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Branding and PR for Authors with Chrissy Bernal




Summary:

Chrissy Bernal's road to promoting her children's books was filled with costly mistakes and bad advice. But it led her to discover the importance of building a solid foundation for book promotion. Through her own struggles and triumphs, she learned the value of clear messaging, author branding, and community building. Now, she shares her hard-earned wisdom to guide aspiring authors on their own path to success. Are you ready to avoid the same pitfalls and achieve your dreams of publishing a socially conscious book? Join us on this journey of empowerment and discover the power of a strong foundation for book promotion.


In this episode, you will be able to:

  • Discover innovative book marketing and publicity tactics to boost your success.

  • Learn the significance of a solid foundation for promoting your literary works.

  • Uncover the art of crafting a clear and captivating book message and author brand.

  • Find out the secrets to building and engaging with an enthusiastic book community.

  • Gain invaluable tips for effective book publicity, catering to journalists, and leveraging podcast giveaways.

Timestamp of Topics:

00:00:00 - Introduction, Rachel introduces Chrissy Bernal, a branding expert and publicist. They discuss the importance of building a strong foundation before marketing or doing PR for your book. 00:08:23 - Marketing vs. Public Relations, Chrissy explains the difference between marketing and PR and how they work hand in hand. She discusses common pitfalls that authors face when it comes to marketing and PR, which is a lack of foundation. 00:09:47 - Messaging, Chrissy emphasizes the importance of having a clear message before starting any marketing or PR. She recommends using the Story Brand Framework to help hone in on your message. She also mentions the significance of building a consistent author brand. 00:14:27 - Public Relations, Chrissy talks about the importance of having a cohesive package when it comes to PR, including a website with consistent fonts and a well-written bio. She also emphasizes the need for authors to pitch themselves to the media and build relationships with journalists. 00:15:47 - Building Your Author Brand, Chrissy Bernal explains the importance of building your author brand by having a consistent message across different social media platforms. She suggests identifying three words that define you and your brand, and making sure everything you post aligns with those words. She also encourages authors to overcome the fear of putting themselves out there and to focus on their mission, message, and story. 00:20:52 - The Importance of Community, Chrissy Bernal emphasizes the importance of building a community of readers and followers to help spread your message and support you emotionally. She suggests starting early by telling people about your book and building a network through social media and in-person events. She also reminds authors that it's never too late to start building a community. 00:25:12 - Marketing Your Book, Chrissy Bernal advises authors to take charge of their book marketing, even if they have a traditional publisher. She recommends having a call-to-action button on your website and building an email list through lead magnets. She stresses the significance of the email list since social media can be unreliable. She suggests emailing people beforehand and heavily promoting your book before its launch. 00:27:22 - Sell More Books, Chrissy Bernal gives tips on how to sell more books, such as having a call-to-action button on your website and building an email list. She also suggests doing your own marketing and PR, even if you have a traditional publisher. Chrissy highlights the importance of promoting your book through email and social media 00:30:15 - Social Media Strategy, Use the 80-20 rule on social media: 80% of the time, focus on engaging your audience with your mission and behind-the-scenes work, and 20% of the time, promote your book. Learn what resonates with your audience and make it easy for them to buy. Use automation tools like MailChimp and Lately to save time. 00:32:06 - Overcoming Overwhelm, Take it one step at a time and give yourself more time if needed. Hire professionals for certain aspects or enlist the help of friends and family. Automate as much as possible using social media and email platforms. Remember to take deep breaths and seek support. 00:38:02 - Public Relations, Focus on brand awareness and building authority by tying your book into current events or social issues. Write a well-crafted press release with a professional tone and no typos. Use messaging documents to save time and ensure consistency. Distribute through reputable outlets. 00:43:18 - Messaging, Develop a clear and focused messaging document to use in your press release and other marketing materials. Create an elevator pitch or one-liner that summarizes your book and mission. Use these materials to save time and ensure consistency in your messaging. 00:45:53 - Avoiding common mistakes when emailing journalists, Chrissy advises to avoid using a generic email format when contacting journalists and to keep the email personal. She suggests letting the journalist know that you're trying to help them do their job easier while also trying to get your message out. Chrissy also emphasizes the importance of following up with journalists and building personal relationships with them. 00:48:06 - Using public relations for brand awareness and authority, Chrissy recommends writing a press release using your messaging from the launch phase, ensuring there are no grammar or spelling errors, and using reputable press release distribution companies to help with search engine optimization. She also suggests being a source for journalists and building relationships with them to offer good content and help make the world a better place. 00:49:34 - Staying connected with Chrissy Bernal, Chrissy can be found on her website and social media channels. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to share their message and make the world a better place. She encourages aspiring authors to share their stories as they all have a message and a lesson that others can learn from. 00:50:53 - The importance of sharing your story, Chrissy believes that sharing your story and message can have a positive impact on others, and that everyone who wants to make the world a better place should write a book. She emphasizes that every experience has a message behind it, and that people should share their stories to help others learn and grow.


About Megan:

Chrissy Bernal is a published author and branding expert, passionate about helping authors create a solid foundation to promote their books effectively. From building a captivating author brand, developing strategic marketing plans, and using strategic PR, Chrissy empowers authors to reach their goals with purpose and intention. Her experience stems from her own journey as an author, during which she faced numerous challenges and learned valuable lessons about branding, marketing, and PR. Through this journey, Chrissy has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to create a successful book promotion strategy and enjoys sharing her wisdom with like-minded authors. You can find Chrissy here:


About UpLevel Productions: Founded by Christie Mann, MA, CPCC, PCC, and Rachel Baldi, CPCC, PCC, UpLevel creates, produces, and delivers Transformative Experiences, Workshops, Training, Events + Media that develop leaders who make our world a healthier, more alive, and connected place to be. As Associate CTI Faculty Partners, UpLevel is licensed to sell, produce and deliver Co-Active coach training and leadership development programs around the world to support the transformational growth of individuals and culture inside the workplace and organization. www.uplevelproductions.com Instagram @uplevelproductions Facebook & LinkedIn @uplevelproductionscompany




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