Greetings, fellow creatives!
I am delighted to delve into a topic that often sparks intriguing conversations and inquiries—building personal brands as authors. I aim to shed light on the distinction between skill-based and personality-based branding strategies, offering insights to empower aspiring writers on their branding journey.
In a recent discussion, I encountered a poet contemplating publishing a poetry book, echoing sentiments shared by many poets navigating the unique realm of poetry marketing. The conventional wisdom often dictates a skill-based approach, emphasizing accolades, awards, and professional recognition as the cornerstone for establishing credibility and recognition in the poetry domain.
However, I challenge the notion by advocating for an innovative, personality-based branding approach, urging writers to craft personal brands that resonate with inspiration, vulnerability, entertainment, or polarization. I believe in the power of blending the traditional skill-based methodology with the more contemporary personality-based strategies, harnessing the best of both worlds to cultivate a compelling personal brand.
Let’s explore the traditional skill-based branding arena, where personal brands are cultivated through accolades, awards, professional experience, and sheer talent. Esteemed figures like the Obamas, Brene Brown, Amanda Gorman, Rachel Ray, Sarah J. Maas, and Colleen Hoover exemplify the success derived from a skill-based foundation, leveraging their expertise and achievements to propel their literary careers to unprecedented heights.
Conversely, the uncharted terrain of personality-based branding thrives on entertaining, inspiring, relatable, polarizing, and vulnerable content, encapsulating the essence of the individual’s persona. Influencers, mommy bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, and cult figures exemplify the art of personality-based branding, captivating audiences with their unique perspectives, ideas, and charisma.
The essence of personality-based branding lies in the ability to package one’s personality into engaging content that resonates with the audience, fostering connections based on authenticity and relatability. While skill-based branding emphasizes past accomplishments and professional recognition, personality-based branding centers on ideas, feelings, and relatable experiences.
It’s essential for authors and creatives to explore both avenues of personal branding, leveraging the strengths of skill-based and personality-based strategies to craft a multifaceted and impactful brand identity. While skill-based accolades provide a solid foundation, personality-based content can infuse vibrancy, relatability, and authenticity into the brand narrative, fostering deeper connections with the audience.
I urge aspiring authors not to feel discouraged by the absence of traditional skill-based accolades since it often requires access to privilege, time, and money that they may or may not have. A brand built on personality can often later lead to skill-based recognition, it’s not an either/or kind of deal.
If you have any questions or seek further guidance on navigating the nuances of personal branding as an author, feel free to reach out. Remember, there are myriad pathways to success, and your personal brand is a canvas waiting for your unique story to unfold.
