December 14, 2018– We talk a lot about marketing around here given our educational background and rightfully so because it’s imperative to your success as an author. A big part of marketing is branding and I’m talking about branding yourself! If you’re a self-published author, this is even more important!
What is branding? Here’s how entrepreneur.com defines it: The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.
I think the definition is pretty straightforward, but I think it’s missing some things too. I hope that when people think of me and my company, Pandamonium Publishing House, they think of, books, expertise, black and white, controlled chaos, reading, and writing, and literacy. My team and I put a ton of work into making this happen. From the colour of our tablecloths to our postcards, we make sure its fluid and on brand.
Branding your self and your company includes a synonymous flow throughout every single thing you do and here’s how to do that effectively:
- Your business cards– Do your business cards convey the message that you want to convey? Do they display your logo prominently and are they the right colour?
- Your dress sense– Are you dressed in a manner that conveys your brand? Are you dressy or casual or quirky or colour coded? Does your sense of personal style shine through and compliment your brand or does it clash? I’m not asking you to change who you are, I’m asking if you’re bringing out the best in yourself while promoting your brand. You will never see me at an event/show wearing any other colours than black and white; I made this decision at the beginning of the year in order to stay on track with my branding and the message that I wanted to send to my readers, customers, and clients.
- Your signage- Is it clear and the right colour? Does it convey your message clearly? Is it easy to read? Does it have your logo and tagline? Can it be seen from far away? Do people know what you do and what you’re offering just by reading your signage?
- Your table display- When we first started out, we had a very colourful table display. Over the years, we’ve tweaked and pivoted our image and display. We are a boutique publishing house, so that means from the table display (which is you guessed it, black and white) to the way we wrap your purchase, to the tissue paper and bags that we use, it’s all fluid. We let the book covers shine in their own right as they are the stars of the show. Anything else is just a distraction. What does your table display look like? Is it cluttered?
- Your swag- Are you using products with your company name on it? If you don’t have a company are you using stuff with your book cover on it? Be your brand and make sure that you have the opportunity to display it every chance you get! Notepads, pens, coffee mugs, shirts, stickers, bags, they all need to showcase your brand. These are a great tool because if you have swag that your readers or customers use each day, they’ll be constantly reminded of you and your brand/company.
- Your logo– Is your logo unique and simple enough? Is it easily recognizable? If someone saw it would they think of you?
- Your website-Is it the right colour? Easy to navigate? Is your logo displayed? Did you buy the domain name?
- Your social media pages– See all tips above:)
Each time you go out in public you have the chance to promote your brand, yourself, and your books. Each day is another opportunity!
X LLB
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