LESSON #22: Branding and Naming Your Product

By | August 27, 2008

In the past few lessons, we’ve gone through the process of selecting a niche market, and defining the topic of your information product.

Now we need to talk about your branding strategy and come up with a title for your product…

(Watch this video…)

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Main points:

  • You can come up with your product name AFTER developing the product, but I personally like to do it at the beginning of the process because…

    1) It allows you to begin with the end in mind, and have a strong vision of the finished product.
    2) It enables you to get a jump start on some marketing activities.
    3) It helps you determine how the product fits in with your overall brand.
    4) If the product is being outsourced, a title helps provide focus and direction.

  • A brand is a collection of words, images, and ideas which represent and identify a business.

  • Branding is the process of integrating a company’s brand into everything they do.

  • We often associate branding with logos. Companies like Nike, McDonald’s, Mercedes, and others have shown the power of branding with a logo… BUT you don’t need a logo to have a good brand, especially when it comes to information marketing.

  • Example of Eric’s Tips. What kind of branding have I done? Compare consistency of my website, emails, videos, etc. Not just words and colors, but also the style.

  • Here’s what good branding does:

    – Invokes trust
    – Builds loyalty
    – Connects emotionally

  • Examples on the video of branding by Armand Morin, Jeff Alderson, and Brad Callen.

  • TOMA = Top of Mind Awareness

  • You only need to worry about gaining TOMA in YOUR niche.

  • The method by which you brand yourself really depends on your target market. That’s why you need to know WHO they are.

  • Convey your image in a way that resonates positively with your target market.

  • Consider your branding strategy before coming up with a product name.

  • Naming a product can involve in-depth linguistic science, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated.

  • If you ARE planning on doing some serious branding, then a trademark is something you may want to look into.

    – Trademarks can be registered directly through USPTO government site
    – If you want help, try Legalzoom

  • In general, you do NOT need to worry about registering a trademark for an info product. However, you should search to make sure your brand/product name is not already a registered trademark. You can search for free using the TESS system at www.uspto.gov

  • Here are some guidelines to help name a product…

    1) Brainstorm adjectives

    2) Get synonyms (http://thesaurus.reference.com/)

    3) Focus on the benefits (not the features)

    4) Make it easy to pronounce, and easy to remember

    5) Must be catchy enough to stop a member of your target market in their tracks

    (think shocking, provocative, exciting, controversial, motivational…)

    6) Look at the ClickBank marketplace to see the titles of best selling info products (just don’t get suckered into buying them)

    7) Consider “How to…”

    8] Try my reduction method. (It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does)

    – Write down exactly what the product is.
    – Condense it into 1 sentence.
    – Then condense it into 4 words or less.

    9) Play with the title scorer: http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/
    *Just DON’T put much stock in it (seriously), because information product titles are different from bookstore best sellers.

    10) Split test titles on Adwords

    11) Consider a traditional title/subtitle format. (Title gets attention, subtitle explains what it’s about)

    12) Google it in quotes to see if someone is already using your title.

    13) Get feedback.

    Action steps:

    1) Think about your branding strategy, and decide whether it will affect your title

    2) Come up with a title for your product

    Keep in mind that you CAN always change the title later on. It’s not set in stone!

    After you’ve come up with a title for your product, it’s time to stake your claim on the web and register a marketable domain to go along with it. There are good domains and bad domains, and I’ll be talking about all of that in the next lesson.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below 🙂

    Have a great day!

  • 178 thoughts on “LESSON #22: Branding and Naming Your Product

    1. Renee P

      Instead of coming up with one info product, I have designed a website (began it in March) designed for a particular niche. Now, I am aiming at designing pages around subtopics for that niche, ie each page would have content focusing on a particular interest for that niche, and I would add products to sell related to that sub topic. So, in a sense I would develop a website where I can continually update content and write articles around these subtopics, and keep products listed on each page. Does that sound like I am on the right track?

      Reply
    2. steve

      good job done , still following each day .i hope i will be able to produce my first info product at the end of the tunnel. once more thx Eric, u deserve a “bat on the back”

      Reply
    3. Party Plan Pat

      I agree with you! Once I created the title everything else just fell into place and the ideas just keep coming! I am loving this so much!

      Reply
    4. mohd ariff

      Hi Eric,
      Naming or branding of a product, not yet but we are more working on people products. Your lessons today has given us an ideas to think of our own products. We always like branding the products by our name.

      Ths, regards.

      Reply
    5. Luca - Reach Success Online

      Hi Eric,
      This is a really tough one for me. I always struggle picking a name and branding because I feel that it’s going to be around for a long time and I don’t want to make a mistake.

      Brainstorming does work because you get ideas that you would not have thought of on your own.

      You always give us a lot to think about.
      Thanks again.

      Reply
    6. George Woods

      Dear Eric,
      Hi great info as I have been following it in every lesson, I am just a little puzzled in where do I put these two links about affiliate products I am promotting, here they both are could you please explain to me by email. thank you.
      http://tassie65.itsezy4u.hop.clickbank.net/

      Click Here!

