Why eBooks are Your Secret Marketing Weapon!
E-books are excellent marketing tools that give your business the opportunity to stand out and highlight key differentiators. They’re incredibly valuable, but unfortunately, instead of making e-books a cornerstone of their ongoing marketing efforts, most businesses overlook them. They fail to include e-books because in all too many instances, business owners regardless of the industry or sector they operate in, simply do not understand the power that lies within this amazing marketing tool.
E-books are amazing marketing tools that can help connect you with potential customers at a fraction of the costs you might otherwise incur. In addition to potential new customers, they’re also great for strengthening the ties you have with your existing customer base. If you’re on the fence and still trying to decide if e-books are right for your business or wondering where their value can be found, here are a few helpful tips that will shed light on the situation.
Creating eBooks Position You as a Thought Leader
First and foremost, creating and publishing an e-book can position your brand as a thought leader and help build a reputation based on recognizable value. Readers want their problems solved in a manner that is easy to digest and understand and this is what this piece does. Remember, gaining confidence is one of the first steps in securing a stable customer base and a well-written e-book can position your brand as one that can be trusted; both now and more importantly, well into the future.
E-books Help Start a Dialogue With Your Target Market
In exchange for an e-book, brands typically ask the potential customer to offer something in return, in most cases, a working email address. The fact that the customer is willing to do this shows that they see the value your organization can provide. Once they agree to give you their contact information, strategically move forward and market to them with the singular goal of transitioning this new contact into a satisfied partner.
eBooks Deliver a Strong ROI
A good e-book can come together in a matter of days, but its impact can be felt for many years to come. In most cases, a company already has the makings of an effective e-book portfolio. If you’re thinking of developing one, review old white papers, case studies, blog posts, and emails. These typically center on the types of topics used to build an e-book. Pick one, then pick another and keep moving from there. Before you know it, you’ll have the type of e-book portfolio that gets you in front of potential clients, grows your revenue base, and positions you as a true market leader!
The eBook Does Most of the Work for You
Once you’re finished developing the e-book the heavy lifting is done. There’s no product management, marketing, or display setting to create. The very most you’ll have to do is make a mention in your blogs or emails. But here’s the point to remember — for the value you stand to receive in return — that’s an extremely small price to pay. Be sure to set up as many viewing and download options as you can to get the most out of your collateral. Once you’ve done this the e-book itself will handle the rest.
eBooks are Great for Passive Selling
Let’s be honest, no one, not even the most rugged customer likes a hard sell tactic. Sure, there are times when the situation or circumstances warrant a strong push. But most customers want to be “courted” to a degree. If “courting” customers is a part of your ongoing strategy the e-books are precisely the tool that you’ll need. They give customers time to get to know you, your products, or services, and think of how they’ll impact their businesses. Also, it allows them to decide how your offerings fit into their vision. When this happens, everyone wins!
How to Develop an eBook
As we mentioned earlier, one of the best things about developing your e-book portfolio is that in most cases, you have the topics right there in your midst. No need to research, study, and chase information. You can start your journey by doing the following:
Review your blog posts:
Review your blog posts and look for those that received the most traffic or hits. These topics are the ones that visitors are most interested in so create an e-book around the top ones.
Look through your email campaigns:
Email campaigns are full of interesting e-book opportunities. Take a look at some of your most recent campaigns and select relevant content that can be expanded upon.
White papers:
White papers are a virtual treasure trove for e-books. When writing a white paper, the writer is asked to take a position and successfully defend it. Look over your white paper portfolio. Which positions have your writers been asked to defend? Those positions can form the foundation of your e-book collection.
Case studies:
Similar to white papers, case studies are amazing when it comes to capturing ideas for e-books. Take a close look at your case study portfolio and begin strategically building a list that you want to use as part of this effort.
Need Help Writing an eBook? Hire an eBook Writer.
An e-book can be the missing piece to your marketing mix. They’re fun, engaging, informative, and they have a way of creating lasting value. If you’re ready to make this all-important move, be sure you align with a team capable of building this arm of your business the right way, a business like The Coley Group.
The team of professionals at the Coley Group has developed e-books for partners all over the world and we welcome the opportunity to do the same for you. For more information on how we can help, contact us today to get a free quote on our ebook writing services.
