Ready to sell more books this holiday? It's time to appeal to more readers by updating your Author Brand and giving it a refresher. Here's how:
1. Update Your Brand Photos
If you haven't taken a new photo in a while, or changed the ones you have on your social media profiles, it may be time for an update! Having current, aesthetically pleasing photos that show your face (whether it's a head shot or a candid) can help to give your author brand a much-needed boost. Investing in professional brand photography can be exactly what you need to help your brand reach the next level. I personally went through this experience recently and it was amazing! Not only did I feel more confident in my business afterwards, but having a cohesive set of professionally edited pictures for my new website helped keep my brand on track.
2. Make Sure All Your Links Are Current
Most authors have websites, blogs, social media- you get the gist. When you're operating on multiple platforms and use a lot of links to sell books it's important to keep them all updated and working. This can become a challenge especially if you run sales or holiday specials. Links often fall through the cracks, but having ones that don't work or aren't active can be misleading to a reader looking to buy your book or learn more about what you do. Don't turn off potential buyers! Make sure to keep a list of all your links and where they are so you can check them before promoting this holiday season.
3. Capitalize On Holiday Excitement
The holidays are all about two things- fun and more fun! While everyone is excited and ready to open their pocket books, it's time to capitalize on all that holiday excitement. Make sure you join in with ways to entice new readers and participate in spreading the cheer with your own festive spin. Think outside the box and rather than following the latest trends, come up with your own on-brand version of holiday marketing. Whether that's updating your newsletter's layout or adding a new font to the copy on your website, it's important to bring that warm and bright energy to your brand that allows readers to connect with you.
4. Offer Variety and Holiday Cheer
Think about what your ideal reader might want for the holiday- typically this looks like cheer and variety! Switch it up and reveal a new side to your author self that you don't usually show on social media. Host a giveaway with a limited edition set of your books, character art, or another creative prize. Spend some time engaging with your audience by hosting Q&A's, posting a candid video, and asking for what your readers want to see from you next. Anything fun and fresh will do.
5. Refresh Your Social Media
Something that often slips the mind is our social media profiles. But when it's the first impression that people see, it makes sense that they would need a refresher once in a while too. Over time things get cluttered, outdated, and in general may not fit your brand anymore. That's okay! Taking time at the end of the year to filter through and sort out what needs to stay and what needs to go can help streamline your reader's experience and attract new readers. When your message is clear, then your ideal reader will have an easier time finding you.
6. Give Your Website Some TLC
It's time to look at your website and give it a little TLC. Over time, it's easy for your website to remain the same, particularly when it's serving it's purpose. But what you might not realize is that websites can get stagnant. Without regular updates, your content can grow uninteresting because nothing ever changes. If you haven't changed the photos, copy, layout, or banners in a while it's possible that your traffic and new readers are slowing down because they're getting website blind. When there's nothing new to bring them back (particularly in between books being published) there's a good chance you'll lose that attention you worked so hard to garner in the first place. A great way to keep readers engaged while they wait is to create an author blog, newsletter, work to release smaller projects (whether novellas or digital products), offering your work in different formats such as audio book, and releasing limited edition box sets or artwork that go with your novels. You'll also want to make sure that everything is consistent across your web pages and that that consistency extends to any social media profiles you have. When you're running your own business, details sometimes fall through the cracks so it's important to double-check these things before going into a new year.
7. Re-Write Your Copy
This might sound simple, but one of the biggest changes you can make to help give your author brand a boost (aside from getting your photos re-taken), is to switch up your website's copy. Change the tone, the overall mood, ensure that the information given is still accurate, etc. can help to elevate your overall website (and your author brand by default). It's the simplest, most effective way to draw in new readers and potential buyers too and it keeps things feeling fun and fresh. A great place to start is with your About Me page. It's an excellent bridge between creativity and business, and can help you figure out what you want to change on your other web pages too!
8. Reformat Your Newsletter/Other Marketing Materials
Last but not least, don't forget that your newsletter and other promotional materials are all part of your author brand too! It's important to go through these and make sure that they still align with your author brand (and if they don't it's time to decide to fix them or retire them). You can use your new branding photos and change up the copy to help refresh everything but the main thing to remember is to ask yourself if it appeals to your ideal reader- after all, it is for them!
Whether your goal is to streamline your presence online or attract more readers this holiday season, updating your author brand has both short-term and long-term benefits. Using the above tips can help you boost your brand and help to elevate your author reputation.
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