Are you looking for leads?
Of course, you are! What business wouldn't want to gain leads. They are the lifeblood to our businesses surviving.
By including eBooks into our content strategy can be one of the most powerful strategies you can implement to assist with a steady flow of quality leads.
Content Marketing Institute says, "Think of [eBooks] as a white paper on steroids: a report, generally 12 – 40 or more pages in length that presents complex information in a visually attractive, reader-friendly format. The content is both informative and entertaining; the tone, collegial; the format, 'chunky' rather than linear, to facilitate skimming and scanning."
So why are eBooks lead magnets?
Why do businesses turn to eBooks to drive leads?
Let's discuss three reasons why you should include eBooks into your content strategy:
eBooks Help Build Your Brand
I can bet you are going to find your next customer via the digital world, thus building trust and authority with your brand is so important. Studies tell us that 82% of consumers feel more positive about a brand after reading customized content. Thus, an influential way to gain people's trust is by showing your expertise by developing an eBook that answers the questions or concerns they have that creatively engages them.
You're going to need an amazing, engaging subject for your eBook.
But I bet you can't think of a subject.
Right?
Well, during the brainstorming session for your eBook, make sure to use buyer personas to understand the needs, wants, and desires of your customers. Once you have a few prospective topics, make sure to research to see what your competitors have done. If possible, it's best to avoid replicating what they have done and instead have something that is unique.
Now you're ready to move on to the next steps. The next two critical areas you need to focus on when developing your eBook are:
Content – Each of your chapters need to have quality engaging content that's about your subject that the reader can easily read. It is recommended that each chapter has its own takeaway and call to action when possible.
Design – Your eBook should follow your company's branding style while still being appealing. According to Forbes, presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.
eBooks Help Build Your Authority
Adding eBooks to your content strategy will help you strengthen your brand as well as establishing you as an authority when it comes to the topic you choose. This is why it's critical that you need to select your topic carefully and it is on point to what your customer is looking for and doesn't replicate what your competitors are doing. Likewise, being an authority on a subject that no one is interested in is a waste of time. The same goes for having too many authorities on the same topic.
It just makes it hard to stand out from the crowd.
When you're researching your eBook, make you are providing up-to-date and conclusive evidence on the topic you're talking about. If you do all of this, you are showing that you have done the required research, and you have the experience to speak with authority.
Basically, you are showing you know what you're talking about and can back up your claims with the necessary evidence and actions. When the audience is engaged in your topic, they are more than likely to become a solid lead.
eBooks Provide Amazing Content to Share
According to Neil Patel, readers are looking to consume longer blog posts with 1500 to 3000+ words instead of shorter blog posts.
Looking to tie the creation of an eBook around an existing marketing campaign allows you to build on your authority on a particular topic. Once you have an eBook, you're able to repurpose that content into other forms of content from blog posts, infographics, videos, to promotional emails. This allows you to drive engagement, gain leads, and produce leads with little extra effort.
And the plus is all this additional content helps promote the eBook as well.
Don't forget, after spending all the effort in building your eBook you need to create an SEO optimized landing page on your website which has a strong call-to-action to download the eBook for free in exchange for an email address.
When asking for information, don't be greedy and ask for too much information. An email address goes a long way on its own to working out who the recipient who downloaded the eBook.
Now you have the landing page in place you need to make sure you run a promotional campaign otherwise who is going to find the eBook. Look at utilizing social media to share the eBook as well as other methods.
If you do all of this right, the eBook will be a successful lead generator for you.
My eBook isn't Driving Leads!
If after all that your eBook isn't driving leads, then you may want to see if you're making one of the following mistakes:
You're marketing with your blinders on – You didn't research your targeted audience.
Solution: You need to make sure you're creating buyer personas so you find the relevant topic that the audience will engage with.
Your topic didn't engagement – If the topic wasn't what the buyer was looking for or has already been covered before, then the buyer isn't going to be interested.
Solution: Do your research and solve pressing problems the buyer has. Isn't this what you do to make money!
You were cheap, and eBook liked homemade – First impressions count. If the design doesn't look professional, then the buyer is going to feel the content inside is below par as well.
Solution: Be willing to invest in a professional design.
eBooks are a fantastic way to build credibility and show your business expertise, especially in the digital information age we live in.
If, after reading this article, you feel you don't have the skills to develop your own eBooks, let's talk as Marketing Monarchs can help you. Click here to book a meeting or call us at 617 256 6178.
About the Author
Jon Rivers – Jon has been recognized as a pioneer within the partner channel as a digital marketing expert for his leadership in helping partners develop social brands, marketing strategies, and content to drive successful marketing campaigns.
Before starting Marketing Monarchs, Jon spent many years working in the Microsoft Dynamics ERP ecosystem system. Jon serves on various boards, including Directions North America, IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners), and CMA (Channel Marketing Alliance).