Ebooks provide brands a way to deeply connect with their target market. If in your ebook you’re able to solve a problem, offer advice, or a solution or even entertain your audience, you’re providing an invaluable service to your customer. And this, then, is creating a valuable relationship on both ends. One of my favorite quotes on this is:
Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell. — Seth Godin
An ebook is a marketing tool that helps you tell these stories and connect deeply with your customer, and it’s one that provides immense value to them as well.
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When I talk about brands using ebooks as marketing tools, I like to look at an example. Say I have a book called How to Write an eBook in 7 Days (or Less). How does this feel to you? So it’s helpful, chock full of great tips, and best of all, it doesn’t feel like you’re being directly targeted and marketed to. You’re likely to download it and enter my marketing funnel. Self-published titles like this one are a huge part of the digital media ecosystem, and you’d be joining the ranks of tens of thousands of these titles. Let’s talk more about specific benefits that will lend themselves into you understanding how you can fit an ebook into your own marketing mix.
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First up is lead generation
No matter your industry, this is going to be something I’d encourage you to always keep as a goal. When you offer your ebook on your website, you’re able to create an opt-in form where people enter their email in order to get a copy of your ebook. This helps you build your list of market to your engaged readers in the future. Remember to tread with caution, and this photo is a good reminder of that. You don’t want to be overly sales-y or cheesy in any of your marketing tactics. Remember you’re providing immense value through this ebook.
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Ebooks help you establish yourself as an industry expert and to create influence
Your goal could to become an authority on your specific genre and score some speaking gigs. Maybe you wanna sign a book deal or other things that commonly require an established expertise. And ebooks are a great way to establish that credibility. They show off your knowledge and connect you to a broader audience. Another way to fit an ebook into your marketing strategy is to identify a need in the market and fill it.
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In your ebook you’ll offer valuable advice that your target market desperately needs. This will help them in some way and endear yourself to them. You’ll then become their go-to person on that topic and it’s a win for all sides. One of the best things about adding ebooks to your marketing mix is the convenience. Writing and creating the ebook itself is going to take some time and you’re going to want to do it right, but compared to say, putting on a trade show,publishing a new website or a book, it’s extremely convenient.
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You can easily track your return on investment through all the tracking data and tools available online, and the ease to your target market in finding and purchasing it from your website or Amazon is unparalleled. Now it’s up to you to discover your own reason for writing an ebook. Like anything, whenever adding a tactic or strategy to your marketing plan, you want to take into account your business and marketing goals. Make sure that your ebook aligns with your marketing strategy and your brand’s vision. An ebook is a representation of your business so you want it to make sense and to look as professional as possible to your audience.
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