In the online world, there are only 3 key factors that will effect how many new contacts you can gain. One of them is the value (‘‘thing‘‘, content) that you can provide for the gained contact. We will take a look at how to prepare a great e-book that will be irresistible and will get you a flow of new contacts.
You can dodge beginner mistakes that could ruin your spent time and effort right at the beginning. Even your very first e-book can become a magnet for new potential customers. Don’t miss your chance and work properly from the start.
1. Make sure you know why you´re writing the e-book
It can look like a given thing, but it is the first essential step. You want to expand your mailing list via the e-book and have a chance to communicate with potential customers. However, that is the result that you must precede by realising that you can only get it if your e-book is useful and attractive. How can you accomplish this? You have to know exactly what you want to achieve and not only ‘‘think you know it‘‘. You have to know the hot topic your target group is talking about.
2. Find out what topic is the right zinger
Conduct a survey of your target group to find out. You can create this survey comfortably and quickly directly in Quanda. If you don’t know how, you can take inspiration from article 6 steps on how to create a survey. Another source can be information that your customer support or your salesmen are dealing with. Or use data from Google Analytic that will show you what articles are visited most often and enrich these topics even more in your e-book. You can also use the analysis of key words that will help you find what key words from your area of work are mostly searched and if you already have them mentioned in the contents of your web. Have a look at professional discussions and social networks to see what questions or topics are usually discussed the most.
TIP: If you find many hot topics and need to find out which ones to choose, send them to the database of your current contacts and they can tell you their preferences. Or create a poll on social networks.
3. Take your diary and plan what time you can devote to the writing of your e-book
The above mentioned is going to take you some time and the main thing is still about to come. You already did a good job - you have a purpose, the main topic – it would be a shame if the realization of this project faded into other daily cycles and operatives. Look at your schedule and see how much time in a week, realistically, you devote to the writing of your e-book and reserve it.
4. Create an attractive title
You have a little time to catch the internet’s attention – about 4 seconds on average in which the reader will decide if they want to click on your link or not. Do not waste this chance. You can find many tips on how to create an attractive title. Write down a few titles, let your colleagues read them and find out which one resonates with them the most. Don’t forget, the title must correspond to the content of your e-book. You can have the most striking and imaginative title but if it doesn’t correspond to the content, there will be more disappointment than excitement and you will waste your chance. Don’t worry if half of your e-book is done and you still don’t have the title. It is not a rule that you have to start with the title. Give it some time of you need to.
5. Write the e-book
Prepare a structure and an outline. You have to know that you have to catch the reader’s attention in the beginning and make them want to read more and you have to keep them like this through the whole book. You can mention what information the e-book will reveal to them and what would happen if they didn’t know about it and show more reasons why the content is important to them and how it can improve their life. Construct the e-book so that is easy to orient in. The readers want to read conveniently, they don’t want to solve puzzles and assume what you meant. There is a strength in simplicity and clarity. Don’t forget to add tips, examples from practice, practical tutorials. Draw the reader in and try to make them feel like they gained new information and moved forward with their knowledge when they finish the e-book.
6. Let someone else improve your texts
When you’re starting with writing, you don’t have to completely confident and you would maybe welcome an unbiased person who knows their way around writing. Don’t be ashamed and give your first pieces to copyeditors who will get your texts in line. If they are good, they will work with the key words, suggest interlinking with your web and give your texts the right drive. Don’t let your work get out in the world without proofreading. It would be a shame if the readers found mistakes in your e-book.
7. Make the e-book pop with attractive graphics
A well-constructed text is the basis for its graphical processing. The title of the e-book and the creation of the title page will decide whether you will catch the reader’s attention or not. If you can create an attractive title page, do not let the reader down by having boring, colourless pages without pictures or infographics. Download a few e-books and look at what catches your attention and makes you look forward to reading the next page. If you are not sure about something, assign this work to professionals who work with graphics every day.
8. Don´t forget references and reviews from authorities from the field
Let authorities from your field review your e-book. References from authorities can help you gain credibility. Before you publish the e-book, let a few people from your work environment read it before anyone else and ask them for feedback that you can use to promote your e-book. You can offer them a backlink that you can put into the company name in the reference. When you reach an interesting number in the number of downloads, put this information in the advert as a stamp of quality and value.
9. Promote the e-book sufficiently
Find places where your target audience spends time and put your e-book or its link on these pages. Promote the e-book via emails, on social networks, on your web or web that publishes downloadable e-books for free. Find an influencer that works in your field.
Create a web form that won’t discourage readers and where they can easily fill in their email address. Don’t forget about a good call for action..
TIP: Don’t forget that the download of your e-book doesn’t authorize you to communicate with the reader. That is why you should add a field where the reader can agree to further communication and mailing of inspiration and news from your field.
10. Give your reades the option to share your e-book
What more can you ask for than for your e-book to be good enough for the readers to want to share it with others. Try to think of whatever will be the easiest way for your readers to share.
Zdeňka Škochová
PROSPECTEA Česká republika, s.r.o.