Comments on: Branding & The Brain: How Social Media Changes but Humans Never Will

By: In It to WIN It: How Committed are You to Being a Successful Author?

In It to WIN It: How Committed are You to Being a Successful Author? — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 00:11:00 +0000

[…] sell books. Never have and never will. If you are curious why (in detail), check out THIS POST and THIS ONE or grab a copy of my branding […]

By: robintvale (Jessica)

robintvale (Jessica) — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 04:28:36 +0000

*lightbulb flashes* So all the writers on wattpad I’ve been heling, and making friends with maybie someday might become a fan? (Who knows. I don’t do it for that. It would be interesting if that was a ‘side effect’ later on.)

Just like a writer friend I made on Facebook, where he helped me and now I see a new book of his out and I buy it when I can? Ah! This was really informative, thank you.

By: Barbara Meyers

Barbara Meyers — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 12:34:53 +0000

This explains why I mute the commercials when watching TV and return to reading my book until they’re over. Why I scan through what are obviously advertisements and nothing else on social media. It also explains why I will purposely watch some commercials repeatedly and chuckle every time I see them! Thanks for the easy-to-understand explanations of these branding and the brain concepts.

By: Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 04-12-2018 | The Author Chronicles

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:02:32 +0000

[…] Sandra Beckwith interviews a guest on how to promote your audiobook, Kristen Lamb explores how social media changes but humans don’t, and Alee King has 16 promotional strategies to grow your Facebook group 3x […]

By: Why Do Writers Need a Platform? What IS a Platform?

Why Do Writers Need a Platform? What IS a Platform? — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 19:03:03 +0000

[…] Branding & The Brain: How Social Media Changes but Humans Never Will […]

By: Gina Martino Zarcadoolas

Gina Martino Zarcadoolas — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:45:27 +0000

In reply to Cricket Rohman. I truly enjoyed your blogpost. I am currently writing a cookbook that will be self-published and I need all the help I can get. Thank you for your insights that will help me deliver my story to the world....

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:16:30 +0000

In reply to Melissa Sugar.

Long comments are fine, LOL. Unusual last names are GOLD in an age of search engines. As far as what are you selling? Nothing. You are networking and creating a dialogue. Gathering your tribe, so to speak, as you write your books. That’s what that cloud is for. The bigger the cloud the more accurate of a profile you have for who YOU are (and your brand) but it also provides a very detailed profile of your audience. What are the conversations you’d have with friends?

This is why I’m such a huge advocate of the blog. A blog plays to a writer’s strengths. Writers WRITE. Also a blog only gets stronger over time. YOU control it. In light of all the recent abuses by social media platforms like Facebook, it only reiterates what I have said for years. NEVER build your platform on something you don’t control. The blog (which should be on our author site) is under OUR control.

Twitter has gotten far harder to network in the way I used to recommend, in large part to so much automation. How can we connect to automated messages? I still hop on once a day or so and scroll to see if there is anyone I can respond to but often find I am talking to no one. It is still useful for research and the hive mind, but bots have ruined a lot of what made it once a really fun place to be.

My advice is to get the on-demand blog class and maybe upgrade to the consult and then I can work with you one-on-one to answer your questions and help you. You are making it too hard is the short answer, but it helps to have someone with outside perspective. Saves a lot of time and mistakes.

Thanks so much for the long and lovely and thoughtful comment and THANK YOU for the support with the books :D. (((HUGS)))

By: Writing Links…4/9/18 – Where Genres Collide

Writing Links…4/9/18 – Where Genres Collide — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:05:48 +0000

[…] https://authorkristenlamb.com/2018/04/branding-brain-science-social-media/ “We can build a brand, but alas we cannot buy one. There are no shortcuts. Ads, promotion, marketing can help expand an existing brand, but cannot be substituted for one. This approach is akin to ordering a wife on-line from Russia believing one can buy true love with Visa.” Making an emotional connection with our brand makes sense. I think it also depends on the author’s approachability. Not saying you have to let everyone into your home, but they might like to get to know your personality and that alone might make them want to read your book. […]

By: Melissa Sugar

Melissa Sugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 10:30:29 +0000

Your upcoming classes sound exactly like what I need right now. I’ve read your non-fiction books and they were extremely informative. I read Are You There Blog … a while back, but I read Rise of the Machines pretty recently. You taught me a lot about social media. I was clueless before reading your book. I’m still not doing it exactly like I’m supposed to. Just haven’t found the time between work, family, kids, etc., to dedicate the amount of time Twitter requires for maintaining the personal relationships you advocate. I realize you said it doesn’t really take that much time, so clearly I’m still missing something. I can’t seem to stay connected with each person who follows me, RT, likes or sends me a message in addition to tweeting my own content, RT’s and searching for people I want to follow and learn from. I signed up for Buffer. I know you’re not an advocate of automated tweets. I completely understand that. They do seem rather impersonal, but I’d rather stagger them throughout the day instead of clogging my followers feed all at one time when I finally have a free uninterrupted half hour.
I’m so confused about branding. Often I think I’m on the verge of getting it, but then I read an article or hear someone speak on the topic and I’m lost and back to square one. Here’s my problem: I’m a lawyer (former prosecutor), but I’m not practicing right now. I’m a writer, but not yet published. So what exactly am I marketing? What is my brand? I don’t have books for sale? Not yet anyway. But everything I read encourages pre-published authors to do everything possible to build an audience and platform “prior” to completing their book. Do you agree? But, if I’m not selling a book, what am I selling? What am I offering? Do I offer legal type resources to crime fiction writers — and post blog articles on those specific topics, e.g., crimes, Police, criminal procedure. Police procedure, cop jargon, legal jargon, what a jury trial is like, court rooms, collection of evidence, witness testimony … what happens if you character is suspected of a crime? Is arrested? How to help your villain avoid detection? CSI? Weapons? I have million things I could write about if I ventured down that road, but do enough people (writers, I guess), need that information to warrant blog articles on those topics.
Sorry my comment is so long, but your branding post really resonated with me. I always read your blog. I’ve left a few comments over the years, but I’ve never asked a question, but your latest article touched on an issue I’ve been struggling with and you always give the best advice. One more thing … you’ve always said that we are our brand, like our name is our brand. So if you have an odd or unusual … quirky last name do you try and incorporate the name into your brand? Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. And congratulations of your debut novel, The Devil’s Dance (my favorite genre). I’m going to order its soon as I hit the send button on this way too long comment.

Melissa @Sugar Crime Scene
Twitter @Msugar13

By: CINDY JONES

CINDY JONES — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 01:48:24 +0000

So much info in one post!

I recently purchased your book, Rise of the Machines, Human Authors in a Digital World. I’ve enjoyed it! I plan on using it as a reference in a workshop I’m giving this summer at the SCWC conference. Hopefully it will send others your way.

Thank you for another great post.