Social Media: Creating a Brand and How to Use It

Social media can be a powerful tool for creating and developing a brand. My workshop, Social Media for Authors, Part 1, covers how to build a brand and strategies to deal with social media if you are an introvert and/or feel cringy about selling your services. If you've taken this workshop before, get prepared to take it again, as I've added new information and researched the new changes to social media. More information on how you can sign up for the workshop is below.

Author Brand

What is an author brand, and why do I need one? Usually an author picks one of two options for their first release: use their own name or a pseudonym, a.k.a. a pen name. No matter which way you go, you want to build a persona and a brand for your author business.

The use of a brand for your name and persona is important for consistency and making your brand easy to find. You want to use the same username across all platforms of social media. You want to be easily found anywhere you post content; you want your followers, readers, and potential readers to find it.

Example: If I come across a post by Ann Crow on Instagram and think I'll like her books, I'll want to look them up on Goodreads or Amazon. Using the same handles makes this so much easier. If there are too many Ann Crow authors, which happens from time to time, I want to search for their names on a search engine. Having an online presence is so important for new readers to find you and for followers to find out more about your work.

Oh, I can hear the cries now. I don't want to use social media. Why do I have to make a website? If I get traditionally published, don't they cover this stuff for you?

Here is the best equation for you:

author = entrepreneur

Whether you are an indie author, a.k.a. self-published," or get traditionally published, you will have to run your own social media and web site. They don't do marketing for you.

You could make some of this easier on yourself if you have the budget. You can hire a media manager, a social media and branding developer, or get yourself a virtual personal assistant (V.P.A.) to handle these things for you. On day one, my workshop goes into questions and ideas on how to create your own brand with a fun exercise.

Starlight Fairie Design

Your Author Persona

Why does an author need a persona? It is important to have a personal life and a business. Remember that earlier equation? Having a person can also help introverts deal with the public. The other reason you want a persona is to connect with your ideal reader. How do you create a persona? Sign up for the workshop here.

Finding Your Ideal Reader

What is your ideal reader? This answer is largely based on your genre and subgenre.

The reader of romance contemporary could be completely different from the reader of romance dark mafia.

We talk about doing research on the statistics of readers and their demographics. Where to best focus your social media efforts.

Scheduling Posts

Knowing your ideal reader also allows you to prioritize your social media efforts. Not every social media platform will work for you and get your novels to the right readers. We discuss how to post on social media to save you time. Along with other information on the following topics:

Gaining Followers How much time does it take? What do I post? I'm an introvert, and I don't like social media. SEO, hashtags, and videos

Social media can be a powerful tool for creating and developing a brand. My workshop, Social Media for Authors, Part 1, covers how to build a brand and strategies to deal with social media if you are an introvert and/or feel cringy about selling your services. An author's brand is a key reason to use a brand for their name and persona, as it allows them to be easily found and searched by their name on search engines. Having an online presence is important for new readers to find you and for followers to find out more about your work. This workshop discusses the importance of creating an author persona, finding your ideal reader, conducting research on the statistics of readers and their demographics, scheduling posts, and getting your novels to the right readers. It also discusses how to post on social media to save time and how to create your own brand. Sign up for the workshop here.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Essence of Elements Leir by MirandaMagick

Bound to the Bikers by Stephanie Brother

Letters to the universe by Roualdes

The Last of Us season 1

Leverage Redemption season 1

Critical Roll

I'm taking part in PrepMarch if you are an author and want to get some encouragement to be prepared for April Camp NaNoWriMo join the Writing group On the Wings for Writers

Join the Facebook group because I'm going to have some swag and books that I'll be giving away. Mark your calendar!

Are you a blogger. Check out this free month tracker a great companion to the Blog Planner.