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The way you brand yourself as a writer can attract a larger audience and make you stand out in your writing profession. First, you need to know that being a professional writer is like owning a business, and you must approach it as a business to avoid running at a loss. 

Properly branding yourself as a writer entails distinguishing yourself from other writers. It means defining your distinctive voice, writing style, niche and values. As with everything good, branding can only go right if you are aware of the best practices.

This post will teach you how to get branding right by showing you how to brand yourself as a writer. 

How to Brand Yourself as a Writer

1. Develop a Consistent Writing Style

There’s something unique about your writing. If you don’t know it yet, you must identify it. This will likely be your most comfortable way of writing, which reflects your personality, experiences and values. 

One good way to start is to imitate your favourite writers until you find one that feels most natural. 

Although, the best way would be to write the way you speak. Instead of trying to impress, write as authentically as it comes to you. 

However, many new writers struggle with this because they fear they are insufficient. If you can relate and it keeps you from writing, go the imitation route until you find your feet. Your writing voice and style will come to you as you write often because it is who you are at your core. 

You must also observe and maintain your writing tone across all your writing platforms. It shows consistency, and it makes your readers resonate with you. Believe it or not, readers can identify the unique voice when they read something from someone for a long time. So, when they read a piece you wrote, they could trace it to you even without a byline. 

2. Establish a Strong Online Presence

In this digital age, you need an online presence to showcase your brand to billions of potential readers. For this, you will need a professional website, blog, and social media. Beyond setting them up, you must regularly publish valuable content. 

This will show your writing skills and your area of knowledge. It gives you a space to display your writing samples and even testimonials from clients publicly.

Also Read: Why You Should Have a Website as a Writer

3. Networking and Collaborating

It’s a known fact that many writers enjoy working alone, but for every job, you need associates to go far. Because you are your brand, you should try to attend writing conferences and workshops; these are good places for networking. 

You can also join writing groups and online communities, but you must engage in discussions. This will enable you to meet other writers and allow the exchange of ideas. 

4. Leverage Visual Branding

To build a professional brand, you need a corporate look and a visual identity, such as a logo and a tagline. These should be appealing, consistent in colours and fonts, and resonate with your target audience. 

When they are ready, use them on your websites and social media profiles. You can promote your new logo through social shares and active engagement on your website and social media.

 5. Build a Portfolio

Seeing is believing, and this is why your writings show your expertise. You need a portfolio to brand yourself as a writer. Your portfolio showcases what you do, what you have done and testimonials from past clients. It combines your best-written works and endorsements from satisfied clients in one place. Make sure to get permission from clients to showcase work done for them. 

Don’t just build a portfolio and forget about it; update it regularly to include recent jobs to avoid staleness.

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6. Engage with Your Audience

Your writings are for an audience – your readers – so you need to engage them. You can do this by creating content that encourages engagement. But you must ensure you respond to their comments and messages. Nobody will be motivated to engage with someone who doesn’t do the same. Remember that engagement is two-way. 

You can also conduct polls and surveys to gather feedback or host virtual Q&A sessions or live events to connect with your audience. Additionally, often show appreciation to your loyal followers by offering them exclusive content or perks.

7. Build an Author Platform

Your brand needs a stage to flourish, and now, writers have many options. Traditionally, you need reputable publishers for your books or articles, which can be challenging. However, technology has eased this burden by providing the opportunity for self-publishing. 

Several social media sites allow you to publish your writing for next to nothing. When you have the opportunity to speak at public events or book signings, you can also use it to promote your brand.

Also Read: Best Social Networking Sites for Writers

8.Utilise Email Marketing

Email marketing will enable you to connect better with your readers. This is because you can reach them through their inbox, building loyalty. It’s best to have a website to do this, and you will need to offer valuable content to get your audience to sign up. This could be a free ebook or a free course. Afterwards, you should send regular newsletters with updates and promotions to your email list. You can also offer exclusive content or discounts to your subscribers.

Also Read: Best Email Marketing Platforms for Writers

9. Seek Media Coverage

As your brand is up and running, you need to increase your visibility through alternative means. You can pitch interesting story ideas to journalists or famous bloggers for more publicity. 

Securing interviews or guest blogging on popular websites are also good options. This will help you build relationships with media contacts for future opportunities.

10. Monitor Your Brand’s Reputation

As you build your brand, you must monitor its reputation so your hard work doesn’t go to waste. You need to know what people are saying about you, good or bad, so you can engage the former and respond to the latter. 

You do this by tracking when your brand name is mentioned anywhere online through social listening. Take steps to address any issues that can damage your name, no matter how small.

11. Evaluate and Adjust Your Branding Strategies

Branding doesn’t have a shelf life; it’s a continuous thing. So, it is important for you to always evaluate your strategies. You can analyse data and metrics to track your business growth and determine your areas of strength and weakness. You can also request feedback from readers and professionals in your industry. This information lets you adjust your growth plans based on feedback and results.

Also Read: 10 Major Blog Metrics to Track Success

Promote Your Brand

It’s important to build your brand as a writer. It gives you an edge, shows your expertise, and ultimately, brings in profit. If you are yet to take your writing as a serious business, this is the best time to start. Apply these measures to build and expand your brand, and it will strongly impact your writing career.