Authors: Sell Books Using LinkedIn
Authors are always on the lookout for potential buyers for their books. Additionally, many seek opportunities to be a featured expert on podcast and radio shows as well as secure speaking engagements.
One of the best social media platforms to find those who read business, self-help and how-to books is LinkedIn. LinkedIn, by far, is one of the best platforms to find highly professional individuals who are serious about networking.
It's also a great place to get your foot in the door with large corporations.
According to Marketing Mojo, over 75% of users work for companies with 1,000 employees or more. There is a very high concentration of highly professional people on LinkedIn. If your target market is highly professional individuals, corporations and large associations, LinkedIn is a great platform to be seen and build professional connections.
Right From Wrong
However, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about how you do this. Just as there are common sense rules for what you do and don’t do at an in-person networking meeting, there are common sense rules for using LinkedIn.
You likely would not attend an in-person networking meeting, walk up to someone and say, “Buy my book.” Yet, there are authors doing this on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a great platform for authors, but you need to have a long-term view of how to best utilize the platform.
It's about having a focused approach, connecting with people in companies, industries and markets that are a fit for what you are doing.
There is an art and science to using LinkedIn resulting in amazing benefits. A quick look at some of the benefits are interview opportunities, speaking engagements, consulting gigs and connecting with influencers.
I have gotten lots of interview opportunities (radio and podcast shows), invitations to join in on summits and even some speaking invitations from how visible I am on LinkedIn.
To get the most out of LinkedIn, determine who you want to connect with. Avoid simply going for quantity of connections. Rather, think in terms of quality.
For example, one of my clients seeks to connect with HR Directors from multinational organizations. She is a premium member which allows for greater opportunities to not only be very specific in how she finds people to connect with, she also can see who is viewing her profile.
This information is invaluable. If someone is looking at your profile, it means there is something about you they are interested in. I often send private messages to those who have viewed my profile. This takes our connection one step further.
Banners are Essential
Which leads to yet another important aspect of LinkedIn; your profile banner. Many people use the standard LinkedIn image rather than putting up a nice banner. The banner is one of the most important parts of your profile. You convey a message… fast.
The LinkedIn banner is the first impression someone has of you when they happen upon your profile. Yet, many people put little, if any, thought into their banner.
A great many people never change their banner and keep the standard background LinkedIn provides.
It’s likely you are aware of the importance of your picture, but have you put thought into your banner? For most people, the answer is no.
Banners allow you to improve your brand’s visibility and messaging. To get the most from this high-value real estate, customize your image and banner.
How Are You Connecting?
Another thing to consider is how you invite people to connect. The “secret sauce” has to do with customizing your invitation.
A great many individuals send the standard message rather than putting any time or thought into their invitation.
“Explain why you want to connect with the person,” says Amanda Haddaway, author of Destination Real World: Success After Graduation For New And Soon-To-Be College Graduates. “Just say something. There’s nothing worse than receiving a LinkedIn request with the standard, generic format and not having any earthly idea who the person is or why he/she wants to connect with you.”
The bottom-line is this; the more effort you put into how you use LinkedIn, the greater your results.
Take the long view to what you are doing, and you will find it will pay off big time.
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