LinkedIn is a social network for professionals.
If you want to be a professional writer you want to be on LinkedIn.
Here are four ways LinkedIn is better than Facebook.
Two Minute Video Introduction
If you don't know what LinkedIn is, please watch this two minute video from our friends at
Common Craft.
[pro-player width='530' height='400' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM[/pro-player]
Reason #1 - LinkedIn Boosts Your Search Engine Rankings
Unlike many other social networks, LinkedIn gives you "Google points" for the sites you link to from LinkedIn. It also ranks very well on Google itself. If you Google "Thomas Umstattd", my LinkedIn page is the third result. The other top results are links on my LinkedIn page. If you have a common name, having a LinkedIn page is vital.
Reason #2 - LinkedIn Answers Questions
Several years ago I had a
question about my book proposal. An editorial director and a marketing manager at Random House answered my question. Only LinkedIn could give me that kind of access to expertise. I have yet to ask a question on LinkedIn that did not receive an amazing answer.
Reason #3 - LinkedIn Establishes Your Credibility
After you answer someone's question on LinkedIn, the questioner rates the answers and picks the best answer. If your answer gets selected as the best answer you get props on your profile. That is the same profile page that shows up so high on Google. This is an easy and effective way to establish your credibility on a subject. It's also part of the reason why the experts are so willing to answer your questions on LinkedIn.
Reason #4 - LinkedIn Connects You with Agents and Editors
Many of the top agents and editors are on LinkedIn. You may have no idea your brother-in-law went to college with
Michael Hyatt. Don't forget that you still probably have to comply with their submission guidelines. But having a friend put in a good word for you can go a long way.
How LinkedIn Helped Me
I wanted to speak at a writers' conference but didn't know how to contact the director. I was able to use LinkedIn to connect to him and he invited me to join the faculty.
What do you think? How do you use LinkedIn? Leave a comment below and let us know.
I am on LinkedIn, but don’t use it as often as I do Facebook, and I’ve never used it to promote my writing, although I *am* currently unpublished. However, your reasons to use it made a light bulb go off for me, so I’m going to find my ID & password and spruce up my profile.
Thanks!
I have a Linkedin account too but the site confuses me. I feel like an uneducated, left in the dust, hick from the stone age there.
Anna
Just wanted to say thanks for this post, I linked to it from our blog: http://stimulating-conversation.com/blog/2009/07/21/mondays-marketing-your-masterpiece-linkedin/
and to remind others who commented that there are writers groups on there that are very active and full of useful information!
Thanks again,
Renee Giroux
Stimulating-Conversation.com
Point # 1 is key. In the perpetual struggle to become established making it easier to be identified as relevant is almost as important as being relevant. An an old schooler quality is still trumps marketing… but just barely.
My recent post Home-buyer & Move-up Credits expand
If so, I suggest you create a separate item where authors (or aother professionals) can list their "PUBLICATIONS".
The ‘law of attraction’ when you are familiar with that, really says it all …you attract what you believe.
Outstanding story there. What occurred after? Take care!
I have a Linkedln account but seldom use it because I don’t really know how to use it and therefore feel a little intimidated . Would love to follow your advice because I don’t really like face book that much. I have published 2 books, but have not been very successful marketing them. I could use all the help I can get. Thank you
Great post! I’m also guilty of having put LinkedIn on the bottom of my social media totem pole. I’m going to have to get busy and familiarize myself with it!