Branding is important in any business and whilst often overlooked by authors, particularly those who are self-publishing it is an essential element of any authors marketing strategy. Strong brands get noticed and for authors, this means selling more books. Most authors start out simply wanting to write but developing an author brand means having a clear idea of what you want to be known for. It’s critically important for an author to connect to their audience and branding must be consistent with marketing. Work your way through our tips below to ensure you have the right branding strategy in place.
First and foremost authors need to look to what their competitors are doing. Bestselling authors are very good at defining the USP’s (unique selling points) that make their books different and why readers should read them. Begin by writing down a few sentences which succinctly describes why your book is different from the others in your genre. It needs to be compelling and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from friends and other authors whom you respect.
Social media platforms and social messaging mediums can sometimes be overwhelming but there’s a reason why Facebook, Twitter, Google plus and Linkedin remain the most popular for authors. Together they literally reach billions of potential readers. Unfortunately, far too many authors fail to refine the messages they are promoting and in doing so fail to optimise their brand or zero in on their target audience. Above all, you must be consistent when it comes to developing your author brand.
It’s simple but incredibly effective. Create a tagline and logo for your books which is aimed wholly at your target audience. One that resonates with them and the genre in which you write. Working in tandem they will grab the attention of potential readers and provide a compelling reason to explore your books. In doing so refer back to TIP 1
Branding and marketing are intrinsically linked but ultimately it’s your marketing strategy that promotes your brand and books to the outside world. Sadly the days of reaching a critical mass of potential readers for free through social messaging platforms is fast receding into the past. More and more authors are turning to paid adverts through the likes of Facebook and Twitter and many are seeing impressive results but you have to be strategic about what you do and work to a strict budget. You don’t need to have a vast marketing budget to get your message out. You do need to be focused on your target readership and you have to connect with them. This is why branding is so important. Be strategic about what you do. Have a marketing plan in place and equally as important be clear about how you will measure your results.
Too many authors get wrapped up in the immediacy of social media and neglect their websites. Your website is your shop window on the internet and you need to drive traffic to it. It’s the one place you control everything and it should not only be consistent with your author brand but the ultimate stop for readers who want to find out who you are and more about the books you write. When building your site always keep TIP1 foremost in mind
Now there’s little point in taking on board the tips above, investing your time and money and then not tracking the results you’re getting. Building an instantly recognisable author brand takes time and you won’t necessarily get it right first time. Keep on top of your results, be prepared to make refinements and in time you will develop an author brand and presence which will not only see your readership grow but markedly increase the number of books you sell.
As we always say, any view is subjective and what we always aim to do with our blog posts is to provide a point of reference upon which you can build. We hope we’ve given you something to reflect upon. Whatever your thoughts we are always open to comments and ideas and if you have a book you’d like to submit for review you can do so HERE.
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