Book Packaging & Creativity Workshops

brand awareness

Why Writers Need Graphics

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Today, writers know that it isn’t enough to write a terrific book. You have to also publicize that book. Even if you hire someone to handle your social media so that you can concentrate on your writing, it’s always good to have a basic understanding of what your social media director should be doing. This post will focus on why writers need graphics, particularly on forums such as Facebook.

It’s a bit ironic that this post encourages authors — those creators of beautiful words — to also create graphics. However, a picture is worth a thousand words…at least where social media is concerned. Photos and graphics are eye-catching and will help you improve your social media engagement. In other words, it will get your followers more interested in your news.

Images can double the engagement on your social media posts.

Yet, just because you’re an author and now considered a public figure, doesn’t mean you have to share personal photos. Stock photo sites are a great alternative and this does’t mean you have to spend money. There are plenty of free images available through sites such as Unsplash and Splitshire as well as great online tools for making your graphics including Pablo, Canva and PicMonkey.

One trick that authors use with great results is to pick a favorite quote from your book, lay it over an image and voila, you’ve created an advertisement for your book without the obnoxious “buy my book” plea.

Another idea is to pick a favorite quote and place it over a photo. The idea behind using graphics is not necessarily to lead people to your website or Amazon, although those are great goals, but it’s also important to simply engage with your followers by creating something of beauty and interest.

Best practices…

Here are some dos and don’ts for how to best use graphics with Facebook and encourage sharing from your page.

Branding and relevance. Find images that will appeal to your audience and use those that speak to your personal brand.. If you’re a romance writer, maybe a photo of a puppy cuddling a kitten will earn some comments. If you’re a travel writer, choose a photo of one of your favorite destinations.

Evoke an emotion. Find images that will generate a smile or a chuckle. Stay positive unless your company or brand is issue oriented and deals with activism.

Typography. When using one of the applications mentioned above, make sure to choose fonts that are easy to read. Small scroll fonts may be pretty, but in terms of impact, a bolder font will make a stronger impression.

Hashtags. Even though you may have added typography to your graphic image, remember to add text to your Facebook post and include hashtags to further attract an audience. Using the same example as above, if you’re a romance writer you can simply use #romance. For travel, you’ve got it…#travel or be specific such as #Italy.

Graphics are a great way to bring interest to your Facebook posts. Remember to change your cover photo when appropriate such as around holidays, sales, or when you have a new book launch.

If you have a suggestion on how you use your Facebook photos, I’d love to hear it.

What Does Your Brand Say About You?

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I’m sort of a newsletter junkie. I love reading about case studies from companies I admire. This morning a common theme kept popping up…branding. Although the topic was sent from large corporations, it’s apparent that even small companies and individuals need to be able to answer, “What does your brand say about you?”

Let’s break this down for authors. What exactly is your brand? How do you promote your brand? And perhaps most important, how does your brand stand out from the pack?

What exactly is your brand?

Are you a romance writer and if so, what sub-genre of romance do you write? Do you write thrillers or horrors? Or maybe you’re a literary fiction genius. Regardless of what genre you write, you have competition. The best way to distinguish yourself is to allow potential readers to made a connection with you. If you write romance, why not post about your favorite romance book? Don’t tell me you don’t have time to read. In another post I’m going to preach why every author needs to be a reader.

How do you promote your brand?

If your answer is to tell people that your book is for sale, there’s a much better tactic. People get hit up all the time to buy new books. But they don’t always get useful information, funny comments on their own posts, or even a little insight into the mind of an author. Why not promote your brand by being an ambassador to it? If you write thrillers, start a discussion about your favorite action star. If you write romance, share an idea for a perfect first date. In other words, you are more than just your books. Show your readers that you are a real person.

How does your brand stand out from the pack?

You can spot a romance book cover a mile off. Tell me if this sounds familiar…hot guy, usually shirtless, typically with a five o’clock shadow embraces a woman who appears to be on the edge of…well you get the picture. One could argue that these covers are so prevalent because they are effective. But are they? If you’re trying to stand out, maybe you need to show romance in a new way. Same goes for your posts. Talk about what you find romantic, not just the fact that your book is on sale for a limited time only.

Developing a brand means creating an awareness of what you stand for, believe in, and how this affects your writing. Take the time to sit down and determine these answers. I’m betting that you have more to talk about than just your books.