Creating a Vision for Your Author Brand

At this point, if you’ve completed Levels One and Two, Establishing Your Brand, and Determining What to Write. Now it’s time to progress to Level Three of The Writer’s Conquest, Creating a Platform.

No, you cannot go to Home Depot, get a few 2x4s and construct something to stand on, that’s not the platform being discussed. What is being discussed is your brand platform that will hold your work strongly, proudly, and firmly to stand up, look at the world, and invite everyone in to take part in your brand vision. 

This vision is a statement that communicates what your brand will be. This goes back to your development of brand messaging, establishing your brand, and deciding what to write.

The brand vision should include your expertise, why are you writing, or creating, this particular material? Do you have a particular passion or knowledge for the genre you’re tackling? Be careful not to tell your story, per say, as that’s coming later as a crucial element of creating your platform. However, why are you writing thrillers? Why are you creating an art book that combines with poetry? There has to be a reason your vision exists.

Another element needed is brand communication; this rolls back to your brand establishment where you decide what you’re writing. There needs to be consistency so choose your areas carefully, because if you stray or cannot keep up with the need for consistent presence it will show. As a result, readers and followers will stray away from you.

If this all seems to be a bit overwhelming, here’s the simple sequence to create your brand vision.

1)   Attributes – Include your attributes as a writer and why you’re writing/creating the material you’ve chosen. Be careful and honest, being false about these things can expose weaknesses quickly and cause you to lose followers.

2)   Audience – Include something about an audience. Think about radio commercials. How often do you hear a question “Are you a single parent in need of a job?” or “Is your plumbing a nightmare in your house?” There’s a reason, it ditches those that won’t care about what you do and gain the attention of those that you’re trying to reach.

3)   Involvement and Interaction – In your social media approach and interaction with industry professionals, there has to be selflessness to your selfishness. Every interaction should be helping those around you.  And there has to be calls for interaction from a reader, or follower. If all you do on Twitter is ask for followers, or for people to buy your book, they have absolutely no reason to interact with you. It turns you into a petulant child, only wanting their birthday presents without ever giving to others.

4)   Memorable communication – If you haven’t differentiated your brand, then you are another spark in the middle of a bonfire, it won’t matter really at all. So keep your communication memorable and unique to you, the writer. It’s all part of your brand vision.

You can play with the order and if you don’t know what to put for all four points, that’s okay. Work on it. Tweak it. Brand vision can change, but tread carefully because the longer you stay with one vision, the more your readers and followers will expect consistency with that vision. You’ll only be able to modify, any radical change of direction and you will instantly begin losing loyalists.

Thanks for stopping by, questions, comments, and concerns can always be addressed on Twitter @ThomasAFowler with the hash-tag #WritersConquest. Visit my official website to see the latest and greatest, subscribe to receive updates directly to your e-mail.

As always, kick some ass and be proud of what you do.