Authors, one of the first things you want to do when developing your marketing plan is determine your brand.

What is a brand?

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.

Therefore it makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem. [Source]

The opportunities to brand are as varied as the genre of books we write.

Think of branding as you would your personality. It represents who you are and differentiates you from other authors. Depending on the writer this can range from being controversial to being shy. If you are having a difficult time visualizing your brand, look outside of the literary world to entertainment in general. What kind of branding do you see when you think of Wendy Williams? Lady GaGa? Will.i.am? Tyler Perry? Each of these entertainers is branded towards a certain audience. Who is your audience? And how can you present yourself in a way that best represents you to your audience?

My brand started long before I became published. My brand began when I was songwriting, and writing entertainment articles and blogging about music. My first book The Buzz was an extension of my entertainment and writing experience and fit well with my brand. My publishing company was set up to publish my own books but also to assist other writers. I’ve always wanted to be a resource to other writers, so I extended my brand with my blog and YouTube page. As a result when writers have writing, marketing and publicity related questions they utilize my company as a resource. As my brand expanded it allowed me numerous opportunities outside of writing.

Tips for determining your brand:

• Delivers the message clearly

• Confirms your credibility

• Connects your target prospects emotionally

• Motivates the buyer

• Concretes User Loyalty [Source]

Next we will discuss, knowing what helps and hurts your brand. What is your brand? Please share in the comment section below.