How would you turn your name into a brand?

Ask yourself this. Who do I want to be known as? If you are looking to be known as the "personal development coach" that make that your niche and brand yourself as that.

If you want to be the bootstrapping $10 guy, then make that you.

Just don't try and be everything to everyone, otherwise you'll have no one.

That does not mean you can't have two, three or more sites. The other sites, may use a 'pen name' or if in the same vertical but a different niche you can still brand it under you.

for example expert plumber and expert brain surgeon not a good fit.

kitchen remodeling expert and bathroom remolding expert is a good fit.

hope that makes sense and helps.

Tim Ferriss wrote a really cool blog on harnessing the superstar effect. From CEOs to Opera Singers – How to Harness the “Superstar Effect”

Essentially, it talks about how being the best at even a random niche skill can bring you a lot of credibility (or at least attention) in other areas of your life.

As background in my case "myname dot com" was already taken when I first got online 5 years ago so I chose a business name that was a play on my last name (SuccessCREEations). Then about a year ago I made the marketing decision to step out from behind my brand, raise my own profile and do more public speaking, etc.

Here's how I'm doing it.

First, I picked my niche, what I wanted to be known for. In my case I just refined what I was already doing with my company. It's "New Media Systems, Strategy and Training." I call myself a "New Media Systemizer" because it sticks in people's brains, partly because it's a made up word.

I am on most social networks I can find with my name as my user account. I picked a handful to focus on and engage those communities regularly.

I got the domain ChrisCree.TV and started publishing videos there. I publish those videos on several different video sharing sites too and point them all back to that domain.

Also, I make sure to use the same photo of me for all of my user profiles. It's the same photo that's in the header of my company website and my video site. I also used similar colors and branding across most of my sites and styled my YouTube channels to match.

That way every time someone comes across something you've done it is connected and consistent. Each thing reinforces the last because it ends up building on what went before.

I see consistency in look and messaging over time to be a key to building your personal brand.

Thanks everyone. Basically what I watered it down to was:

Focus on what you want to be known for and promote it effectively.

And the Brüno video taught me that sometimes insanity marketing builds a brand fast, for better or for worse. :-D

Controversy will attract an audience, no doubt. That approach does have some serious down sides, though.

Bill, good point. Now that I think about it, Richard Branson has the "Virgin" name, but it's so synonymous with his own name that they're kind of inseparable. I can't imagine someone else as CEO of Virgin ...it just doesn't make sense.

ChrisCree, downsides like never being able to live a normal life or having half the world hate you or being a bottom sucker that extorts others for publicity? Maybe toning it down a little (a LOT) would be better, although it is a good example at least of how shock marketing can work wonders.

Thanks again guys,

BrandonIM

I think that in order to create a brand of your name, what you need to do is to relate your name to a specific solution example:

If you are the guy that legally decrease the taxes of small companies by 85% even if they general ledger is a mess, and you start publishing your solutions on an ebook or physical book, you will be the "go to guy".

After that is just a matter of repetition I mean your name = The taxes guy solution, repeat this information in all your communications, business cards, web, etc... and I think you will be able to nail it, I recommend you to read Dan Kennedy's books and essays about being the "expert" how to position yourself as the "expert" on your area.

Hope it helps.

I'd invent a toolbar and purport to monitor people's site-traffic in published "rankings".

Be an expert in your area...

Spread the knowledge...

It's pretty simple, but it takes time and effort.

pick your niche, create content of value, promote content
and read my blog about online branding
also check Dan Schwabel's blog.

Use the blog to be yourself, and show the world you have a personality not just a slick presentation to sell stuff.

Once people get to see the real you they will start to form a relationship and then all sorts of things can happen. A blog allows you to do customer research, if you write a post and no-one comments vs a post with 100 comments you can see what type of content gets the market excited, and excitement = profit.

A blog can also be used for listbuilding, and you can put up an about me page with details of your past achievements and how to hire your service.

The only thing is you won't really be able to flip this site for profit, hence give your products their own brand.