Although every eBook is unique, a host of best practices have developed for the B2B marketing context. Understanding these conventions will help you create a solid foundation from which to engage your audience.
First B2B marketers must learn how to make an eBook. Then, to get the most from every eBook, remember the following principles.
One of the biggest advantages eBooks have over white papers: They're much easier on the eyes. Instead of overwhelming readers with long, dense paragraphs, eBooks complement written content with plenty of visuals.
These visuals break up the monotony of page after page of text. But they do much more than that. They distill complex topics so they're easy to understand, giving readers another way to process information.
Remember the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?”
Making your eBook visually beautiful is a great start, but it isn't enough. You also have to back up your presentation with valuable content.
It's tempting for B2B businesses to want to focus on themselves. After all, you've invested so much time, money, and effort developing expertise and the best products possible. Who wouldn't be proud of that?
The issue: readers are self-interested. They are approaching your eBooks from the context of what you can do for them. They have problems to solve, questions to answer, and solutions to explore. They won't spend much time reading if they can't immediately grasp how your eBook will help.
One of the best guidelines to make your content valuable is to always position your reader as the hero of the story. It isn't about you. Better to focus on the research, statistics, and information they need to solve challenging business problems.
Unlike social media marketing or blog posts, eBooks give you the opportunity to cover a topic comprehensively. This is the perfect chance to demonstrate your expertise while giving readers the information they desperately need.
Remember, most eBooks require people to offer their contact info in exchange for access. Going in-depth about a topic – by providing not just longer but higher-quality content than your standard blog post – makes people feel like the trade was fair. The last thing you want is to have someone download your eBook, only to immediately regret giving you their email address because it's an inferior product.
The most compelling B2B eBooks embrace the reality of how we read content online. Readers are overwhelmed. They are multitasking. Attention spans are shortening. We don't have the time – or the inclination – to attack walls of text and hope we find a few gems.
It's highly unlikely that a single eBook will appeal to everyone in your target audience. B2B buying committees are a diverse bunch, with different professional skills and preferences.
Before you begin creating an eBook, think about exactly whom you're targeting. This will help inform not just the content you cover, but the tone you cover it in. You'd speak differently to an IT security specialist, for instance, than a safety supervisor at a factory.
B2B marketers often promote eBooks on landing pages, standalone pages on their website dedicated for that very task – usually in exchange for the visitor's email address.
Your landing page is basically your opportunity to pre-sell people on why they should download your eBook. Summarize the content they'll find inside, and most importantly, how it will help them with a specific problem.
The most effective landing pages:
Tip: Those who are new to landing pages can utilize one of the many great landing page builders available.
Now that we've touched on the best practices for creating eBooks, you might be wondering how to tie them all together. The easiest way: study other companies that are already doing this extremely well.
These real-world examples, representing a variety of industries, will serve as great models for the next eBook you create. Notice how both the content itself and its presentation adhere to eBook best practices, while still leaving enough room for creativity:
eBooks are the perfect opportunity to cover a topic in-depth while demonstrating your expertise. It's this in-depth knowledge that is so attractive for sophisticated B2B buyers.
Now you can incorporate these powerful pieces of content into your marketing strategy. Remember the best practices above, and if you ever get stuck, you can always turn to other great B2B eBooks for inspiration.
We’re all familiar with the story of Goldilocks, right?
Solutions often meet us at intersections.
You have come across hundreds of long lists of growth strategies.
We’re all familiar with the story of Goldilocks, right?
Solutions often meet us at intersections.
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