In
working with many authors on their branding, I see a few patterns
emerging. Do you find yourself falling
into any of these categories?
1.
You lack a
foundation message.
Some
authors struggle to define their brand because they can’t seem to pin down a
simple, singular way to identify who they are or what they represent. They may have multiple interests or a diverse
career background and they can’t seem to zone in on one thing that truly
defines their essence.
2.
Your message
doesn’t differentiate from others.
Once
you find your center or base message to work from, you may discover it’s not so
unique or better than similar, competing brands. Or worse, you recognize you are not the best
or first or so different from others and you can’t seem to find a way to
separate yourself from them.
3.
You lack a
consistent voice or message.
If
you determine you are representative of a certain viewpoint, stick to it. Don’t go off-message or get distracted by
other interests. Be consistent in what
you say and do and act as if you are a character in a book and stay true to
that persona. Don’t mix in your personal
life or political views if they are not relevant to your overall brand or
messaging for your current book.
4.
You need to know
what a brand is.
Quite
simply, it’s everything you say or do, it’s how you look or sound, it’s what
you write and whom you associate with; it’s your email signature, and website
design; it’s your cover image, title, back cover copy, and author photo it’s
your social media feed and interviews with the media; it’s who you know and
work with; it’s what you show and express to others in public and private; it’s your past, present and future.
5.
You lack a
15-second elevator speech.
Can
you describe who you are, what you do, and what you stand for in 15 seconds? If
not, keep trying to come up with your central statement that emphatically and
cleverly describes not only the functional aspects of what you do, but state it
in a way that gives off a positive vibe and a good lasting impression. Word
choice is key here. Select the terms,
phrases, or words that you want to be associated with your name.
6.
You fail to study
successful brands.
Know
what others in your field do to sound and appear like they are interesting,
important and special. Copy what they do
but put your personal twist on it.
Otherwise do the exact opposite and hope to capture an underserved
segment of people. Model the nuances and
styles of those others seem to gravitate towards. Find what you can do that’s similar enough to
gain respect, but different enough to separate yourself to stand out from the
pack.
Branding
is not a one-time event, but there are select moments where you must establish
your brand and then to periodically review and even reinvent it. Your brand is not static – it will need
maintenance and upkeep. You will either
grow into your brand or you will make sure your brand catches up to who you
really are.
Own your brand and enjoy it – until you think you can find a better one!
Own your brand and enjoy it – until you think you can find a better one!
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in
Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs
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