Grow Your Brand Don't Kill It!
At point blank range whatever it is you are aiming at has a slim to no chance of survival. The same concept applies to your brand as an author. If you are not careful or consistent with your branding you can destroy everything you've worked so hard to build in the short time it takes to click "post".
Is It Really That Serious?
Yes! Think about the last business scandal you heard about. Even after the dust had settled, how did you view that company? More than likely, your feelings about that company changed for the worse. Perhaps you lost respect for the leadership. Or maybe you no longer felt connected to the value the brand once had. In either regard and in this case your perception of that business is no longer shared in a positive light.
As an author you can avoid that type of brand devastation by...
Looking for the signs. There are five signs every brand in trouble will display when they are in danger of Killing the brand.
Sign #1 Adulterated vision - Cheating on your vision is a matter of being distracted by the green grass on the other side of someone else’s author fence. When an author is chasing attention they are not committing to their own valuable, authentic, unadulterated message. When you cheat your vision of the time, effort, and integrity it takes to get to build a brand worth following, you cheat your audience from getting the fullest benefit, quality, and value they signed up and deserve to experience.
Sign #2 Idea theft - The world only needs one you. Be confident in your own ideas. When you first dreamed up your vision of your book and your message, it was pure. It was you. Don't let go of that no matter how hard it is to get your message out there. To make the biggest impact in your world, the design and drum your vision beats to must be organically authentic. Remember it's what makes you different that stands out, not what makes you the same.
Sign #3 Suicidal activity - You have the ability to annihilate your own brand; without the help of anyone else. Sometimes business partnerships falter and that can be the beginning of a downward spiral leading to a tragic end. Other times brand suicide can occur when you get anxious. Picture the child who is roller skating as fast as they can. The problem is they don’t know how to stop; finally they crash and fall. What about you? As an author, is there something that you don’t know how to do? Are you “skating” too fast? If you allow lack; of education, finances, and emotional weaknesses, to get the best of you, you will put yourself in position of cheap results, dwindled value or worse; brand suicide. Slow it down, and be strategic. The life of your brand and success as an author is counting on it.
Sign #4 Ugly stains - A stain for your brand can be anything that that distorts the look, feel, or message your brand transcends. For example, perhaps you've had a reader take to Twitter and hashtag your book with a distasteful post. That would be considered a stain. A pretty bad stain, but there are not many stains that will completely ruin a fabric. If you have a stain on your brand, handle it until it is removed.
Sign #5 High volume low results - There is nothing worse than a brand who is all over the place. When no one knows what you offer, as an author, no one can buy in. Doing too much will make your message sound like noise rather than a melody. It is a clear-tell giveaway that your brand lacks synchronization and organization. Ultimately you will confuse your audience.
…And Boom! Just like that, if you are not careful you will destroy your brand!
Tip:
The business of being an author is something that grows, evolves, changes, develops, adapts and matures over time.
You’re not going to have everything perfect at every step or at every turn of your author branding journey. Let yourself grow and evolve into the author you want to the success you want to experience.
What You CAN Do...
Maybe you’ve missed some of the warning signs…that’s ok. There is still time to recover!
If you are in a place where you may be close to the author branding danger zone, get out of point blank range! One of the best ways to get your brand away from point blank range is by reconnecting with your message.