80% of consumers say they MUST be able to relate to and connect with a brand before they buy from it (and yes, that includes books)! Long gone are the days when authors could hide behind our computer screens in blissful anonymity as we write to our little hearts’ content. They’ve been replaced with a modern market filled with consumers (including readers), who must feel some sort of personal connection to a brand before they invest a penny in them. We have to build what’s called the “know-like-trust” factor. And the most important way we can do that, as indie authors, is by building a magnetic, cohesive, and complete author brand! That’s why, on Write! Grow! Launch!, I’m bringing you a 3-part series on how hot build an indie author brand that attracts your ideal readers and allows them to connect with you, relate to you, and ultimately, trust you (which leads to much higher sales conversions)! Over the next 3 weeks, I’ll go over the three critical elements of an effective indie author brand that converts: your visual aesthetics, your brand story, and your brand voice. We’ll start this week by going over one of the most fun but important of these elements…the aesthetics! What You’ll Learn in This Episode · Why everything you post visually online must be branded! · Why the visual aspects of your brand are so important! · How to choose your brand color palette and fonts! · Choosing, finding, and even creating on-brand graphics! · Taking “branded selfies” and why being “face-forward” is critical! KEY TAKEAWAY When you show up for your audience, you put your best face forward, and you reveal yourself as a genuine, regular lover of books, who is just like them, magical things happen. You’ll go from having a couple hundred “followers” to thousands of avid, loyal fans and friends who will show up for you during launch week just because they care and want to support you, and then, guess what happens? You will NEVER have to “sell” a book again in your career! So, put together a reader-facing visual vibe your Ideal Readers can relate to and connect with for starters. RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS • Dial in on your chosen genre, subgenre, and niche (i.e., dark romantasy not just fantasy) • Start spending time online each day where your Ideal Reader Avatar is hanging out • Pay attention to everything: what they love and don’t, what they want and don’t… • Spend 10-15 min EVERY day following, engaging with, and talking directly to your IRA • When connecting with your readers, think like a Booktoker, NOT an Authortoker • Stop pitching and start building relationships with your IRA 90 days before you launch RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/ Schedule a FREE strategy call: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69634d3f7a5de72a93761652 My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com Want me to audit your entire book sales system and send you a private video with feedback? https://square.link/u/oLnHtOQp Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.
