Use frequency illusion to sell more books — Want readers to remember your book? Use consistent branding in every ad. Same cover, tagline, and tone across platforms taps into frequency illusion — making your book seem more popular and visible. Familiarity builds trust, and trust drives sales.
For indie authors (especially those running their own ads on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), understanding the frequency illusion means using consistent branding to make your book more noticeable, memorable, and seemingly ubiquitous.
🔁 Why consistent branding works:
When a reader sees the same cover, colors, tagline, or hook pop up multiple times — in ads, posts, maybe even in a newsletter or BookTok — their brain starts thinking:
“Wait, I keep seeing this book everywhere… is this a big deal?”
That’s the frequency illusion doing its job. And consistency is what makes that illusion stick.
✅ How to apply this as an indie author running ads:
1. Use the same book cover every time
No tweaks. Let your cover do the heavy lifting — people recognize visuals faster than words.
2. Keep your tagline or hook consistent
Whether it’s in your Amazon ad or social media graphic, use the same gripping line. Example:
“He was never supposed to fall for her — especially not now.”
3. Stick to your brand colors and tone
If your book is dark and emotional, don’t run pastel-happy ads. If it’s flirty romcom, don’t use gloomy filters. The visual vibe should match the genre and emotion.
4. Repetition across platforms
Even if you’re only doing Amazon ads, repeat the look and feel on your:
- Website
- Socials
- Email newsletter
- Book trailers or Reels
The more often a reader sees a cohesive message, the more likely they are to recognize your book, trust it, and click.
🧠 Pro tip:
If someone sees your ad once, they might scroll past. But if they see it 5–7 times and it always looks and feels the same, it starts to feel like a book people are talking about — even if they aren’t… yet 😉
Melissa Harkin 
Leave a comment