What is a brand – and what’s the best way to discover, develop, and build a brand? The meaning of the word “brand” has changed over the years. So has the best way to discover, develop, and build a brand.
This article explains. It’s part of a 9-part training I recently wrote with my wife and business partner for our new website on personal branding (I’ll tell you how to get free access to the whole thing in just a second).
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What Is a Brand?
The word “brand” has meant many things throughout history and the definition used to be simple. A brand was simply a mark that you put on something to indicate who it belonged to.
Like cattle.
If you don’t like the idea of innocent animals being burned, think (instead) about Leonardo da Vinci leaving his signature on a painting. That’s a brand, too. Nowadays the word brand is commonly used in the world of business, marketing, and advertising. And the definition has evolved. A brand is no longer just a name, mark, design, or symbol used to identify something.
The word brand has many meanings.
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What Is a Brand?
An Attention Getter
Having a distinct brand helps you stand out in a noisy and competitive marketplace. If you don’t get people’s attention quickly and create curiosity, you’re done before you begin. That’s why corporations and individuals spend so much time trying to come up with the perfect: name, tagline, catchphrase, core messaging, logo, colors, shapes, graphics, sounds, scents, tastes, and even movements.
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What Is a Brand?
A Promise
A powerful brand has a powerful reputation. In other words, what are you known for? People associate different brands with different things: quality, precision, experience, speed, luxury, high-cost, low-cost, fun, accuracy, excitement, etc. What is your brand known for? You simply can’t be all things to all people – every brand can only be known for a few things. The good news is that you don’t have to be great at everything. But you do need to be good at something, you need to know what you’re best at, and you need to communicate it clearly.
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What Is a Brand?
A Differentiator
If your brand is unique, it will separate you from the “competition.” This is important because some brands promise the same things. Most business owners don’t spend enough time researching the marketplace. That’s a huge mistake because research is the only way you can differentiate your business and brand is with context. The last thing you want to do is craft marketing messages that sound like everyone else and deliver products and/or services that aren’t perceived as 1-of-a-kind.
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What Is a Brand?
A Feeling
When you’re developing a brand, it’s critical that you think about how you want your brand to make people feel – because they’re going to feel something, whether you’re aware of it or not. What do you want your clients, customers and/or fans to feel: curiosity, trust, respect, loyalty, excitement, admiration? People are guided by their thoughts, but they’re even more driven by their emotions.
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What Is a Brand?
Big Business
A brand is often the most valuable asset of a business. That’s why corporations and small business owners spend billions of dollars each year to discover, develop, and manage their brands. Create a strong brand and you can enjoy financial freedom. You can also make a bigger difference in the world.
Now that you understand what a brand is, click here for instant access
to our complete 9-part Guide to Personal Branding (absolutely free).
But first, let me know what you think about this article and/or
post your question about personal branding below.
– Mark
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MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
It seems clear while reading. Later thoughts caused me to compare the “genre” for books to the “brand” for authors to serve as a quick summation. There’s another
feature of benefit to the writer…a brand implies continuance. A book then seems only the beginning of what more may evolve with the brand signifying future potential…that direction of extended business!
– Evelyn
Hi Evelyn, great point… “a brand implies continuance”. Such a good comment that I wish I’d thought to include it when I wrote the article! Thanks for posting and have a great Friday and weekend. Mark
Hi Mark, Sometimes a writer needs to come up for air, look around and see if the world is still standing and go get a cup of coffee. During those moments it would be nice to have a mini person standing on my shoulder to hash over the next chapter with. Yeah I know, I’m a dreamer! It’s hard finding the balance between isolating myself, which seems to be a must and my daily work life. My brand is evident in the previews of future books trying to get through. I have to tell them not yet! Soon.
