by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting
One social media that helps freelancers get connected for media interviews, grab reader's attention with video, get editing and coaching jobs, and more is LinkedIn. It's the second biggest platform for video watching.
LinkedIn's audience is more professional, and that means tweaking the way one posts and reaches out. Users are professionals and tend to use it during the work week, but not as much on weekends. It's not a platform for direct marketing but for networking, and making business connections. That's great for getting to know editors, professionals who can help indie authors with graphics, printing and more, and connecting for marketing opportunities to speak or be a media guest. Nonfiction authors may find more prospect son LinkedIn but the groups for writers and connecting to editors are great for any writer.
First, update your profile. Check profiles authors who write books in your genre and decide what to showcase. You can share your authority to write, awards, and even speaking experience. Choose what's relevant to the types of connections you desire. Notice in the profile where you can add graphics related to your work including documents or articles you've had published, and even a header photo behind your photo. Images and links to documents showcase your talent and ability. For example, add images next to your experience and your published works.
Once you update your profile, check your other social media, website, and online retail sites to make sure they are updated.
Here are ways you can use LinkedIn for book promotion and to garner interest about your book.
Focus on Goals
- Set a few goals of what you hope to gain from LinkedIn and set a strategy for reaching those goals.
- Use the profile to target your needs as a writer. That may be for editing jobs, speaking, getting published, or other goals. Once you decide that. be sure those interests come first and add related experience
Make Fruitful Connections
- Before asking to connect, check the person's profile to be sure they are active users.
- Connect with authors in your genre for review possibilities.
- Connect with experts in the topic of upcoming books for possible endorsements, or to find people to interview. This is the place to go when seeking professional influencers.
- Connect with media hosts and station managers for guest opportunities.
- Connect with people you admire in your field. These people may open doors for you.
- Follow experts in marketing and books to gain from their wisdom.
- Publicists and coaches will ask to be friends to sell services. Discourage them with a reply that you are an expert and open to being hired.
Create Useful Posts
- Use key SEO phrases and words in hashtags to attract people you want to connect to such as event planners, editors, and publishing industry service providers.
- Limit hashtags to five on this platform.
- Repurpose posts from other social media, but tweak it for professionals. Avoid posting about your dog, kids, cat's antics, or other personal photos.
- Use posts to teach skills related to your brand, especially as LinkedIn is so connected to the google search engine.
- You can also post about a new release with reasons professionals might want to read or review it.
- Use posts to practice before creating a PPT for an event. You can share about a process or topic you will be teaching on and get feedback. Or you can do a survey or ask questions related to an upcoming talk.
- Create posts to link to great articles from which you learned. Add a note on the specific way it's useful.
Post Articles and Videos
- Write articles but be focused on one topic in each article. It does not need to be long, but it should offer value.
- Repost articles or blog posts that garnered attention.
- Create short videos to share tips, information, and benefits of your book.
Join the Right Groups
- Join writing related groups and add comment on topics to increase your expertise.
- Join professional groups connected to topics you write about or areas in which you coach. It's a great place to discover opportunities for connecting, guest posting, and speaking as well as conferences that can expand your expertise.
- These groups tend to be lead generation opportunities.
Special Opportunities from LinkedIn
- If content management pops up to ask you to answer a few questions because they identified you as an expert, take advantage of the invite. Those are used to post AI writing suggestions and create articles that will be viewed by a huge number of people and may get posted links on google search engines. This increases both visibility and credibility.
- Endorse people's profile and hope others will endorse you too. If some write great endorsements ask if they'd review a book.
Money Making Opportunities
- Expand money-making opportunities by posting you have a specialty like editing or coaching you can offer.
- Showcase your talent by posting tips and articles in the area where you want to be hired.
- Fill out the services offered in your profile.
- Note that recruits and people hiring usually go through your profile.
Make the most of LinkedIn whether your goal is to learn more about writing and publishing, grow credibility, connect to publishers and authors, or find readers in the professional world. Watch for Changes. For example LinkedIn plans to roll out more uses of AI that could be helpful to authors.
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Karen has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than eight hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Crosswalk. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting Pinterest KarenWhiting FB KarenHWhiting.
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