Today, having a well-defined author brand is more important than ever. Given the competition, authors are fighting for attention and trying to define themselves so that they can interact with their readers on a deeper level.
Your author brand is made up of who you are, your writing style, and from the readers’ perspective, what sort of experience you provide.
A brand that is built with an effort not only draws the readers’ attention but also keeps them engaged which makes them want to read and spread the word.
One of the most effective ways to develop and advertise your author brand is through an attention-grabbing WordPress site.
WordPress is a powerfully adaptive site that allows authors to build a site that is both appealing and functional without requiring much technical knowledge.
From its easy-to-use design, and customizable templates, to its powerful plugins, WordPress allows the author to showcase their work and tell their story while connecting with the readers in a deep and personal way.
This blog post will address building your author brand using WordPress, including how to set up your site and involve your audience.
#1. What is Author Branding?
Author Branding is the act of establishing an image or identity that is appealing to the reader while at the same time reflecting the author’s voice.
This touches on the topics of how you market yourself on the internet and what subjects your books tackle.
Having a defined author brand gives you a position in this competitive marketplace, allowing prospective readers to easily find and interact with you.
In essence, author branding consists of several elements.
First, there’s identity: this includes your name, logo, and visual style.
These components should be consistent across all platforms—your website, social media profiles, and promotional materials—to create a cohesive image.
Secondly, voice; is how you address your audience and the tone and style of writing you adopt. Your voice should spring from who you are, both as a person and as a writer.
Last but not least of great importance for building your brand is engagement with readers.
Tailoring your content and marketing strategies to suit the understanding of who your readers are and what they want can go a long way.
Engaging with your audience through newsletters, social media, or even blog comments encourages readers to take this community and work around your brand seriously and invest in it in the long term.
#2. Setting Up Your WordPress Website
Creating your WordPress website is the foremost step to building your author brand, online.
First, select the right platform. This is the single most important step that sets the ground for the future. In general terms, WordPress.org is best for authors who need more administrative access and personalization.
With WordPress.org, you can host the site independently giving you more freedom with the site’s design and its capabilities.
If you have already decided on using WordPress.org, then the next step is to register a domain name that resonates with your author brand, or at the least, something unique and catchy that has your name or book title in it.
Following the purchase of a domain name, find an appropriate hosting provider, some of the most common options are Truehost Cloud, SiteGround, and WP Engine. Most of them have one-click installations for WordPress, and their main focus is on simple usability.
Once you have a hosting account, and WordPress is installed, the next step will be to get a feel of the Dashboard.
This is the area where you will be doing most of the work, and it’s as simple as clicking or tapping in the way you would any other modern device.
Always remember that the purpose of the site is to do more than just feature your work.
It is meant to be easy and fun for people to use and look at. WordPress has several features which are useful for designing and showcasing yourself effectively online.
#3. Author Website Development
The use of correct designs in author websites is very crucial as it helps determine brand identity as well as the readership.
When picking a theme for your site, think about whether it expresses you as an author.
Are you a romance writer or a thriller novelist? It should correspond to the style you write in.
There are authors’ themes both free and paid on WordPress, so pick one that can be edited to meet your expectations.
After a theme has been selected, get into the customization.
Start by picking colors fitting to your brand. For example, pastel colors would do well for a cozy mystery author while strong hues would be suitable for a rest thriller.
Similarly, fonts matter. Pick readable typography in line with the style of the site.
Focus on creating a user-friendly as well as visually pleasing website. The Home, About, Books, Blog, and Contact sections need to be easy to locate on the navigation menu.
Add eye-catching photos too, whether they are professional headshots or book covers.
Your website should have proper contrast between the words and background for good readability.
Engaging designs of websites always draw visitors and keep them focused on your content for a longer period. This is extremely beneficial for the building of your personal author brand.
#4. Key Pages to Include on Your Website
Add a few pages like the Home, About, and other important sections for the user to have a good experience on your website.
For most users, the home page serves as a base which means it needs to be attractive and holograph the user with your work immediately.
Include links to your blog and any news considering your next books with a summary about yourself.
The About Page is a place for you to share more about your story: how you started writing, the people that motivated you to write, and personal stories that relate to your audience.
This page serves to portray you as an author and enables the audience to connect with you and fans of the future.
Then it should be followed by the Books Page. Here, all of the published books and other works should be presented with hope-grabbing descriptions and/or excerpts from each book.
Also include the possibility for readers to purchase copies of the books or sign up for new release notifications.
A Blog Section is also necessary; it will give you the chance to discuss your approach to writing, developments in the industry, or events that matter to you and your readers.
Having new content published frequently engages your audience and increases SEO, helping more readers find you.
