An ebook can be an incredibly valuable part of your marketing mix.
You can use them:
Many brands will publish a whole assortment of ebooks catering to different buyer personas, solutions, and stages of the buyer journey. No matter whether you have one ebook or a whole library, however, you have to start with the best ebook formats for the job.
When we talk about ebook formats, we’re not discussing file types like PDF or EPUB. In fact, most marketers will use PDF or good ol’ HTML in their ebook publishing efforts.
Instead, we want to zoom in and make well-reasoned, strategic decisions about how content is laid out and arranged. When your layout clicks with your readers, it will help them read and retain more information. That’s important, since ebooks are deep and detailed. Plus, knowing the format from the get-go will make the entire ebook creation process, including designing your ebook, a lot simpler.
Here’s how you can select ebook formats that will wow your readers.
First and foremost, check out the kind of sources your buyers like and trust. Each publisher and platform has their own style for content. If there are print sources that are highly relevant in your field, their methods of presenting information can be valuable, too.
In general, whatever your readers respond to in your blogs, they’ll respond to in your ebooks. Keep an eye on your web analytics and experiment with different approaches to text, visuals, videos, and data. This will clue you in to customers’ reading habits before you take the plunge.
Odds are good there are already high-traffic ebooks in your niche. A competitor research tool like Spyfu can help you pinpoint sites that attract plenty of ebook downloads. Ebooks are usually accessible with a simple signup, so you can analyze successful ebook formats in detail.
“Traditional” ebooks may run anywhere from 30 pages to 200 and up. They leverage the prestige of print-style formatting, conveying a lot of nuanced information. While they may have limited applications in marketing, a traditional feel is effective for those who wish to monetize ebooks.
These ebooks can showcase long case studies that vigorously examine a solution’s capabilities without losing the reader’s attention. They employ a sparse page layout with photos and illustrations. These both break up the text and guide the reader from point to point.
A self-assessment style ebook focuses on worksheets and interactive content. Readers take an active role, working through a defined process as they go from chapter to chapter. This is a compelling way to get leads excited about prequalifying for your solutions.
Blurring the line between a traditional ebook and an online course can be a great opportunity to prepare your readers for more intensive educational content. “Bundled ebook formats” combine concise text chapters with videos that reinforce and expand on the text.
This is only a handful of the top ebook formats. Know your audience and be bold in how you meet their needs: You could pioneer an ebook strategy that drives engagement and conversion in your field. The more ebooks you publish, the more lessons you’ll be able to uncover!