From Edie: Build a strong author brand on YouTube with tips on colors, fonts, name, headshot, and slogan to create a consistent, recognizable presence.
YouTube for Writers, Part 6: Building Your Author Brand on YouTube
by Samantha Evans Tschritter @LoveSamEvans
Golden arches. The swoosh symbol. A red rectangle with a white “play” triangle. Do I need further proof about the effectiveness of branding?
Maybe you’ve heard the term, but you’re not really sure what “branding yourself” encompasses.
I don’t know about you, but for me, the idea of branding conjures an image of a rope-tied calf lying near a barn and a man gripping an orange-hot iron, his face shaded by an oversized cowboy hat.
Did I lose you? I don’t know about branding, but seventy-six romance authors just paused to scribble notes for a book idea.
Come back to me.
Because branding matters. The same way a cattle brand ties the herd to a specific ranch, your logo, vibe, and presentation tie your content back to you. Brand is the business card of social media.
In this article, we’ll tackle five specific facets of branding:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Name
- Headshot
- Slogan
Visual Consistency:
For me, choosing a color schematic was the easiest and most fun part of the branding process.
1.) Colors:
If you don’t have brand colors yet, let me help you reverse engineer this situation.
- What’s your favorite color?
- What color dominates the clothes in your closet?
- What color do you feel best in?
- What color do people say you look great in?
If your anything like me, then each of these questions has the exact same answer. Color I look best in: burgundy (jewel tones and earth tones). Color I chose for my wedding: Burgundy. Color I decided to paint my room in high school: Burgundy (Sounds overwhelming, but it was super pretty. Hardwood floors, white doors, white trim, all white furniture, white bed spread, tons of natural light)
My point is, if you’ve not yet chosen a color pallet, now you have an edge over me. Only after I chose my colors, did I start to realize that most of the colors in my closet matched my color scheme. Once you have the main color, you can type into the search bar, “Color Pallets With ______” and choose the one that resonates with you the most. When you scroll through my Instagram @SETschritter, you will see how the color scheme works together. If you scroll down far enough, you’ll also see exactly where I started incorporating brand. The consistency of the color scheme creates an appealing aesthetic feel.
2.) Fonts:
Consistent font choices add to the aesthetic appeal. If I say “Danielle Steele” can you envision the font style of her name on book covers? Font becomes part of our signature. My advice:
- Choose four fonts—One serif, one sans serif, one script, one bold
- Choose fonts that appear in both Canva and Word
- Only use these four fonts when creating social media posts
- Use the same font for your name every time, on every book cover or social media post.
- Script font works best for names… in my personal opinion.
3.) Name:
Your name is your brand. I’ve used the exact same name for the last four books I’ve published. The romantic suspense novel that releases later this year—and every other book hereafter—will have the same name. What do I mean? How hard is a name? You might be surprised. I have books published and social media posts labeled with the following names:
- Samantha Evans
- Sam Evans
- Samantha Evans Tschritter
- S. E. Tschritter
And while the above identity crisis waged, my Facebook name was Samantha Lewis Evans.
There might even be content from Samantha A. Evans out there from the months following my realization that there was an erotica author named Samantha Evans.
When I asked my publicist if I should be Samantha Evans Tschritter for podcast interviews, he replied, “Do you know what the J.K. in J.K. Rawlings stands for?” I told him no. “Alright then. Be S. E. Tschritter for interviews.”
Pick a name. Be the name. People will start to recognize you that way.
3.) Headshot:
- Using the same headshot over and over is one of the easiest ways to help your fans recognize you. @EdieMelson is very good about this. I am not. I have too many pretty pictures of myself that I paid for that I want to use.
- Consider the mood of your photo. Whatever the vibe of your writing is—dark, sassy, romantic, funny—your headshot should mirror that.
4.) Slogan:
Your slogan should encompass all of your writing. It is essentially an undercover mission statement. Lynn Blackburn, for instance, writes “Swoon-Worthy Suspense.” This perfect slogan is short, catchy, and draws in the audience for her books.
As a multi-genre author, my slogan is a bit more broad and has transformed with time.
- Speaking truth with transparency, humor, and love
- She told them they were loved
- Love Unedited
Level Up:
Once you’ve nailed colors, fonts, name, a headshot, and a slogan, here are several other facets to consider.
- Design a logo
- Create a cohesive look across your website, newsletter, and all your socials
- Create book covers with a cohesive feel
- Lean into who you are, rather than trying to be someone else, but be intentional. Consider your tone in reels, videos, and posts. Humorous? Formal? Intense? This is about who you are, not your genre, but the two can work together.
- Answer the question: Would readers recognize your work without your name on it?
- Answer the question: How do you want readers to feel after reading your work?
Whatever choices you make regarding your brand, the most important consideration is that you remain you.
For more insight, be sure to watch “Branding for Writers: How to Build an Author Brand that Readers Trust.” After reading this article, which facet of improving your brand do you need to work at first?
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YouTube for Writers, Part 6: Building Your Author Brand on YouTube from @LoveSamEvans on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
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Tschritter currently resides in Simpsonville, South Carolina with her husband, their three teen and preteen daughters, cats named Pitter and Patter, and their Siberian husky whom she lost the vote to name Onomatopoeia. Nothing refreshes Tschritter’s soul like gardening. She gardens to work through plot holes, writer’s block, character development, and book ideas. Tschritter spends a great deal of time gardening. You can find her on social media at Linktr.ee/LoveSamEvans.
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