      Thank you:

      Regards Garry Woods

      Reply
    7. Max Miller

      I was told, some back, that the ‘Swoosh’ (Nike) was originally developed by a college freshman who received $25.00 for the idea.
      Yes, my name is Max.

      Reply
    8. Artemas

      Another good lesson, as usual Eric! I plan to rewatch this one several times to absorb it all. Great info; thanks.

      Reply
    9. Henry J Dorion

      hi Eric:lesson 22 video stops at 8.o2 min.
      will not continue

      Reply
    10. Grace Stroup

      Hi Erik,

      Is it possible for you to add of button in how to make the screen bigger? for your tips?

      Grace Stroup

      Reply
    11. Eric Post author

      It is most likely a browser security setting, or low virtual memory on your PC. Please try closing all programs on your computer, including all browser windows. Maybe clear cache. Then try again. You could also try a different browser… Firefox instead of Internet explorer, or vice versa.

      Reply
    12. Eric Post author

      For now there is no option to watch the videos in full screen mode. When I finish all the lessons I am planning on releasing them on DVD.

      Reply
    13. Irving

      Hello Eric

      I have a question:

      If i want to have an info product business, should i have a proper Business name(like Irving Marketing , for example.) and then create my own products and follow lesson 22 and 23 to have the name for them… right?.. or should i focus all the business(name,hosting,domain)on the specific info product..

      i am a bit confuse in this naming subject… for example you have Eric’s tips and from here you promote your info products. i am not saying we all should have an Eric’s tip site you know like bob’s tip,mike’s tips, but we should have something or someplace where people may go and see who is the person that made the e-book or “how to” manual..you know what i am saying? or am i talking crazy here…=(

      be cause like you say we have to build trust and good relationship with a list or the buyers of your products…right?

      so do we brand our selves along with the info product or just the info product..?

      best regards

      Irving Orta

      Reply
    14. Eric Post author

      There are different strategies for this.

      Some business owners are more product focused, and they can do well in their niche by having a good product and not really creating a brand for themselves or their company.

      But I would say that the most successful business owners DO create a solid brand for themselves.

      That’s why its important to start with the big picture, and consider the overall vision for your business.

      If your vision is to have a long term business, and to become an authority in your industry, then you should definitely start with a business name, and put that brand on everything you do.

      So no you are not talking crazy, you are on the right track. You will have a better chance of long term success if you do brand yourself.

      Reply
    15. Irving

      thank you very much Eric.. it’s clear now…so i have to go back to the vision and goals lessons…i’ll do that today and work on them until i get them in writing… I have to really work on my definite chief aim for this IM biz..otherwise the rest of the lessons will just not make any sense…

      best regards

      Irving Orta

      Reply
    16. Anonymous

      Thanks Eric
      I have been thinking about this for a while!
      I have a lot of ideas going on in my mind!
      I even started to create a website, but i think OFFICE LIVE did cheat on me!
      Eric can you tell me a little of registrating a domain, if not included in the next lessons?
      regards

      Reply
    17. Micah

      Eric has been away on vacation in Europe, but is preparing new lessons. Lesson 40 will be completed and posted soon.

      Reply
    18. E. Al Whaley

      ERic, I’m beginning to get the picture of the parts making the whole. My niche is universal. There are no exceptions. Reference ‘trademarks’, I’ve research 25,000 – have another 25,000 to examine. Hope I can ‘name’ search in Trademark Office now – couldn’t previously, had to go page by page.
      Debating if if an INFO BOOK would harm or help cash raising – have web maker – associate, and have several domains already purchased. TIME LINE: marketing the membership concept can preclude the campaign roll-out, requiring a physical product already -in a generic form, available. My product patentable. Al [nickname]

      Reply
    19. TERRY

      HI ERIC: I HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT REFERING THIS SITE BEFORE I EVEN GOT TO LESSON 22 KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK THIS IS WELL WORTH LISTENING TOO.
      NO WEBSITE YET JUST LEARNING EVERY THING FIRST.

      Reply
    20. Audrey

      Hi Eric
      Thanks for lesson 22, I realised the previous name for my business was too vague. Trying to build a store, and feeling swamped by all the techie stuff involved – I won’t give up though!
      Looking forward to the creation of pdf info. By the way is that you on the funky guitar?
      Thanks,
      Audrey (real name)

      Reply
    21. Eric Post author

      Actually the guitar was a sound clip in GarageBand on my mac, and I just edited it into a sequence 🙂

      Reply
    22. Tim

      Eric, again thanks for the step-by-step outline.
      Curious, I started my site some time ago and began thinking of an ebook to write. It is now finished and am having it reviewed by a couple of people to get feedback. So I am enjoying the lessons for when I go to published. However, it is not titled in the method you are stating since it is small market for the niche I am in. I hope to have other ebooks written, a series of instructional books, and wondered if the name of my site plays better for the titles in the future? If you can answer this by my email, it would be great. Or I will check back here to see if you are still reading these comments. Thanks,
      Tim

      Reply
    23. Micah

      Hello Tim,

      It’s great that you are seeking feedback for your ebook. You could certainly build your brand including your website name in your ebook title, but if your tests and feedback are good, you may want to keep your current title this time!

