How to Promote Your Book and Be a Thought Leader on LinkedIn
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LinkedIn has evolved into a powerful platform for thought leaders, industry experts, and authors to establish their brands, engage with professional audiences, and amplify their messages.
For authors, it’s not just a networking tool — it’s a stage to showcase your expertise and promote your book. In this post, we’ll explore 7 actionable strategies to leverage LinkedIn for both book promotion and building your reputation as a thought leader.
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital business card, and it should clearly communicate your expertise and your book. Here are some updates to make:
Update Your Header Image: Create a professional header image that incorporates your book cover, title, and tagline. This immediately signals your authority and book promotion goals.
Add Links to Your Book: Use the “Featured” section to include links to your book’s sales page, a related article, or even a free chapter download.
Craft a Compelling Headline: Update your headline to include your role as an author and a few key phrases that highlight your expertise (e.g., “Author of [Book Title] | Leadership Expert | Speaker”).
Revamp Your About Section: Rewrite your summary to emphasize your expertise, the value your book provides, and your goals as a thought leader. Make it clear how your book aligns with your professional mission.
2. Lead with Valuable Content
The key to standing out on LinkedIn is sharing content that provides genuine value to your audience. As an author, your book is likely filled with insights, advice, or thought-provoking ideas — use it as the foundation for your posts. Here’s how to get started:
Offer Actionable Advice: Break down a concept from your book into a series of practical tips that your audience can immediately apply. For example, if your book is about leadership, create a post titled “Three Ways Leaders Can Build Resilient Remote Teams” and provide concise advice.
Comment on Industry Trends: Position yourself as a thought leader by sharing your perspective on current trends or challenges in your field. Relate your commentary to themes in your book to subtly introduce your work.
Share Insights Through Stories: Engage your audience with stories that illustrate key points from your book. Personal or professional anecdotes resonate well on LinkedIn and create an emotional connection with readers.
Consistency is crucial. Aim to post at least two to three times a week to stay visible and relevant to your network.
3. Incorporate Your Book Strategically
While it’s important to avoid overly promotional content, you can — and should — highlight your book in thoughtful ways. Here are some ideas:
Highlight Key Takeaways: Create a series of posts around the most compelling ideas or chapters in your book. Include a brief mention of the book at the end, inviting readers to explore the topic further.
Share Behind-the-Scenes Insights: Posts about your writing journey or lessons learned during the book creation process can be both inspiring and informative. Asking for title or cover feedback is a great way to engage audiences.
Use Visuals: Create engaging graphics or short videos to showcase quotes or data points from your book. Visual content tends to perform well on LinkedIn and grabs attention.
Celebrate Milestones: Share updates about your book launch, milestones like hitting bestseller lists, or reader testimonials to generate excitement and engagement.
4. Engage with Your Audience
LinkedIn isn’t just about posting — it’s a conversation. Building a reputation as a thought leader requires meaningful interactions with your network. Here’s how to engage effectively:
Respond to Comments: When people comment on your posts, reply thoughtfully to keep the conversation going.
Comment on Other Posts: Engage with posts from your connections or influencers in your industry. Add value by sharing your perspective or asking insightful questions.
Join Groups: Participate in LinkedIn Groups relevant to your industry or book topic. Share your expertise and connect with potential readers or collaborators.
5. Leverage LinkedIn’s Tools
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s features to enhance your visibility and connect with your target audience:
Publish Articles: Use LinkedIn’s article feature to share longer, in-depth content related to your book. This is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and drive traffic to your profile.
Host LinkedIn Live Events: If you have access to LinkedIn Live, consider hosting a virtual book launch event, Q&A session, or webinar.
Use Hashtags: Incorporate relevant hashtags in your posts to increase discoverability. Research trending hashtags in your niche for maximum impact.
6. Collaborate and Network
LinkedIn’s strength lies in its ability to connect professionals. Use this to your advantage by collaborating with others:
Partner with Influencers: Identify influencers in your industry and explore opportunities to collaborate. This could involve guest posts, interviews, or shared promotions.
Engage with Media Professionals: Many journalists and editors are active on LinkedIn. Build relationships with them by sharing their content, commenting on their posts, or pitching story ideas related to your book.
Connect with Your Readers and Network: Encourage readers to connect with you on LinkedIn and leave reviews or comments about your book. Ask friends in your network to post photos of them with your book. Their feedback and testimonials add credibility to your work — while helping to boost important visibility.
7. Measure Your Success
To ensure your LinkedIn efforts are effective, monitor your performance and adjust your strategy as needed:
Track Engagement Metrics: Use LinkedIn’s analytics tools to evaluate the performance of your posts and identify what resonates with your audience.
Set Goals: Define specific goals for your LinkedIn activity, such as increasing profile views, growing your network, or driving traffic to your book’s sales page, website or newsletter sign-ups.
Refine Your Approach: Use the data you gather to refine your content strategy. Double down on what works and experiment with new formats or topics.
Author LinkedIn Examples and Additional Resources
Smith Publicity’s All Things Book Marketing Podcast LinkedIn for Authors episode with Marissa Eigenbrood and LinkedIn expert Rachael Robertson
Kait LeDonne, Personal Brand and LinkedIn Coach. Kait’s newsletter offers outstanding LinkedIn tips.
Smith Publicity client examples on LinkedIn:
Erin Gallagher, author of Hype Women: Breaking Free from Mean Girls, Patriarchy and Systems Silencing You
Heather Younger, most recent book The Art of Self-Leadership: Discover the Power Within You and Learn to Lead Yourself
Mary Olson Mendel, author of What Lights You Up: Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step in Your Career
Selena Rezvani, author of Quick Confidence: Be Authentic, Boost Connections, and Make Bold Bets on Yourself and Push Back: How Smart Women Ask—and Stand Up—for What They Want
Promoting your book and establishing yourself as a thought leader on LinkedIn takes time, effort, and a commitment to providing value to and serving your audience. By consistently sharing insightful content, engaging with your network, and optimizing your profile, you can harness the power of LinkedIn to amplify your book, brand, and messaging to boost visibility.
Remember that your book is more than a product: it’s a tool to inspire, inform, and connect with others.
Sandra (Sandy) Poirier Smith is the CEO of Smith Publicity, Inc., dedicated to helping authors and experts create awareness about their books, ideas, and brand through media coverage. Smith Publicity has promoted thousands of projects since 1997 — from household brand New York Times bestsellers to debut authors. Sandy works with clients to design and execute creative and highly tailored book promotion strategies, and her passion is working with business authors. She regularly writes about and speaks at book industry events on the topic of book marketing and author/expert promotion. She earned a BS in Art and an MBA from Northeastern University. She lives in Bucks County, PA, with her husband, four children, two cats, twenty-five chickens, and a variety of reptiles. Connect with Sandy on LinkedIn; sign up for Smith Publicity’s newsletter here.
