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Marketing

What is an Ebook & How It Can Help Your Content Marketing Strategy

MM
Matt Montenegro Founder & CEO
18/09/2022 4 min
TL;DR

An ebook for marketers is a downloadable long-form asset you offer customers and prospects to strengthen brand authority. Used inside a content marketing plan, it gives people a reason to engage with deeper expertise.

  • Why it matters: Prospects often need a deeper resource before they trust a brand's point of view.
  • How it works: Publish a focused ebook, then place it where your content journey already sends traffic.
  • The big picture: Treat the ebook as a strategy asset beyond leisure Kindle reading.
  • The bottom line: Authority grows when the download actually teaches something useful.

eBooks are more than just relaxing reading material you can have sent to your Kindle. Offering eBooks to your customers and potential customers can be a great way to boost your brand and establish your company as an authority in your industry. 

If you’re wondering just what an eBook is, we’ll take you through the steps involved in creating it and how to use it to your best advantage in your content marketing strategy.

  1. eBooks are quick and affordable to produce

Unlike traditional books that require months to publish after they are written, eBooks can be published quickly, within a few weeks from concept to publication. 

This allows you to capitalize on trends in your industry and get your information into the hands of your customers while they are still excited and before a competitor publishes first.

  1. eBooks are easy to distribute

With eBooks, you don’t have to worry about shipping costs and delays, not to mention piles of inventory. 

You can send your eBook to your customer instantly, or have them download it directly from your website.

Something else worth mentioning here: tracking engagement with your eBook is a whole lot easier than with traditional physical materials. You can see how many people have downloaded it, whether they’ve clicked certain links, or even how much of the content they’ve actually read (depending on the platform). This immediate feedback means you can tweak your messaging on the fly or test different formats to see what your audience responds to best. Let’s be honest, that’s a huge step up from guessing whether those printed pamphlets ever made it out of the reception area.

Some companies even use eBooks as part of a content “ecosystem,” tying them into podcasts, blogs, or video series. For example, they’ll include direct links to a mini-series or short-form video channels, pushing people deeper into the brand experience rather than treating the eBook like a one-off giveaway. It keeps the customer in your orbit for longer, which is kind of the whole point, right? That way, the value you offer through an eBook turns into an ongoing conversation, not just a transactional download.

  1. eBook marketing is subtle

Gone are the days when the hard sell, “buy now” marketing messages yielded great results. 

Consumers value information over marketing. 

eBooks are ideal for that type of subtle marketing. 

Yes, you can let readers know that you offer products and services, but the purpose of the book is to offer information.

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How you can use eBooks in your content marketing strategy

There are several ways to use eBooks effectively in your content marketing strategy:

1. You can have users download your eBook directly from your website. This is a great way to obtain marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) when users are expressing interest in your product or your area of expertise. 

You simply ask them for their contact info in exchange for the free downloadable eBook.

2. Ask users to fill out a form with their contact info and email them the link to your eBook. When you receive the form, you then send them the link so that they can download your eBook. 

It’s a slightly more subtle way to garner qualified leads.

3. As an enticement to take action. You can also use your eBook as an incentive for people to take an action you desire, such as purchasing a product or service, signing up for a webinar, or subscribing to your newsletter.

Writing an ebook is not an easy task, however you can outsource this with ghostwriters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can ebooks help a content marketing strategy?

Offering ebooks to customers and potential customers can boost brand visibility and establish the company as an authority. That makes them a useful asset inside a content marketing strategy when the topic is specific. Keep each title aligned with expertise you can actually teach and support in follow-up content.

Who should you offer a marketing ebook to?

Offer ebooks to customers and potential customers when you want a deeper brand touchpoint than a short update. The format works when the topic teaches something those readers already care about in their jobs or purchases. Vague gifts with no audience fit rarely build lasting authority for the brand.

How is a marketing ebook different from leisure Kindle reading?

Leisure Kindle reading is personal entertainment; a marketing ebook is a brand asset meant to boost visibility and authority with a defined audience. Both can be digital files, but the purpose and distribution path differ sharply. Write the marketing version for the customer problem you want your brand to own.

Where do ebooks sit in content marketing?

They sit inside the content marketing strategy as a longer asset you can promote alongside other brand content. Use them when authority-building needs more room than a short update or social post. Keep the ebook consistent with the same expertise themes you already publish elsewhere on the site.

MM Matt Montenegro

Matt Montenegro

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