Ebooks and blogs can help businesses connect with customers, build brand loyalty and drive sales.
“Ebooks are an evolution of the old white paper but they’re more user-friendly and not weighed down with lots of data,” says Rachel Christianson, director of fulfillment at social media marketing company HipLogiq.
Christianson works with customers on content and manages a team that produces over 250 blogs and ebooks a month for clients.
“Blogs and ebooks are an active aggressive part of any campaign and play a strategic part in driving leads and meeting strategy goals,” says Christianson. “One of our clients is yielding a 28% conversion rate on their offer landing page solely from traffic coming in from the blog. Another is yielding a 46% conversion rate on their ebook downloads from blog traffic alone.
“When people have a question, they turn to the internet. When someone has a question, Google answers it with your ebook or blog. You aren’t directly selling your product or service but providing help on a topic related to your industry, instilling brand loyalty. It’s a great way to get consumers to take a closer look at your product or service and try it.”
Christianson sets out five tips:
1. Crisp, concise content
People are looking for information and they want it quick. Make it easy to find information throughout if someone is just skimming your text.
2. Lists, tips, how to’s and questions
Blog posts and ebooks formatted in these styles receive more views, shares and likes on Facebook. Think of these as the modern day self-help manual.
3. Clear call to action
You must have a clear call to action to get readers to take the next step. For example, “Liked what you read? Contact us for more info” or “Want to learn more, sign up here.”
4. Personality
Your content should have a voice that should reflect the personality of your business.
5. Relevant content
Make sure your content aligns with the overall goals of your business.
Put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Someone is at home trying to fix a leaky sink and they go online looking for a step-by-step do-it-yourself. A quick Google search might bring them to a tool company’s website that has a library of home repair ebooks.