The Brand Called You - part 1

Who do you think you are? More importantly, who do your fans think you are?

Why am I asking? Let me explain ...

A few years ago I had a book published called Branding Yourself Online. It's never been my best-selling title, but I've noticed over the years that there's a consistent interest in this subject. I put a lot of effort into giving the book my personal spin on branding -- a topic that's since been covered to death from every conceivable angle by branding experts.

Last month I did 40-minute phone interview on branding, which you can listen to free. But I want to shed a little more light on this, because it's so crucial to your success as a writer, artist or performer. So over the next couple of posts I'm going to ask and answer some basic branding questions to get you thinking about who you are and how you communicate with your fans.

Sound fair? Let's jump in.

What is the first thing someone should do to brand themselves?

Before you get anywhere near broadcasting a personal brand image to the world, you should first turn inward and examine who you truly are as a creative person. What are your strengths and areas of expertise? What characteristics are you already known for? What are you passionate about?

Like most humans, you have many talents, interests and aspects to your personality. You're a fascinating, multi-layered artist. Right? And that makes you an amusing, well-rounded person. But when it comes to branding, you have to pull in the reins on your wide-ranging characteristics. You must focus on specific aspects of who you are and what you do -- the aspects that will clearly and quickly communicate your public identity to potential fans.

Your brand identity should be a true part of who you are. It isn't a manufactured identity based on a current trend or void in the market. Done right, you'll be promoting your brand for many years, so make sure you choose an identity you'll be able to live with and embrace for a long time to come.

Keep an eye out for part 2.