Hi Marilyn, how true. Writing requires a great deal of patience. The only thing that helps is if you enjoy the process of writing. But, even then, it seems to take forever… at least compared to other things. Here’s to hoping you meet someone interesting the next time you go out for a cup of coffee. 😉 Mark
Hi Mark,
Read your response to Saundra. You are so right about writing in isolation. Here I am in IA, which is actually one ginormous corn field, trying to fight my way through the fog today. If you hear someone yelling hellooooo!, it’s me. Working on book three of my trilogy and getting the words in such a strange way. (Chapter one and now the last chapter.) So…guess I’ll be filling in all the chapters in between. Got to take it as it comes! Sure would like to be able to hear ramblings of oth
I hear you Marilyn, and no… you are definitely not alone. And you’ll be seeing some more of my ramblings soon, so stay tuned. Glad you’re part of my community. Have a fabulous Friday and see you again soon. Mark
Hi Mark,
Great article, but I have to point out the typo in benefit #12 of Part 4 (editor in me). It should be “You get to do what you do best, and delegate the rest.”
Ok, I have to admit that I only half read the article because I’ve been up with a baby. But your articles are always great, Mark.
Brands are indeed important, when you are building a business or publishing an image.
Hi Jen! Yes, you caught me. The whole site needs to be proofed. And it’s not even visible to Google yet. But I didn’t want to wait to share it. Typo fixed, thank you. And have a fabulous Friday. Mark
Who do you use to proof your work?
Hi Jen, it depends what I’m doing… and when. I do have someone helping me out now with different things. Need her to go through my entire site because there are quite a few little things to fix. Just a matter of going too quickly when I wrote the sixty main pages on my site. 😉 Mark
Yes, I’m always on the lookout for good editors. They seem far and few between. But when you find one treat her (or him) well! 🙂
Great articles, always informative.
Thank you Jen, and yes… people who are good and what they do and genuinely love and truly believe in you… are people that should be treasured. So are people who leave nice comments. 😉 Mark
Valuable information once again. I’ve shared links to your and Ingrid’s sites on Facebook. Hopefully you get some hits from that.
I’m also starting to see why you’re so busy. You have a lot on your plate and your sitting at more than one place at the table! Go you!
Hi Becca, thanks for the shares and glad you liked the article. And yes, I’ve been a busy fellow. But this is the year I swore I’d start getting help. And now I finally am, as you know. Next year will be even bigger! Have a great Friday and see you soon. Mark
I haven’t been getting your photos together with your articles this past month and I’d like to see what Fudge looks like. Is it my laptop problem or is the problem on your side?
Hi SawLian, the images should show up unless you have your computer set up to not show them. It’s a setting that you can change.Mark
Hi Mark
I’m familiar with branding as I studied marketing years ago. Would, for example, an author’s brand be known by the genre of novels he specializes in e.g. drama, comedy, mysteries etc? Take Stephen King, he’s branded as a horror writer. Also, if an author is famous for one genre and suddenly writes a different genre, would it be advisable for him to use a pseudonym in case it flops in the market?
Hi SawLian, brand to me is much more than just genre… but that’s part of it. It’s difficult to explain in few words I’m realizing. Regarding your other question, however, about using a pseudonym… it’s a good idea and I know authors who’ve done it. 😉 Mark
I’ve done the pseudonym myself. The important thing is to know why your using a pseudonym and how doing so will benefit you. That’s where Mark and his wife can help you.
For example, my “brand logo” is JEN (it looks like a butterfly landing on a stick) because I’m primarily submitting children’s books and advice on teaching children to love reading. But when I submitted a middle-grade novel about a boy, I submitted it under J. Garrett so that the boys wouldn’t be put off by the cutsy logo.
Hi Mark,
Love your kitty, so expressive! How nice to say so much with just one look. So when should an author be concerned with a brand? Guess I’m still stuck in the query letter like quicksand. Got to pull my head out and move forward. Plan to contact you soon regarding that.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, glad you got to meet Fudge. He is a darling, isn’t he? Regarding your question about brand, it’s never too early to start thinking about it. But it’s also one of the most difficult things to write about concisely and help someone with via blog comments. So I do hope you follow up soon and schedule that call with me. We can talk about your query and your brand. Any other questions between now and then, don’t be a stranger. Looking forward to learning more about you and your work. Mark
Brand!!!! Great presentation for the writer to give great thought to. It is truly a make or break part of business. Getting published is the business of the writer in the end. Words on paper are all well and good, but if the brand doesn’t catch all you have are words on paper. Thanks Mark!!!
