How Authors Can Build a Resilient Brand

Ok, tell the truth. What was your response when you hopped onto TikTok a few Sundays ago and realized they’d shut down? Did you cry? Were you terrified about what a ban could mean for your page?

Did you laugh—thrilled to say good riddance to it all? Did a small part of you relish the idea of getting off the hamster wheel of content creation? Did you scratch your head and wonder what the heck was going on?

The Cliff’s notes answer is that US lawmakers see the popular app as a national security risk because of its Chinese ownership and the access they have to millions of users’ data. I don’t know why a US company having that much info is any better *cough Meta cough* but I digress…

Whatever the reaction you had to the temporary lights-out, I’m certain there’s been a collective sigh of relief now that it’s back—or is it? President Trump signed an executive order to delay the decision for 75 days, and while he seems to be in favor of bringing it back for good—with exceptions, of course—it’ll be a month and a half before anyone knows for sure.

Should the government decide to move forward with the ban, millions of users who rely on it for business building, especially Black authors and content creators, will lose the thousands of followers they fought so hard to earn.

If you think that sounds wildly unfair, it is. And unfortunately, it’s also business.

If you think shifting your users to another social media platform is the answer, you may just be jumping into a different sinking ship as they, too, aren’t without their problems.

Instagram is quick to shadow-ban its users for reasons that aren’t always fair or consistent. They’ve also experienced outages that left users with no way to access their hard-won audiences.

After Mr. Musk purchased Twitter and—well, you know, many users flocked to Blue Sky. But what if he buys that, too?

Patreon, Snapchat, YouTube, etc., all had their fair share of hiccups and policies that sometimes seem arbitrarily employed. So what are users, (especially authors) supposed to do in the face of such uncertainty? When access to our tribes can be lost in the blink of an eye?

I don’t have all the answers, Sway, but I know one major key is to stop relying on social media as your only/main source of audience building and engagement. Or at the very least, don’t make social media the final stop for your audience.

Instead, here are three ways to ban-proof your brand!

But first, a caveat…

This is an opinion article which means my words aren’t the end all—be all of what you should do.

When reading my suggestions, determine what’s right for you and your brand. There are already too many gurus telling you what you must do to be successful only to ditch their platforms because of burnout.

I’m sharing some ideas, some of which you might have heard but have yet to do. Whatever the case, don’t discount your instincts and intuition!

If you know a method isn’t authentic to how you want to show up for your people, don’t do it! If you’re already showing up in a way that leaves you more drained than energized about your audience, it might be time to consider the next steps!

Ok, now let’s get into it…

Own Your Audience

Not literally, no. Owning your audience means you have a direct line of communication, there is no middleman. This is your website, newsletter, app, etc.

If TikTok or any similar platform gets banned, you immediately lose access to all the content you’ve created. And the connections to people who consume your work, and any associated analytics, demographics, etc. By obtaining the email addresses of your supporters, you can contact them directly and continue nurturing the relationship.

There’s an array of ways to catch those coveted emails including newsletters, giveaways, quizzes, etc., but try to think outside the box. For authors, this means asking yourself, what does your audience value the most from you? Is it a snippet of your next book or a free bag of chips?

Okay, they might want some chips too, but you get it. Make sure whatever you decide to offer in exchange for their personal information is something they value.

Newsletters are a great opportunity to engage with your audience, but I think the word “news” leaves authors feeling boxed into giving readers just that and nothing more.

Go beyond basic updates by tapping into what readers love most about your stories. Write to them from their favorite character’s POV. Give them that alternate ending. Share a “what if” moment, or create a collaborative story chain!

Cultivate An Offline Presence

Yes, yes, I know the gurus tell you the opposite—that your business can’t survive unless you post 30 reels a day. It’s also possible to post an obscene amount of content and still have low engagement.

People are more interested in building an authentic connection rather than scrolling through a bunch of tips and tricks. They want a glimpse of the real you.

One cool way I’ve seen this in action is Alexandria House’s House Party Experience. I’ve yet to attend the event, but it’s a creative way to connect with readers and deepen their appreciation and love for her stories. You may not feel like you’re ready for a full meetup, but there are other ways to build a connection offline.

Look for vending opportunities, yes, but also teach classes at local libraries, and partner with local organizations, writing groups, and book clubs. Create your own book club!

Depending on your genre, consider developing a workshop for teens that you can teach at local schools. My city and county have free quarterly magazines that highlight residents and businesses. If your community has this, consider advertising with them or writing a guest column.

Lastly, (and this may sound silly), tell people you’re an author. I avoided doing this for the longest time because I thought people would be judgmental for whatever reason I made up in my head. When I began telling people, I connected with aspiring authors, and a writing community I didn’t know existed!

Diversify

Our dependence on technology (especially social media) isn’t going away any time soon. The trouble is, we have no way of knowing when the current trending platform will become the random tech no one talks about—hey Clubhouse, hey.

That’s why it’s so important not to put all your eggs in one proverbial basket; to think of social media as a tool to lead your audience to more impactful content in a place you “own” such as your website, newsletter, or private community.

Substack is a great combination, and you gain access to subscriber emails. The main idea is to mix things up, but not too much lest ye be overwhelmed.

There’s still a month (or so) before we learn TikTok’s fate. While it’s easy to look at the possible demise of TikTok as a disaster, let’s reframe it as an opportunity to rediscover and shift how we show up for our audience.

For homework, I want you to ask yourself, what are five ways you can use social media as a bridge to guide users back to your brand and not have it become the final destination?

And as always, choose the path that feels most authentic for you!

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