Tips on Branding

Here’s some more tips on branding from literary agent Chip MacGregor. Thanks Chip, for giving me the okay to pass this along!

Seven Thoughts On Branding
Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

I’ve had several authors ask me about the notion of “branding” (currently the hot-button topic among authors and publishers), and I wanted to share a couple thoughts with you, just to help you think through your own brand. I spent a half-day with a branding consultant two weeks ago — a guy who makes his living talking to businesses about establishing and strengthening their brands. (He wanted to talk about doing a book, so we agreed to swap information.) It seems like most of the information we get about branding in publishing circles is rather vague, so I asked him some specific questions about how the concept relates to authors. Some of his thoughts…

1. Make sure you understand what a “brand” is. A brand, in simplest terms, is “what you are known for” or “what a reader has in his/her mind when they walk into a bookstore and see your book.” The consultant I met with (Kevin), said to me, “In many ways a brand is simply a collection of perceptions people have about you.”
What does that mean to you? Consider the question…What perceptions to readers have about you from your books? If they were to read three or four of your books, what images would they come away with?

2. Kevin told me one of the common phrases among branding consultants is that “a brand is a promise consumers believe in.” So if you make them a promise that they’re always going to get a taut action thriller with conspiracy overtones and cheeky heores, you have to deliver that every time.
What does that mean to you? I’m not saying you must only write in one genre, but at least think through the importance of focusing your writing so that book buyers know what to expect when they see one of your titles on the shelf.

3. If you can get known (and we’ll talk about that in a minute), your brand creates trust among readers; it fosters a relationship with them so that they feel they know you personally. It gives you an emotional connection with readers, so they become as interested in you as they are in your books. And all that makes selling books easier, since readers will be loyal to you, will buy more often, and will pay more for something they like and trust. Think about a brand you like…coffee, for instance. I like Seattle’s Best Coffee (SBC). I trust the taste, look for it in stores, and am willing to pay a bit more to get it. You might be that way with a Mac over a PC, or with a Toyota over Ford and GM.
What does that mean to you? Stay with me now…if you haven’t heard of SBC, the company has to work harder to sell it to you. Why spend extra money for coffee you’ve never heard of? You don’t know if it’s any better than Folgers. So you have to be convinced it’s worth the extra time to locate it, the extra money to buy it, the extra headache of searching for a brand. But once you get it and love it — you’re a customer for life. Kevin said to me, “If an author doesn’t have a brand with her books, each sale takes extra time and effort…and she’s counting on retailers, who have thousands of books, to promote and hand sell each book. On the other hand, if she’s known for a brand, she’s already got a following of readers who will help promote her; and retailers can easily figure out who her potential readers should be. So a brand is a key to growth, profitability, and sustainability in the market.” Wise words!

4. There is currently a fallacy taking hold among authors that branding is nothing more than making a declarative statement. I’ve seen one author declare himself “America’s pastor” and another “the best mystery writer in the country.” But saying something doesn’t make it so — it’s on a par with me declaring myself “the best home-run hitter never to make it to the major leagues.” How can that be proven? My declaring it doesn’t make it a fact. If nobody else believes that, it’s not doing me any good. As Kevin says, “Experience trumps messages.”
What does that mean to you? It means you need to reflect on whether you really have a brand, or are even ready to declare a brand. What do readers like about your work? What do you do best? What are you known for? What do you enjoy most? As you think through those questions, you’ll start to clarify if you have a brand, and if so, what that brand is.

5. The first step in creating a brand for yourself is to define it. What’s your genre? What’s your voice? What do you do best? What do people like about your work? What gets noticed? What’s your logo? What’s your trade dress look like? How are you and your books marketed? As you can see from these questions, part of “having a brand” is working closely with your publisher, making sure they are on board and referencing it in everything they do for you (cover design, back cover copy, media releases, advertisements, etc).
What does that mean to you? Kevin suggested an author think in terms of “what is the need your writing is meeting in the lives of readers?” or “what is the niche you fill?” or “who is the audience you write to?” All of this takes some time for reflection, and should probably include some research on your part (and “research” doesn’t just mean asking your spouse, your editor, and your critique group — it means doing some field work and talking with complete strangers about your words, so you get honesty from those who don’t already love you).

6. Determining your brand accurately is crucial. Figure out what need your writing addresses, what connection you make with readers, what defines you as a writer. Branding consultants are always asking the question, “What’s your core message?” A brand is something that comes from the inside out — it’s not something external that is imposed onto your work. So think about where you’re strong, and how you’re different, and what you want to be known for. Then, in Kevin’s terms, “Work that brand consistently. Let everything you’re doing support your brand.”
What does that mean to you? Well…in truth, it may mean you don’t want to brand yourself quite yet. Maybe you’re still working in various genres, and a firm brand would be premature. Or perhaps you’re turned off by the commerciality of branding. That’s fine — I’m not insisting each author I represent have a clear brand. But I want everyone to think through this, in order to see if it can help them move forward in their careers.

7. Once you’ve defined your brand, use your next book to launch it. Talk it through with the marketing, sales, and editorial types far in advance of your release. Be sure the book packaging reflects your brand. Make sure retailers know what your brand is. Work hard to get your brand known locally and regionally, since nearly every sucessful brand has started small and grown (rather than starting with a huge national advertising campaign). Get the word out on your brand in the industry — with every author and editor and publisher. Focus on your brand in every media contact. Target specific audiences who will be receptive to your brand, rather than aiming for a wide audience at the start. Select the groups you think should be reading your books, prioritize them, find avenues for reaching them, create a budget, and spend it solely on those readers. Work at getting your brand known every day. Kevin stressed targeting media lists, bookstores, and your contacts on a regular basis, giving them a consistent message. He also said to be “clear and concise,” since most authors “spend far too many words trying to describe their brand,” making their message boring or confusing or both. He stressed using email, audio clips, video podcasts, blogging, and a strong web site to consistently share the message of your brand. “Feature it everywhere, share links with others, and never stop working to convey the brand.” And something important he stressed to me:Show evidence of proof. Don’t just make a claim (“The best romance novelist on the planet”), but offer evidence to buttress the promise of your brand.
What does that mean to you? It means you’re going to have to spend a lot of time marketing the same message over and over.

In many ways, “branding” comes back to quality — if you create a great reading experience for people who like the sort of books you write, you can establish your brand in their minds. But even a wonderfully creative brand can’t support a bad product. Which is why I always say the success of a writer comes back, eventually, to the quality of craft. I’m working with a group of writers who are really gifted, creating wonderful words and books. One of the ways to help them move beyond the creation of great words and into the world of successful selling is to define a brand, then get them to work it.

Posted in Magpie Girl
Tags: on art, on writing |