Hi Saundra, always good to see you. And you’re absolutely right. Too many authors have spent decades writing hundreds of thousands of words for no audience, because they didn’t focus on the “bigger picture” along the way. Writing is such a time-consuming passion, I wish everyone would get support through coaching or, at the very least, some type of writers’ group. Writing and trying to market one’s work in isolation is a bad idea. Here’s to good branding and business sense! Mark
Hi, Mark!
I hadn’t realized until recently how important branding, platforms, and self-marketing are in today’s publishing climate. After ten rejections from agents, I’m revising my current novel, in which the main characters are nuns. If it takes off, I might use nuns or ex-nuns as principal characters since I have the background. But I wouldn’t want to have ex-nun as a brand because of the negativity that might put in some readers’ heads. I don’t see anything else that could set me apart.
don’t see why a nun or ex-nun should be negatively–Both could be outstanding helps if they have any kind of integrity or make stands against corruption; the opposite is also true. Literature likes heros and villains. Either good or bad, you can still be a winner. If you get threats from RC authorities, proven winner. There is as much positive re: religious people as it does negative, so really only how you present them An anti-hero might be very refreshing take. Snidely the Cistercian tells all
besides no matter what you write, it can never match what’s been written in Decameron or by Casanova. Don’t see why nuns should be very difficult to sell, after all everybody is curios about what’s under their skirts and wimples– even if its only normal things like hair. It’s the story that sells. Generally the public is curious regarding nuns because they are seen; not heard. Quite often have difficult lives, not always, but their vows can make them objects of manipulation and cult.
Hi Frog, I agree that the nun or ex-nun angle can be brilliant… and just left a similar reply. The key is almost always the execution of the concept. Virtually anything can be made interesting with the right author describing it. Thanks for posting, and have a great weekend. Mark
Thanks, Frog. I appreciate your comments. Personally, I love my nun characters, even with their flaws. I’m having a great time with this story. I want to make them authentic and likeable characters. Regarding the negativity, I once dressed as a nun for Halloween and a woman reacted with such hostility, you just know there’s a sad tale to be told there of an experience of abuse. Quite the reverse of the esteem shown to those who had educated me. Well, nuns are real people and deserve a good tale.
If you go look through literature, you’ll see that world is interested in ex-religious lives. People are curious regarding why someone would be compelled into such a religious life or its difficulties. Lives of nuns are just as varied as PeaceCorps officers, but rules they live under can be used to exploit them mercilessly. Some orders are personality cults and can be used to inflict psychological control on members. No matter what, there is conflict. Conflicts create dynamics of storytelling
Hello Irene, your background is fantastic… and you’re wise to incorporate it into your writing. There probably aren’t that many people familiar with that world trying to write commercial fiction that capitalizes on it (in a good way). So I like your approach. Also, I agree with the other person who posted comments that you have nothing to be shy about by having a nun or ex-nun as a main character. It’s the “way” you write the character that matters. The hook is golden. Mark
Thanks so much, Mark. They say to write about what you know. There’s enough research to be done in writing a historical novel without having to take on a completely foreign persona. I’m hoping curious readers will find the plot summary compelling enough to set aside any bias and see how I’ve handled the story. I think there’s always a market for books that reveal hidden worlds. There’s no world more hidden than a Catholic cloister, except perhaps a harem. And I won’t be writing about that!
In your article, you mention the importance of researching the marketplace to identify a good brand. How would one go about doing the research necessary to find out where he/she fits as an author in the Marketplace?
Hi Leslie, that’s a great question that’s difficult to answer in a short space. But, I have an article on the topic here: https://literary-agents.com/how-to-write-a-bestseller/. At least it will give you a little more insight. The two biggest ways to do it are studying what’s out there in your genre, and then talking to people who know your genre as well as (or better than) you. Let me know what you think about the other article, and have a great weekend. Mark
Always inspiring to see what you and Ingrid have cooked up together, Mark!
