Multibranding for Creators (how to build sub-brands)
I like branding. It’s creative and expressive. Naturally, I ended up creating multiple versions of me…I was never good at choosing one thing.
Personal branding is already multi-layered——but it has limits. I still jumped around, confused myself and couldn’t finish projects. I struggled to grow or establish the coveted “authority”.
Like I heard someone say once, “you can do anything, just not everything.”
That was a bummer.
Luckily though, I found a solution to my brand divergence. It’s called multibranding. And this is my guide for solo creators.
I’m a musician, artist, blogger and creator who travels.
This is how (and when) I’m building multiple sub-brands.
If you feel scattered, like you’re talking to multiple audiences, then this might also be for you.
Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents
What is Multibranding
Multibranding (for creators) is when you create mini brands under your main brand so you can reach different audience segments (without confusing your current followers).
This is really helpful for multi-passionate creators.
For example, my main brand is jef quin (that’s me, hi). But under that, I created two more sub-brands:
niuq fej——how I make music and art
Stuudios——how I create and grow online
Each mini brand has its own target audience, content and purpose.
When to Create a Multi-brand (why I do it)
“Each of my sub-brands have their own audience and goals.”
I have a lot of passions. And I don’t want to abandon any of them.
But layering multiple passions on top of each other isn’t the issue——as long as the audience is the same.
For example, using my music for the background of a lifestyle video where I’m making art while living in Tokyo is stacking at least 3 different passions of mine.
But I’m only speaking to one person: someone who supports, resonates with or wants to live a creative nomadic life.
If you wanna learn how to build a single multi-passionate brand (via lifestyle sharing), check out this post on choosing your niche.
So the trick is knowing when to separate your passions.
When should you have multiple sub-brands?
This is important because multiple brands that are too close to each other can lead to competing content and brand dilution.
So for me (again), it comes down to audience.
There are other times and exceptions, but I’ll save that for another post.
Ideally, your content, projects and brand should speak to one specific group of people.
If you find yourself split speaking to multiple groups of people, maybe you should consider multibranding.
Why I created sub-brands
I don’t want the majority of my personal brand audience to be other musicians and artists who only want to learn how to make their own art or music better (or how to grow online).
So I don’t talk about those topics in my personal brand content.
This is an education trap I fell into before.
I would teach about my art process or blogging strategy because it was exciting and I wanted to help people (and there were keyword opportunities for traffic).
But that ended up attracting the wrong audience based on my personal brand goals. I wanted actual fans and art collectors. People who resonated with my lifestyle and the projects I’m building.
And for this sub-brand (Stuudios), I want to help other creators and artists find clarity and grow online.
You’ll never see me try to sell my artwork or music here.
Some of you might migrate over to my other channels and support me there too (many thanks if so!). But I’m assuming the majority of you have other goals (and that’s perfectly fine).
This is why I use a multibranding approach.
Benefits of Personal Multibranding
Boost your brand clarity
Holistic branding is easier
Expand your reach and market
No need to quiet parts of who you are
Sub-brands are simpler and more specific
Easier to adopt different personas for different sub-brands
Examples of Multi-brand Creators
RØRY. RØRY is her music brand and she absolutely crushes it. But she (Rox) also has the popular channel ADHD_Love with her partner Rich.
Sorelle Amore. She has the advanced selfie university, makes travel content, does music and a lot more.
Lily Ray. Lily is an SEO professional, DJ and drummer — a multitalented badass. I follow her on X to get the latest scoop on growing my blogs.
Donald Miller. A key figure in using storytelling to build your brand, he has his personal brand (@donaldmiller), StoryBrand and Business Made Simple.
Jack Conte. He’s the CEO of Patreon, has the YouTube channel Digital Spaghetti and is part of the popular band Pomplamoose.
@airplanefactswithmax. He blends airplane facts (in the name) with witty Lord of the Rings humor. But he also has a separate account for his music sub-brand.
She Knows SEO. Nina Clapperton is a successful travel blogger but also shares her top SEO tips using a separate site and account.
Matt Diggity. He’s started a number of agencies (some of which he’s sold) and has various sub-brands related to SEO and business.
Gary Vee. He has VaynerMedia, wine library, VeeFriends, does garage saling and has various sports endeavors (like wanting to buy the Jets).
Zuby. He has a big following and is a rapper, author, public speaker and host of the podcast ‘Real Talk’.
