to work with Apple or Nike. But loving a brand doesn’t mean you’re right for it.”

He pulled a pen from his pocket—cheap, clicky, but confident—and started sketching on the paper napkin between them.

A Venn diagram. Two intersecting circles.

Left: Brands You Love

Right: Brands You Could Actually Help

Middle: Your BYOB List.

“This,” he said, tapping the center, “is your sniper zone. Obsession filtered through credibility.”

Savitha squinted. “So if I love Apple, but they don’t need me…”

“You’re a fan. Not a fit,” Raja cut in. “But say you love Logseq. You journal there. You’ve studied their onboarding. You’ve written teardowns on Substack. Posted fixes on Twitter. That obsession becomes signal. That signal becomes gravity.”

She looked down at the napkin, then back at him.

“So… you’re saying my Dream 100 should be a BYOB 17?”

Raja laughed. “Yes. And that 17 will hear you louder than shouting at a hundred strangers. That’s the trick. You don’t pitch. You resonate.”

Pause.

The waiter interrupted with dessert menus. Neither of them noticed.

---

Show the payoff

Raja sat forward, elbows on the table, watching Savitha’s expression shift as she processed the BYOB concept.

She picked up her wine, thought for a second, then set the glass down gently.

“But how do you actually get their attention? I mean, even if I have my BYOB list, how do I make them care?”

Raja leaned back, smiling like he’d been waiting for this moment. “This is where you show them the payoff. You don’t beg for their time. You don’t come with the usual ‘I’ve researched your brand and I’m really passionate about what you do’ crap.”

Savitha raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so no fake flattery?”

He nodded, slow and deliberate. “Exactly. Instead, you show up like you already belong. You say, ‘I love what you’re doing. Here’s where you’re winning. But here’s what’s being lost in translation.’”

Savitha stared at him. “Lost in translation?”

“Yeah,” Raja said. “You spot the gap. The thing they’re not seeing. Maybe it’s their messaging, their tone, or even their user experience. Whatever it is, you’ve already noticed it because you care. And you’ve been obsessing over it like it’s your own.”

Savitha’s voice softened, curiosity piqued. “So, it’s like telling them you’ve been watching their show and you’re now an expert in the hidden details?”

“Exactly. But here’s the kicker,” Raja continued. “You don’t just point out the problem. You give them the solution. You tell them, ‘I wrote this because I care. And if you want help fixing it, I’m your person.’”

He let the words hang in the air between them.

“That’s better than any cold pitch. It’s an emotional proof of work. They don’t need to guess if you can deliver. You’ve already delivered.”

Savitha exhaled slowly, as if it had all just clicked. “So it’s not about them needing to buy into you. It’s about them seeing you’ve already been working on their brand… on your own time.”

“Yes,” Raja said, with a grin. “That’s when the door opens. Not because you asked. But because they want to invite you in.”

Turn obsession into a service: Superfan Audit agency

Savitha was still chewing on the idea when Raja poured the last of the wine into her glass. The candle between them flickered, throwing quicksilver shadows across the table.

“You’re saying I just give this stuff away?” she asked, skeptical. “Even if it’s… good?”

“For two or three brands?” Raja shrugged. “Yes. Because those aren’t freebies. They’re public case studies. They’re proof that you’ve built something bigger than a pitch. You’re building judgment. And once you’ve done a few?”

He leaned in.

“You wrap it into a product. Something they can buy.”

Savitha tilted her head. “Like what? What would I even call it?”

Raja grinned. “You already have the name. The Superfan Audit.”

She blinked. “Wait, you mean I name the offer after the process?”

“Exactly. You don’t say ‘I do brand consulting’ like a thousand other freelancers. You say: ‘I help brands go from beloved to a category of one with a fan-driven repositioning process called the Superfan Audit.’”

He said it slowly, like a spell.

Savitha smiled, her earlier skepticism melting. “Okay, that’s hot.”

Raja continued, warming up. “You include the teardown of their current messaging. Show them where it’s working and where it’s leaking. Then you map what the superfans already love. The irrational bits, the inside jokes, the emotional glue.”

She was nodding now. Fast.

“You take that,” he said, “and you write their Category of One statement. The thing only they can say. The thing that feels inevitable once it’s said. Then you fix their homepage. Their tone. Their product pages.”

Savitha was practically vibrating. “Can I throw in emails? Landing pages?”

Raja smirked. “Of course. Bundle what you want. But the product is not the copy. The product is the repositioning. The copy is just how you help them live up to it.”

Savitha leaned back in her chair, eyes blazing.

“You’re turning obsession into an asset,” she said.

Raja lifted his glass. “Finally. Someone who gets it.”

Savitha leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful smile playing at the edges of her lips. She swirled her glass slowly, her eyes momentarily distant but not lost. The conversation had shifted something in the air, as if the tension had evaporated, replaced by a quiet understanding.

Raja, sensing the change, let the silence linger between them. No need to rush. His grin softened into something more genuine, and he studied her reaction, feeling the weight of their exchange settle comfortably in the space between them.

Savitha looked up and met his gaze. “You know, I think I might actually try that,” she said, her tone lighter, more open than it had been at the start.

Raja didn’t answer right away. He just nodded, a slight smile tugging at his own lips.

“I’ll be here,” he replied, the words simple but carrying the unspoken meaning that they’d both crossed a small but significant threshold in the conversation.

She gave him a small, appreciative smile before turning her attention back to the dimly lit room, the moment quiet, but charged with something more than just words.

(To be continued…)