This post was NOT written by AI. It was written by yours truly, Cortney L. Winn.
What is a brand?
A brand is the look and feel you deliver to your audience. It is your “personality” and your values wrapped up into an overall impression that sticks with your audience. It’s the feelings and qualities people associate you with when they see you and your content.
In this blog post, I am going to talk about how to build your author brand purposefully and consistently, but first, let’s talk about why it’s important for your career as an author.
Why a brand matters for you, my dear author:
In the online space, we are only recognizable by our content. I don’t think authors realize how important it is to make your content 1. match and 2. be consistent, so for the sake of driving this point home, let me ask you: if a Coke and a Pepsi were poured into clear glasses, would you be able to tell them apart at a glance?
Don’t lie. No, you wouldn’t.
It is the same concept online with your bookish content. People won’t recognize your bookstagram post from Joe Shmo if you don’t put your brand on it.
Your friends and followers want to engage with you, but if you aren’t branding your content, the chances of them scrolling by, and not realizing it, are very high.
Let’s go one step further with the Coke versus Pepsi analogy (because I love me some Coke). There are people who prefer Diet Coke (me), and some people prefer Diet Pepsi (weirdos). Now imagine the chaos if Coke sometimes filled their bottles with Pepsi (the nerve).
They would lose customers because their product wasn’t consistent, right?
Coke drinkers walk into a gas station, recognize those curly letters and auto buy because they know exactly what they are going to get every time. The Coca Cola brand is consistent.
It is the same concept for you as an author online.
Readers scroll through Instagram, see their favorite authors/bookstagrammers and auto comment/share/like/support because they’ve already “bought into” the idea of them and their brand. If your followers don’t recognize you, if you are wishy-washy about who you are, what you do, or what content you post, it obstructs this process.
Okay, so I’ve talked about WHY it is important. Now, let’s talk about the HOW to do the thing. (The thing being, building your author brand.)
How to build your author brand:
You can make this as simple as picking two colors, a couple key topics, and a font, or as thorough as making mood boards with key words that represent your vision.
Here is what I recommend:
Pick your brand colors. (and I mean, the exact colors. Get the color code.) Every time I mention this tip to someone, they freak out, unsure of what colors to pick, so I’ve put together a guide (below) on how to choose your brand colors.
Pick your fonts. For the love of Diet Coke, pick fonts that are EASY TO READ.
Make a logo to go on your posts. Or, at least, write your handle (@cortneylwinn) on your posts.
Write down words that describe what you want your brand to feel like from an outsider’s perspective and use language, colors, and content that supports that brand personality. Examples: Classy, timeless, fun, Coke-ish.
Be consistent. Every interaction/ comment/post online should support your brand vision. Pick topics that support this vision and stick with them. (You can always phase in new topics but give your current content time to see if it fits your audience and brand before doing so.)
Brand your interactions. Ask yourself: “Do my comments/captions reflect my desired brand image?”
How to choose a color palette for your author brand:
I hope this post helps you on your author journey! For more tips, follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this page! For the full beginners guide for starting an author Instagram page and marketing your books, check out my Marketing Class for Authors!
Thank you to this amazing community for all your support!
XOXO,
Cort
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