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This is a guest post by Mollie Porein,  a highly skilled web content writer. She knows what an expository essay is and can help you write this kind of assignment. She is interested in topics about education, writing, blogging, motivation, etc. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter.

I, for one, have always struggled with using LinkedIn to promote my books. So, I found her post particularly intriguing. If you do try her tips, please let us know how they worked out for you!

Using LinkedIn To Promote Your Book

1. Selling yourself

 

Using LinkedIn | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's book

Image: TipScrew

In this day and age, self-promotion can be a rather daunting prospect. Digital marketing in the modern world calls for a rather personal approach to boost your online presence. One of the best ways to do this is through professional networking websites such as LinkedIn.

 

This multifaceted business-oriented service operates for professional networking, allowing one to easily put their face and CV out there for prospective employers to see. LinkedIn is one of the most powerful online resources for self-promotion. According to recent research by Hubspot, 46% of online college graduates use LinkedIn, so no wonder everybody’s jumping on the LinkedIn bandwagon when it comes to marketing.

2. Embrace recommendations

We’ve seen a lot of people wanting to receive something for themselves, yet they forget to do something for others. We’re talking about making recommendations – in order to get more buzz around your profile, you’ve got to write recommendations for others before you can expect some of your own. The more you recommend others, the more they’ll want to help you back. It’s classic tit-for-tat behavior in marketing.

3. Connect, connect, connect

In the world of LinkedIn, you’re never going to promote yourself through a small trusted network. With this mindset, why bother to market yourself in the first place? Make sure you connect with everyone you can reach on LinkedIn. You may feel like you don’t have the strongest connections today. However, it’s hard to tell whether your connections could someday help you out and even get you connected with more important people. It’s the law of averages – if you have more connections, you’ll have more opportunities.

4. Finish that profile

It hurts us to see that people haven’t completed all of their profile. How else are you properly going to enter the market?  Leaving out parts of your profile is like leaving out something about your persona. In order to market yourself as best you can, build up trust and more of a personal connection with your audience. Complete that 100% engaging “rockstar” profile, so that you can maximise any opportunities for marketing.

5. Create your own community

Wouldn’t it be great if you could run a community of like-minded people who you wanted to market your persona towards? It’s very easy on LinkedIn. You could start up a community on anything, such as a business marketing network. After a while, as people discuss things via this forum, more and more followers will join in. Get enough followers and you can message all of them directly, for some powerful marketing promotion.

6. A personal touch

LinkedIn is for human interaction, not algorithmic nonsense. People aren’t interested in connecting with a sterile business. They want to connect with the person they know, trust, and rely on. Whenever you’re sending out an invitation to someone, personalize the greeting as much as you can. As for your own profile, tell people who you are and showcase your personality. This will make others want to form connections with you, instead of seeing your profile as a boring resume.

7. Call to action (CTA)

If you don’t have a call to action (CTA) in marketing, you can’t really expect to sell anything. In order to get someone to follow through with your action, customise your website links. Through LinkedIn, you’re able to post up to 3 different links. Include short and snappy communication, such as “contact me now,” “go to my blog,” or “check out my free stories.” The simpler the CTA, the easier to follow through.

8. Make use of advanced applications

LinkedIn has developed advanced applications so that you could market yourself better. If you’re an author, try linking an Amazon app. This lets you showcase your book on their site. When people click through to the book, they’ll be directed to the book page in Amazon, where they can purchase it. Whatever business you have, be sure to explore this option.

9. Show your true colours

In order to promote yourself best, try and think of your online CV as a shop window. In your proverbial window, you’ll want to showcase all of your professional quality, your achievements, work, and any skills that you know you’re good at. How can you make your profile stand out to show your true colours? What would make a stranger stop and take a peek through the window? Humility’s a great quality, but make sure you don’t sell yourself short.

10. Pay attention to detail

After the obvious grammar and spell checks, give some attention to detail. Part of getting noticed includes creating a profile, but you need to flesh it out in an interesting way. Engage users and create interest by attaching design work relating to your books, infographics, presentations, and anything else that helps you stand out from the crowd. Don’t forget to also include your photo – if you don’t, research shows that your 11% less likely to make a connection. Get your best snap out there.

11. Be productive

In order to market effectively on LinkedIn, you’ve got to put the time in. Be it online or offline, make sure you follow those that are an inspiration to you. Share their content, engage with their groups, and participate in discussions. Keep your profile active and create conversations to show that you’re aware of what’s happening in your chosen industry.

Link Up

These 10 tips should be enough to have you well on your way to marketing your book through LinkedIn. Once you get going, you’ll really see how LinkedIn can help you take off, boosting your image and getting you noticed. For many online users, LinkedIn is certainly a launchpad to help build one’s career. It’s free to join, so why not sign up and make the most of this opportunity?

How do you like to use LinkedIn to promote yourself and your work? We’d love to hear from you and share any advice you might have. Feel free to leave a comment or give us a tweet. Do we follow each other on LinkedIn? If not, then feel free to send in your personal invite.