So you still think ebooks are the domain of self appointed relationship gurus and dodgy tips about online business? Think again.
Ebooks, contrary to their lingering association with long sales letters and squeeze pages, have overtaken traditional print books on sites like
Barnes and Noble and Amazon. They've spawned million-dollar self-publishers like
Amanda Hocking, and they've become the clever business person's greatest marketing asset.
Big Business - and Good for Your Business
When you consider facts like those about the ebook phenomenon, it's easy to see that the once dubious ebook has shrugged off its image of the printed word's poor cousin. Ebooks are hip, they're trendy, and they're in demand.
It's clear that ebooks are big business - but how are they good for your business?
It all comes down to image - and the instant expert status you can achieve with a well-written book.
Think about the word 'author.' It conjure up images of respected, learned, knowledgeable people. Anyone who has their name on a book must know something about something, right? That's the widely held belief, of course.
It stands to reason, therefore, that if you, as a business owner, publish a book about your field of expertise, a little bit of that sheen will rub off on you, and by association, your business.
But getting published is hard, right?
Nowadays, not so much. Thanks to online self-publishing, anyone can now write and publish any book they choose to, on platforms that include the wildly popular Kindle, the Nook, i devices and in PDF format. They're instantly accessible around the world, and they can incorporate things that print books can't - like links to your website.
Best of all, if you have a well-written ebook that relates to your industry or business, you have a marketing tool that you can really leverage. You can link to it on advice forums. You can give away copies as a list-building exercise. You can post excerpts on industry websites.
The options are endless, and that's why it's becoming one of the hottest business marketing tools out there - when it's done correctly.
So How Do You Do It Correctly?If you've got this far into this article, chances are you're feeling excited, and ready to rush out there, churn out an ebook, and start cashing in on that marketing potential. Whoa nelly! There are a few things you need to know first.
Ebooks can be great
marketing tools - there's no denying that. But you need to think about it as carefully - if not more so - as you would any other kind of marketing.
First, you need to realize that the purpose of a business marketing ebook is not to write a very long sales pitch - it's about sharing information with your customers and potential customers. Find something that you can teach people about your industry, and use that as the basis of your ebook.
Next, realize that when you put your name on an ebook, you're telling the world that this is the very best you can do. If it's badly written, poorly formatted, or not very interesting at all, it's going to be counterproductive.
The format for ebooks is flexible. The platforms are growing all the time. But when you use an ebook to market any business, you need to be absolutely, 100% proud to put your name on it, and if that means hiring a ghost writer to polish it so it shines, then that's what you should do.
Is Ebook Marketing for Your Business?
There are very few businesses that can't benefit from ebook marketing. Catering companies could publish a cookbook to whet their customer's appetites. Roofing companies could publish a guide to roof materials. Business consultants could publish business building tips in an ebook.
The options are endless, and if you do it correctly, the return on your time and money investment can be too.