      Reply
    24. Claudia

      Hi Eric,

      I’m still researching my niche…Yes..Claudia is my REAL name. LOL…is Eric your REAL Name?

      Reply
    25. Brenda Philpot

      Hi Eric, I really enjoyed this lesson. It convinced me that the name I have for my first product, Is a great choice. Thanks for all your lessons. They are truely inspirational….

      Reply
    26. Bobby

      Yes, Eric that is my real name. I get asked that a lot.im probably a little slower at this than most same as my web page, its not either.I two daughters i have to share my computer with plus their drama filled lifes.They will be good actresses.Iwont quit.

      Reply
    27. Dale

      Hi Eric; Good tips. Like many viewers, some may need to sell their house or car or other large asset someday. Our main focus is publishing eBooks but now that we are selling our house in Cyprus, we decided to make a website that has some branding as well. But since it is a one off effort, I don’t know it will be a worth branding – but if it works, perhaps we could build a FSBO Cyprus website with a branding for holiday homes in the Mediterranean. Any feedback on my site is welcomed, and hey – anyone who has made their fortunes on your advice – interested in moving to Cyprus?

      Reply
    28. Does not matter

      Hi eric! Im posting this in your comment box because A; I really like your lessons and I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from them.
      B; You have a subscriber “Tom Curren” that is posting a link in your comment box that contains malware! I hope your not affiliated with this person. Its making you look bad! I had someone run a test on this link and it is full of malware. If you want the link to this report I would be more than happy to send it to you privately. I sent a note to your customer care page on 2-7-2010 and the response was immediate but the link still appears on your lessons. the link is —–
      I have alot of trust in your lessons and I dont want to have anyone that is faithfully following you to make the mistake a click on this link. If they dont have security on their computer they are doomed!

      Reply
    29. Eric Post author

      Thanks for the heads up. I will check it out, and in the mean time.. by all means do not click his links.

      Reply
    30. Eric Post author

      Cool. Actually I do think it is worth considering branding for the sale of a home.

      Many home sellers just register their address or something like 1234WalnutStreet.com, but I think a better approach in many cases is to brand it like “TheGreenbelthouse.com” or “TheOceanViewHouse.com”. After all, you’re selling a dream.

      Reply
    31. Juergen

      Hi Eric
      Thanks for this good lesson.
      Yes my name is truthfully Juergen, I was born and raised in Germany and Juergen is a Name used frequently, and it has two points on top of the u which you here in the US don’t have on the keyboard, so thats whey there is an e to make up for the u with points, and for pronounciation the J is like a Y
      and than you have my name pronounced, and my last name is Kleinen. It translates more likely into kind of like short, and in my schoolyears because off my name and being a little shorter than most poeple, they called me shorty. Anyway have a great day, and now at work thay call me Juergy

      Reply
    32. NSanuri

      Dear Eric,
      I am really a man and sorry I am little in
      English. My writing maybe OK but for interactive not enthusias, Why ?

      Because I want to practise in earn money,
      I don’t want much read theory. Now I’m very
      need money, I know all of people just very
      need money but if there someone throw penny
      I want collecting, I think I need donation
      from you.

      I can’t make website, I only to be make reseller or affiliates. Two years + I do this. Untile now nothing earn money, blank.

      Please give how to setting , how to creating,
      how to doing, how to promoting, I’m verry
      wanting to earn money from online. Please teach me for it, I don’n want see CD or video because I’m worry miss understanding
      I’m affraid I can’t to understand, I’m little
      in english please writting by email.

      In Affiliate & Material Connection this Your Blog what this material ? What can I do if I want to earn with this affiliate ?

      Pardon,
      Nurul Sanuri

      Reply
    33. Eric Post author

      Hi Nurul,

      These lessons go way beyond theory, because the things I’m teaching are time-tested techniques that have actually worked.

      It is up to YOU to learn how to learn. You can not expect someone to go out of their way to make things easier for you.

      Obviously what you’ve been doing isn’t working, so you need to do something differenty.

      My advice would be to do ONE of the 3 following things…

      1) keep learning English to the point that you can grasp what is being taught by me or one of the many other Internet marketing teachers who speak English.

      2) Hire someone to translate it for you.

      3) Find someone who is teaching in your own language; someone who has truly been successful at doing what you want to do.

      Reply
    34. regina

      I choose a brand name but don’t have my own product yet, want to go with affiliate products on a particular subject.

      ok?

      Reply
    35. Eric Post author

      Yes that’s fine, but I do recommend developing your own product in addition to marketing affiliate products.

      Reply
    36. Murray J Greene

      I already have a website but it’s very hotch potch at the moment as I slowly sort myself out through the mist of confusion after buying toooo muuuuch stuuuuufffff! and spending toooo maaaannnyyy $$$$$$!!!! However, my question is. . . Is my website doomed to failure as it’s too hard to pronounce and remember?
      This was/is a great lesson and gave me a lot of inspiration.Thank you again.

      Reply
    37. Sean Breslin

      All usefull Eric at present I’m more in to promoting others peoples stuff! But picking a domain to promote those products with, the same rules seem to apply?

      Reply

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