Hi Marilyn, and it’s always refreshing and inspiring for US to see YOU. How’s everything going? We’re having an explosive (in a good way) year. As a result I’ve promised Ingrid I’m going to start getting out of my office more. You should see us at City Club soon. Looking forward to getting caught up and hearing all of the exciting things going on in your part of the universe. Until then, have a great weekend and thanks for saying hello. Mark
Like other commenters, I am deeply impressed with how you instill brand consciousness in your clients, and how well you and Ingrid set an example of effective branding. This even appears with “subsidiary” brands like your new “Personal Branding” site and my “Purple Platform.” As one whose emotions have been stuck on neutral most of my life, I do wake up excited about my brand, and look forward each day to working on my clients and books. True genius lies in simplicity — you are both geniuses!
Happy Saturday Harold! As you know you’re on my mind today. 😉 Can’t tell you how thrilled I am about your social media numbers. I hope you’ve done the math and started to realize how many followers you can have in 3, 6, 12 months if you keep doing what you’re doing. YOUR brand is on its way to where you want it to be. And we’re not going to stop obsessing about it. We’re honored to be along for the ride. Have a good weekend and talk soon. Very soon. Mark
I like this comment — true genius lies in simplicity. Trouble is, it can seem so difficult to find that simplicity. A paradox, like so much of life.
I truly enjoy seeing how you manage YOUR brand. Though I’m managing a successful business, I have much to learn from you about the marketing side.
Hi Nava, wonderful to see you here early on a Saturday morning. 😉 Thank you for your kind comments and taking time to post. I truly love branding and marketing, just as much as books and helping authors get published. It’s a never-ending romp of creativity. And there’s always something new to learn. Have a great weekend and thanks for being you. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you these past few weeks. Mark
Happy November to you two Sweet Cookies! (And cats)! Excellent info about brands! As a gal who embraces that concept via tattoos, (and perhaps the fabulous grill marks on my seared elk chops and steaks), I am delighted to indeed learn the specifics regarding one’s “differentiating” components of their business self. This was helpful to read, enjoyable as always, and your approach presents branding as something both fun and creative to develop. That’s very encouraging! Happy weekend!
Hi Leah, good morning. I can’t believe it but it’s 7:22 am and you have me craving a steak. I think that says more about me than you though. 😉 I just checked out your website again by the way. You should be publishing cookbooks. It’s not just your food, but your writing and your energy. You are a beautiful force of nature. Mark (and Ingrid)
Thank you both so much!!!
Good points here, Mark. I’ve spent so many years trying to blend into the background (personally),
while still getting out the message that burns within . . . With your help I will yet find the right balance, and thanks!
Hi Raylyn, that’s a common challenge for people who are spiritual or put a lot of value in helping or serving others. I got more comfortable “talking about myself and what I do” once I learned how to talk about it in a way that was ABOUT others. For example, on my fr*ee mp3 when I share all the details in my bio, I let everyone know it’s for credibility etc. People need to know they can trust me, etc. There are a lot of scams out there. Don’t hide your light. You are meant to shine. 😉 Mark
Interesting. Some told me I was clever to brand myself. I didn’t do it consciously. It happened by accident and came from an old AOL address, petxpert (someone else already had petexpert). I stupidly used it on my Twitter account, not thinking that I would really get involved in Twitter (I now have over 12,000 followers). And that’s when a colleague told me I did a good job of branding myself. I’m not convinced that it has been all that useful. Or, perhaps, I’m just not using it correctly.
Hi Darlene, thank you for sharing. You’re certainly doing a few things right if you have 12,000 followers on Twitter. I’m glad you’re open to finding new ways to improve though. Most people thinking branding is something simple you do over a cup of coffee in one afternoon. But it’s really about managing the influence of your entire business. By the way, I did get your book and it’s next to read on my iPhone. Have a great weekend! Mark
Thanks, Mark. I’m really open to whatever will help. I’ve been doing a lot of radio interviews lately and will be seen on local CBS newscasts sometime this month. That was pretaped. I hope you’ll let me know if you find my book interesting and/or useful. Hopefully both but the ideal is the latter. Please snuggle your cats for me.
Hi Darlene, fantastic you’re doing both radio and TV. And i will certainly get back to you about your book. And giving the cats more snuggles is certainly something you can talk me into easily. 😉 Mark