Using Business Books as a Marketing Tool – 4 easy steps

What is the best marketing tool?

The best multi-dimensional marketing tool to draw the attention of prospective customers to yourself or your business is a book.

There are a host of marketing tools available in the market today, to market yourself or for small businesses, business-to-business marketing tools. But one of the most effective marketing tools is a business book. Business books will help you get leads and engage with promising clients, even as the world sleeps. However, the bottom line remains unchanged – grabbing the attention of a prospective customer before your competitor does.

Climb the Professional Ladder with a Book | How Publishing Boosts Your Career

Publishing a book isn’t just about storytelling—it’s a strategic tool for career and business growth. Book publication builds credibility, establishes expertise, and lets professionals reach a wider audience. More professionals are realizing that among all available tactics to climb the corporate ladder, writing a professional book is one of the most impactful. Zorba Books has seen this trend firsthand, with authors using their books as a launchpad for public speaking, consulting, and media visibility.

Table: How a Book Compares to Other Marketing Tools

Marketing Tool	Builds Authority	Attracts Media	Long-term ROI	Standout Factor
Social Media Ads	❌	❌	❌	Medium
Business Website	✅	❌	✅	Medium
Networking Events	✅	✅	❌	Low
Email Newsletters	❌	❌	✅	Low
Business Book	✅✅	✅✅	✅✅	High

1. Writing a book makes the author an expert

Social media is rife with self-professed experts exhibiting excellent skills. Anybody can print visiting cards with esoteric positions. Not too long ago, merely having a college degree gave you the label of an expert. This was because fewer than 10% of the population held a college degree.

The most reliable and exclusive symbol of being an authority on a subject today is to be a published author of a book. That is because of a couple of irrefutable conclusions that can be drawn about the author of a book:professional book

• You know what you are talking about. If you can write a professional book on a subject, people expect that you pretty much know most of what there is to know on the subject. You become an authority on it.
• You are persistent and get things accomplished. As they say, everyone has a story in their mind or on their computer. However, thousands of these books never get written, completed or published. The fact that you turned it into a well-produced book says a lot about you.
• You put it all out there to be judged. Having published the book, you have put your expertise out there for the world to judge you. And you are not afraid of their verdict on your knowledge
• Real Life Example Mishti Verma a Level 1 Leadership Coach, with over 70 prominent organizations, and over 15,000 individuals. Collaborations include Genpact, Nomura, Daimler, Schindler, Schneider Electric, BASF, Trent-Tata, Hinduja, Aditya Birla Group, Sony-SET India Pvt Ltd, Colgate. Chose to publish her book for the same reason.

2. Writing a business book puts the spotlight on the author

It helps you stand out from the next competing candidate who has the same skill set as you, to help you bag a job, raise, etc. Whenever the media seeks a story on a subject, they go to the expert in the field. And how do they know who the expert is? They consider the author of a book on the subject as the most credible authority on the subject. A book not only gives media coverage but also enables the author to stand out from others in the field.

Staking out territory as an expert in a field early is essential. This is especially true for a hot new field. There is unprecedented media interest in a new subject, and there are few or no acknowledged experts yet. In such niche subjects, even if only 1,000 copies of the book are sold, the rub-off in terms of perceived expertise and authority is immense. Here, too, the book that works as a marketing tool for small businesses. For a professional, publishing a print book will give you a better chance. Even if you publish your notes as an eBook, you stand a better chance of getting noticed.

Real-life Example:

Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai, known for “Corporate Chanakya,” built a public image as a business guru after the book’s release. His book helped him become a sought-after keynote speaker and advisor to corporate leaders—a prime example of book publication being used to climb the professional ladder.

3. A Management Book is the Best Marketing Tool Online

In online marketing, the key enabler is ‘search.’ The top two search engines are Google and YouTube. The next biggest is Amazon, especially for professionals searching for subject matter experts. Their search typically gravitates towards authors of books on the subject. The book reveals the author’s identity and expertise and readers can then reach out to the author for more information. A book, therefore, becomes a powerful marketing tool online to build the author’s personal brand. Also, to attract customers for the author’s services and products. There could be many experts. Being the author of a book on the subject enables clients to cut through the clutter and reach out to them.

Did You Know?

According to Nielsen BookScan India, non-fiction business titles saw a 22% year-over-year increase in sales between 2021 and 2023—a trend that highlights the increasing demand for professional expertise through book formats.

4. Nothing generates buzz like writing a business book

Beyond the confines of online marketing, the best marketing results come from word of mouth. If someone trustworthy recommends something, people give it a lot of credence. For example: Rashmi Bansal: With her breakout book “Stay Hungry Stay Foolish,” Bansal gave voice to Indian entrepreneurs in a relatable storytelling format. The book quickly went viral in B-school circles, was quoted extensively, and launched her as a sought-after speaker and influencer on entrepreneurship.

Anything that makes people talk about the business or service or the person behind the company is great marketing and a book is high up on this list. A book makes the author’s expertise tangible and allows readers to “own” it. When they talk about the book or quote from it, they say what the author wants to say. This is a powerful transmission of the author’s expertise. 

This insight is constructive for authors who want to position the book most effectively. It helps an author who can imagine what a person that has read the book would say to another potential client about the book. To position the book also means the author imagines the reader giving a book review to another person in an elevator or at a cocktail party (most word-of-mouth transmission happens in such informal settings). What the author wants to convey in such a scenario is essentially the book’s USP. If this is achieved, the book will be beneficial to a broad audience. They, in turn, will want to talk about it to others who want a similar problem solved. For Example: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Although primarily known as the founder of Biocon, her biography “My Life in Full” helped reinforce her legacy beyond corporate India. It made her story accessible, encouraged women in business, and led to numerous media features and panel invitations.

When people become aware of the book or the author, they can read the book (and spread the word further afield – the power of networking), learn about the business, interact with it, and become customers. For Example: Ankur Warikoo: Known for his relatable and practical advice, his book “Do Epic Shit” became a bestseller not just for its content, but for the community-driven buzz it generated. Fans quoted lines, shared insights on social media, and recommended it in startup circles, creating a ripple effect.

Look around you and see how most well-known people have authored a book. Ask yourself: how did writing a book contribute to their lives? What type of books have they written?

Final Thought:

Publishing a book for career growth is no longer just about storytelling—it’s a strategic move in personal branding, lead generation, and career advancement through writing. Zorba Books has supported countless professionals in turning their expertise into impactful books that open doors. If you want to climb the professional ladder, the best first step may be to write the book only you can write.

If this blog inspired you, please share it with your network and help others discover the power of writing and publishing a book and how it helps in author branding.