A Guide to eBook Publishing for Lead Generation & Brand Building
April 25th 2022 | By Sarah McInerney
There is no doubting the power of content marketing, and the need for it as part of an SEO campaign that boosts online visibility.
Creating top notch content is one of the best ways to connect with prospects, generate leads and engage audiences. And this content can come in many forms. From blog posts to infographics and videos, there is plenty you can use, one of them being eBooks.
An eBook guide is powerful because it feels tangible. Because eBooks are downloadable, people feel like they’re getting something valuable. And this is precisely what makes them so useful in lead generation.
eBooks help build marketing lists
By offering visitors to your website a free downloadable eBook or guide in exchange for an opt-in to your mailing list, you are creating an incredibly valuable marketing database. Everyone knows how challenging it can be to get people to part with their contact details. But offering something with a high perceived value really can tip the scales in your favour.
What’s more, through the eBook, you get the chance to showcase your expertise and authority on a subject at a far greater level than you would with a blog post. You also get to illustrate your content with graphs, diagrams and pull-out statistics, as well as make use of the reader-friendly format to go into greater depth on your chosen subject.
eBooks drive more conversions
These days, people like to read detailed content, especially when the topic is complex or technical. Digital marketing expert Neil Patel says that long form content drives more traffic, which leads to a better conversion rate.
There’s marketing mileage in eBooks too. Once you’ve written your book, it’s a fairly simple process to extract excerpts and repurpose sections of the content into social media posts, emails, infographics, videos and blogs. This can seriously boost your return on investment, as well as act as a marketing tactic for the book itself.
eBooks can strengthen brands
Almost two thirds of customers say they’ll only buy from an authentic brand. eBooks are a great way to demonstrate your authority on a subject, and as a brand.
Content marketing is one of the best ways to increase brand awareness and loyalty. By addressing the topics your audience cares about, and by resolving their issues, you are effectively strengthening your brand.
How to write and publish your own eBook guide
Looking for a guide to eBook publishing for lead generation and brand building? Follow these simple steps…
1. Identify key topics
You’re going to want to make your eBook topic something your audience really wants to know about. It needs to be something that’s not already been done over and over, and that will offer genuine value.
Analysing your audience personas is vital. This will help you understand what your customers need and want to know. You should be asking the likes of:
- What are they interested in?
- What are their goals?
- What issues do they face?
Here’s a great resource that will help you with buyer persona research.
Now, topic wise, if you’re stuck for ideas, give Buzzsumo a go. The free version is enough to provide you with ideas around a specific subject. All you need to do is search for your chosen topic, and you’ll get a list of top performing pieces, as well as useful metrics on Facebook engagement, Twitter shares, number of links achieved and total engagement. You’ll also get suggestions for related searches.
Buzzsumo is a great way to find topic ideas for your eBook guide.
Here are some general approach ideas that tend to work well for eBooks:
- How-to eBook guides
- XX Upcoming Trends to Watch
- Top XX Free Resources/Tools
- XX Steps to…
- The Beginner’s Guide to…
- Learn to Master…
- XX Reason Why…
2. Write your eBook
You’ll want to make sure your eBook is well structured. It’s a book after all, so it needs a contents page, an overview/intro to show readers what they can expect, and clearly laid out chapters.
Each chapter will need to deliver a valuable summary with clear takeaways and a strong call to action.
The length of your eBook should suit the subject in hand. Don’t over-egg it just for the sake of increasing word count. The whole point is that the book is engaging, informative and interesting, and that it answers a question or resolves an issue.
If you’re writing your own eBook, be sure to hand it to a third party for proofing. It’s not easy to spot your own mistakes, especially when you’ve been heavily involved in it.
Finally, be sure to include resource citations to back up any statistics or research you’re including. Citations will also add authority to your eBook guide.
How-to guides make great eBook topics
3. Design to impress
Your eBook will need to be on-brand and designed to visually impress. The more visually appealing it is, the more credible your brand will appear, and the more authority you’ll command.
Be sure to illustrate your text wherever possible to bring it to life. Graphs, tables, charts, graphics… depending on your audience, you may also wish to consider the likes of cartoons or illustrations. Photography is good, but do try to use your own rather than stock images to set your eBook apart.
Your eBook will need a strong, compelling front cover that instantly tells readers what the book is all about. The cover is going to be what attracts attention and promotes your book, so make it as persuasive as you can. Ideally, you’ll engage the services of a graphic designer to make sure the book and its cover are in-keeping with your brand, and appeal to your target audience.
4. Promote your eBook
Once your eBook is ready, it’s time to promote it.
A banner on your website’s home page is a must. This can then link through to a dedicated, SEO-optimised landing page that explains what the book is all about.
You’ll need a strong call to action to sign up to your mailing list in return for a free download. Do make sure you use some reassuring text here to set people’s minds as to how you’ll be using their data, or indeed how you won’t be using it.
Your landing page can be used to help you promote your eBook via social media. Use teasers and excerpts from your book then link to your landing page from the social platforms you know your audience frequents. This will help create trust and compel more people to opt-in and receive your content on a regular basis.
Re-purposing sections of your eBook as blog posts, again linking to your eBook landing page to ‘download the full guide’ is also a great form of promotion.
Looking for help with your content marketing and SEO strategy? Talk to Figment.
If this guide to eBook publishing has got you thinking about your overall content marketing and SEO strategy, and you feel you could use some help building your brand, and your marketing list, talk to Figment.
Our managed SEO campaigns include everything you need to boost your online visibility, as well as your audience engagement.
To discuss your digital marketing needs with a team that’s dedicated to your success, you are welcome to get in touch.