Personal Branding for Authors: Part 1 of a 3-Part Series

What is Branding?

Branding. What does that word mean to you? Five years ago I would have told you it was what made a company or a product stand out. It was consistent, unique, and fitting to their concept. These days I would say branding means all those same things. However, now we are peeling back the layers of a very flaky, buttery croissant (yum) to find that branding does not only apply to companies or products, but it also applies to individuals. Particularly, individuals, who have a skill or asset that benefits others and can be marketed and sold.

Be Consistent

As a writer, brand development is key. Consistency is the secret sauce when it comes to your brand. Your own personal style should follow through from your social media accounts and websites, all the way to the language you use or the way you address readers and potential followers. By doing so, you leave a much more memorable impression on potential readers, customers, and subscribers.

Some specific examples could be ensuring you have the same profile picture on all of your social media accounts—which means taking a photo with forethought so that it can be optimized across all platforms (i.e. Facebook uses square profile photos where Instagram uses circle profile photos). If your website features a ton of deep blue accenting, then utilize that in your email settings, business cards, etc.

Be Intentional

This leads me back to where you should actually start this whole process. You can’t randomly decide to swap things up because you change your mind about the colors you’ve chosen or the language you used to describe yourself as a brand. All of this should be done with full intention.

Whether you have already started this whole branding thing and are just working to fine tune it, or this is your first go at it and you don’t know what you want your brand to become, the best place to start is to sit down and imagine your brand, visualize your path, design your end goal—then set your intention.

Approaching the process this way will ensure you don’t rush into a trend or try to appeal to the masses, but rather target your niche audience and illuminate your end goal.

Be Yourself

A really great place to start is with the energy and feeling that recognizing your end goal made you feel. Is it something light and bright? Is it bold and expressive? Sweet and delicate? Start there.

Choosing a color profile or concept is a very basic way to begin the process, but when you connect that to something you feel, in this case, to the highest possible success you can picture for yourself, you will likely have something you love for years to come. Hopefully eliminating the need for new business cards, re-formatting websites, and annual social media overhauls – this can also help align you with your purpose and drive home a higher level of success in your business.

In the second part of this mini-series, I will be discussing the tools and techniques you can use to make your brand stick. Developing a personal brand takes a lot of thought and effort, so I am just hoping to make that process a little bit easier for you! Please comment below if you have any questions.