Finally do not forget to add a Contact Page. It will allow your audience to write to you for questions and potential collaborations which further strengthen your authority and closeness to your fans.
#5. Improving User Experience
Apart from attracting clients, creating a user-centric interface on your site would motivate users to revisit the site.
First things first, focus on navigation because users must locate items with excessive clicking or sifting through unwieldy menus.
Use clearly labeled categories to help arrange information on your site to provide a smoother experience for your visitors.
More users now rely on their phones or tablets to surf the internet, thus elevating the need for mobile optimization.
Go for a responsive theme that changes its layout with the device being used by the visitors to ensure everyone enjoys using your site regardless of the type of device they are using.
User experience is significantly impacted by loading speed. Users might find it expensive for them to deal with slow-loading web pages and would instead leave without checking your offering.
Using high-quality image files does increase the visual appeal, but compress the pictures before uploading to enhance the loading speed.
Don’t forget to make your blog posts more engaging, for example, by enabling comments or including social media sharing icons at strategic points across the website.
Engaging with content has never been easier! With thoughtful design choices like this, user experience will be prioritized, allowing readers to feel welcome in YOUR world.
#6. Strategy on the Author’s Content Branding
The importance of having a sound content strategy for author branding through creative storytelling is almost invaluable!
Look for different content pieces that suit your voice as an author, as well as appeal to your audience.
This can be in the form of articles that touch on topics of interest or even book excerpts that showcase your unique writing style.
Don’t forget that consistency is equally crucial. Consider making blog posts or other forms of content on a certain topic regularly, for example weekly.
This will keep the audience engaged and always have something to look forward to. Finally, consider conducting keyword research that’s only tangentially related to the topic at hand.
This will help improve SEO on your blog and make it look like the keywords were seamlessly woven into the text.
With the help of plugins like Yoast SEO, you no longer need to worry about ignoring the optimization of your content.
Instead, focus on creating content that is valuable and will grow the trust between you and your readership.
This allows your posts to reach their maximum visibility potential while building your brand’s reputation at the same time.
#7. Effectively Promoting Author Website
It is one thing to create an author website with quality content and a unique voice, and a complete other to properly promote what you have created.
One method is to use email marketing. By building an email list, you can jump straight into the reader’s inbox and send personalized messages showcasing your work.
Any updates with new releases, promotions, or other events can be shared through simple email newsletters made with tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit.
Do not forget about how integrating social media can also help grow your readership. By using tools like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook not only can you promote your new releases, but also build a genuine connection with your fans.
Allow them to give you feedback on your writing process through polls and share behind-the-scenes of how your content is made.
In addition, you might want to work with other authors, bloggers, and influencers who revolve around the same themes.
Guest posts, cross-promotions, and giveaways allow for greater reach for everyone involved and can easily introduce new fans who are eager to explore the content you have to offer.
Read also: 11 BookBub Author Website Alternatives You Should Know
#8. Engaging The Reader
When you take the time to interact with your audience, readers will develop loyalty towards you and your work because they feel a connection to you.
Begin by inviting feedback in the comments section of blog posts and foster dialogue in a way that the audience shares feedback, thoughts, and questions that correlate to the topic discussed. This will help build stronger connections over time.
Social media is also an excellent tool for the audience and authors to interact with each other in real time.
Always make it a point to respond to a person’s comment by either liking it or replying to it, be it as simple as saying thank you to people who share your posts. This will go a long way in fostering relationships with your audience.
Virtual events such as book launches, live readings, and Q&As also provide a great opportunity to engage with the audience, even if it is digitally.
Use every platform available to promote these events to ensure maximum attendance as these events are the most memorable for readers and will help strengthen your relationship with them.
Always keep in mind that developing relationships requires equal parts of time, care, and consistency. The long-term benefits of paying attention to relationships will be communities that thrive around your voice.
Read also: Author Website Design: 7 Services to Elevate Your Brand
Conclusion
In the contemporary market, an author needs to invest in building a strong personal brand with a compelling WordPress site, and so it is crucial. With an attractive site layout and impressive content improvement practices, you can easily sit on top of the branding ladder. Create a striking presence online that catches readers’ attention and deeply resonates with their thoughts. Understanding the key principles of branding and creating these strategies, will place you in a strong position. Learn how to position yourself as an author in the virtual world. Always remember while doing so that you should not compromise on authenticity. Staying true to your identity is very important, but there are ways in which you can meaningfully connect with other literature fans.
Read also: WordPress for Authors: Pros, Cons, and the Verdict
Call to Action
We want to know your thoughts! If you have questions or tips about creating an author brand for WordPress, we would love for you to share them in the comments.