If you’re trying to create your own personal brand, listen up! Here are ten tips to help you as you set out to make your mark on the reading world.
1. Write stories that touch people where they live.
2. Focus on your “author voice” (don’t be afraid to be unique).
3. Continually build and tweak your brand as you grow into the author you want to be.
4. Become an Expert: Write about specific topics and stick with them, as much as you are able.
5. Consider a logo or “look” for your website: Businesses, blogs – even individuals – can stand to benefit from a compelling and memorable logo. The best logos are almost surprisingly simplistic; for example, think of the lowercase “f” that immediately brings Facebook to mind.
6. Synergize! Every single piece of correspondence you send out, from emails to mass mailings of postcards, should have a uniform appearance that makes it identifiably yours. If there’s a particular font you favor, use it on your blog and your business card. Place your logo everywhere. Always refer to your business by the same official name. You simply can’t have one kind of identity online and a different one in the real world – it will work against your branding efforts and leave people confused, or worse, disinterested. http://blog.brand-yourself.com/personal- brand/how-to-personal-brand/how-to-brand-yourself-online-and-off/ Here’s the kicker. . .my “brand” has to shine through—in my headshot, my bio, my website, my Facebook site, my speaking gigs, my posts to the ACFW loop, and even my business cards. (To see how far I took this idea, visit my site at: www.janiceathompson.com.)
7. Set up a site where you’re the expert (I set up a wedding planning site.) 8. Public speaking – speak on the topic you want to become known for. 9. Article writing and guest posting (I continually post on humor writing.) 10. Create a tagline.