Me! Shameless plug, but I have this brand, a travel and lifestyle site and my music/art projects.
A Multibranding Strategy for Solo Creators (6 steps)
1. Choose With Passion
Building a single brand is already hard. So building a multi-brand? It’ll probably take longer. So…
Choose your sub-brands with obsession.
The reason you’re thinking about multibranding is because you feel a driving need to talk about something in some way, but it doesn’t align with your current brand identity (which you also don’t want to change).
This strategy works best if you’re building a sub-brand because of a driving need or habit——not just a curiosity because something seems like a good opportunity.
Put another way, if you’re pursuing this just hoping for extra profit, be careful.
2. Assign Platforms / Accounts
“My sub-brands have different homes. They need their own spaces...”
I have different websites for each of my sub-brands. I also have two different YouTube channels——one for my personal brand and one for Stuudios.
But that’s it.
Technically, I also have different IGs, but I’m not active there (because I’d be spreading myself way too thin, at least for now).
But take note, you do not need multiple websites——I just happen to love personal blogging, web design and SEO.
Just create a new social account for the platform you’re using most. Start small and simple.
How do you choose the right platform?
Try to check off these boxes:
Your audience is there
Your content makes sense there
You can be your most authentic self
3. Build
Once you know where to go, it’s time to share the sauce.
This means content.
Any type of content can work, so just choose the format you like the best. You can learn about blogging vs. vlogging vs. social media here.
You might also want to be careful about growing multiple sub-brands at once.
If you haven’t reached key milestones with your first brand, maybe it’s better to see that one through first.
But that’s a personal thing. No judgment here.
Tip: Cross promote your content if it makes sense. For example, I’ve linked to my other websites a couple of times in this post because I had relevant content for further reading.
4. Try Systems…I Guess
“The growth of each of your sub-brands depends entirely on you. But if you’re like me (human) you’re fallable.”
Relying on motivation alone is the worst. This is where systems come in…apparently.
I actually suck at using (sticking to) systems.
I know I know, they’re the secret sauce to perfect productivity, right?
Maybe, I don’t know. My scattered workflows are too chaotic for any template I’ve tried so far.
But I think they can help a lot of people. So they’re worth a try. Because in all your testing, you’ll find something that works for you (usually a home-brew of multiple ideas stitched together).
That’s how I discovered my system (if you want to call it that):
I work based on mood
I use minimalism to cut away time-wasters
I share what’s top of mind and most relevant in my life
I use similar blog templates, images and designs across brands
Explore more:
➤ My Blogging Workflow
5. Separate Offers (etcetera)
Good offers understand their audience. And I always sucked at making them. Because I was trying to create single offers for multiple audiences.
Hence the need for multibranding. lol
I’m not an offer guru though, so go to someone else for that. But here are a few strategies that seem to work:
Fix your own problems and package the solutions
Go to the source (ask your audience)
Research Reddit
When you are ready to launch an offer, it’s helpful to keep your email lists separate too.
This adds extra complexity and time to your routines though. So try to choose things that actually have the biggest impact on your life (and brand).
6. Evolve——Mindset
Over time, you may find yourself gravitating towards one sub-brand over the others. You may even decide to pivot, delete or add more. That’s all okay.
Remember, this is all quite new and a fun creative project.
However your brand evolves, just practice having the right mindset:
Stay patient
Be growth-oriented
Stay carefree and positive
Have fun
Later ✌️
Multibranding is for creators and personal brands who have multiple niches that are too different to all exist in the same place. It’s a strategy to organize your main personal brand into core sub-brands.
It’s not for everyone though. But if you’re choosing based on passion and staying organized by assigning different platforms for each of your sub-brands, it’s a rewarding and exciting project to build.
And remember, stay positive and patient, never stop learning and have fun.
FAQs
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Multibranding is when one core personal brand has multiple sub-brands in different niches. It’s a way to better organize content and growth while expanding your reach and impact.
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Of course – multibranding isn’t for everyone. This strategy is for creators who struggle to pick just one thing. This is for anyone who wants to build content for a diverse range of topics, but finds that growth is difficult because those niches are just too different.
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I recommend choosing your sub-brands based on passion. Growing a personal brand is already difficult. But trying to manage multiple requires extra care. When you’re doing this for the right reasons (you’re obsessed with each of your niches), it’s a lot easier. From there, focus on growing one at a time and don't be afraid to pivot and evolve as you grow.
