What is a media brand and why is it so important for a content creator in today's marketplace? It starts with your signature story and its core message. To thrive, you need to create content with a strong hooking interest and a brand promise. There are simple, effective ways to extend your media brand across multiple entertainment and media platforms.

These are the opening thoughts before Philipa Burgess (Partner, Creative Convergence) begins her panel entitled Creating Value With a Media Brand. Philipa shared many of her inside tips on how to use available resources to make yourself and your product visible, memorable and in turn profitable. There are now many internet tools you can use to create awareness about yourself and your product. Social networks are a relatively recent phenomenon which breaks down the population into regions and interests. This is extremely helpful in tracking the behavior of the audience you are selling to.

Philipa urges you to "know your audience" See who you are directing your energy and products to. Where do you find them? Where can you find out about them? What do they spend their time doing? What do they spend their money on? Using social networks, blogs and searches, you can find out much of this online (for no cost).

Next, do everything that you can to get your name out to this targeted audience. Create "top of mind awareness" through speaking, interviews and guess appearances. Cross promote with people who hold similar or desired audiences. When people become aware of your name, they make associations with that name. What are they coming to you for? What do they know to expect from you as opposed to your competition? These are just a few pointers from Philipa. She has a course: Your Signature Story:From Content Creator to Media Brand. Check it out at www.creativecvg.com

Philipa Burgess is a partner at Creative Convergence, Inc. The Los Angeles-based entertainment firm represents writers and directors such as Cassandra Taylor (XY) and Chjad Beguelin (Frankenteacher) and consults with entertainment and media brands. Most recently it sold two television projects based on books to the major networks, two projects as cable movies and a book to a major studio currently being developed as a feature film. Burgess started her career at International Creative Management (ICM) before establishing a boutique literary management firm that subsequently evolved intoCreative Convergence. She is a speaker, teacher and writer on the subject of marketing for writers and content creators.