by Suzanne Lieurance
If you want to become a best-selling author, a six or even seven-figure coach or other entrepreneur, you should be building a brand for yourself and your business.
Yet many people find that scary or off-putting.
I’ve even had writers tell me, “But I don’t want to build a brand.”
The thing is, they probably do.
They just don’t know it because they don’t understand what personal and business branding really means.
Yes, You Do Want to Build a Brand
All building a brand really means is you create a specific identify for yourself, so you attract the customers and clients who want what you have to offer.
What you have to offer might be a book, a coaching program, some writing services, etc.
Your brand sets your products and services apart from those of the many other people who are offering similar products and services.
Your brand helps to clearly define just what you do and who you do it for.
Some Author Brands
Look at best-selling authors.
Most of them are brands.
Stephen King is a brand in the horror market. You wouldn’t expect him to write sweet romance.
Danielle Steel is a brand in the romance market. You wouldn’t look for a detective story written by her.
Authors who build a strong brand tend to stick to a specific genre – at least until they build a strong brand within that genre.
Later, they might branch out into another genre.
Sometimes they use a pseudonym for this, though, so they don’t dilute their major brand or confuse readers/buyers.
Advantages of a Strong Brand
A strong brand has distinct advantages for both the customer/client and the business, author, or entrepreneur with a strong brand.
The customer or client knows what to expect when purchasing something from a company, author, or other professional with a strong brand.
That’s because part of a strong brand is an implied or stated promise to buyers that the products and services are of the highest quality (unless, of course, the product is branded for something other than quality).
As a result, the author, coach, or other professional with a strong brand is able to command more for his branded products and services than similar unbranded items.
What is Your Brand?
It takes time, thought, and effort to develop a professional brand.
Obviously, if you wish to brand yourself as an author it will take time to write at least a few books within the same genre and then market those books and build your readership.
If you’re a freelance writer, it will take time to decide what kinds of writing you wish to specialize in and then time to get clients and assignments.
Brands Can Change and Evolve
Your brand might also change as your business evolves.
A good example of this is Fabienne Frederickson.
For years, her brand was called Client Attraction.
In the last few years, since her target market has expanded greatly, her brand has morphed into something called Boldheart.
You may find that your brand changes over time as you become more focused on exactly what you wish to write and who you wish to be known as a writer.
Learn More about Business Branding
You’ll find all sorts of information online about business branding.
Here are a few articles to check out:
10 Ways to Build a Brand for Your Small Business
6 Branding Tips for Writers and Authors
Your Guide to Branding Yourself as an Author
If you don’t have a strong brand for yourself and your business yet, start building your brand now.
If you’re a Morning Nudge subscriber, you have free access to my Private Resource Library for Writers. Go there to download a short report called 5 Brand Centers You Need to Have for Your Business.
