The Best eBook Marketing Tips For Successful B2B eLearning Companies
Finally, the moment has arrived. You’ve dotted the last “i” and crossed the last “t,” and your eBook is finished. It’s time to celebrate, but only for a moment because your work doesn't stop yet. Even the world’s greatest eBook is only as good as the marketing strategy that's designed to promote it [1]. This strategy is a key component of getting the content in front of the right prospects and generating leads.
In today’s technology-driven world, there is a lot of information, and a lot of eBooks, your potential readers consume on any given day. In fact, the Content Marketing Institute reports that 65% of B2B inbound marketing strategies include eBooks [2]. Clearly, crafting an effective marketing strategy that helps your own eBook break through the noise is essential to your success. So it's key to show your unique selling point and market around that.
Think of your digital marketing plan as a carefully calibrated, long-term campaign that aims to showcase your content through digital channels. Not only do these channels make your eBook easy to find, but they also allow the opportunity to convey the value of your eBook. Moreover, they inspire prospects to download it if your promotional messages are well-thought-out. Leads might not come in overnight, but a well-targeted, integrated plan that is executed consistently over time will generate the interest and qualified leads you seek [3].
The question, then, is how can you successfully promote your eBook to the people you want to engage and ensure they become leads. The answer is to start by following three essential steps.
1. Choose Your Channels
The blueprint for your marketing strategy is based on the channels you use to reach your key audiences. Of course, having an effective landing page is important, but you have to first invest time in determining the best ways to drive prospects to that landing page through promotional tools.
Think about how your content will appeal to prospects who are at different stages in the content marketing funnel, from awareness to consideration to purchase. Then, create messages and select promotional channels that align with each stage and are tailored to your prospects [4].
For target prospects who are in the early awareness stages, serve up snippets of the content to catch attention. Spark interest by using targeted digital advertising and social media. When targeting potential clients, who are further along in the funnel and considering making a purchase, your messages can highlight deeper, more detailed information and answer questions.
Not only should you determine how you speak to prospects depending on the stage they're in, but you should also determine where you speak to them based on the same thing. There are a number of promotional options available outside of just digital ads and social media. Email marketing and blog posts are other great ways to drive downloads. You can also use niche websites of the eLearning Industry, in order to increase the conversion rate of your eBook and attract more qualified B2B leads. All of these options offer opportunities to target your content to the right prospects in the right places.
2. Make Access Easy
After determining your targets and how to reach them, focus on making your content accessible starting with the landing page. Keep the design of this page clean, simple, and centered around three key elements.
- The headline
The words you choose to welcome your prospects to the landing page should be compelling and informative. Make sure your headline aligns with the messages in the advertisement, social media post or blog post that brought the prospect to the landing page in the first place. Also, use subheadings to break up the text. Guide readers through the information about the eBook and the download offer. - The description
Build interest in your eBook by using descriptive text to highlight its value and show why prospects should download it. Outline the content while sharing just enough information to build interest. Not so much, though, that the landing page becomes text-heavy and gives away everything in the eBook itself. Bullet points are a great, effective way to list the benefits of your eBook and make the page scannable for the reader. - The lead form
This form is where prospects turn into leads. The lead form’s design is critical, so there is some pressure to get it right. Keep it simple, and capture the minimum amount of information that’s needed to follow up. If the form looks too complicated at first glance, you risk prospects moving on without completing it, so simplicity is powerful in this case. Research conducted by HubSpot found that conversion rates improved by almost half when the number of areas to fill in on a lead form was reduced from four to three, so even small changes to your lead form can make a big difference [5].
3. Create Consistency
Keep in mind that the path to your landing page is rarely the result of a prospect responding to one single ad. Studies show that 2 in 3 people make purchases through more than one channel, which is why maximizing different channels to meet prospects where they are and address their needs with what you have to offer is so critically important [6].
Beyond selecting the right channels, the messages you deliver should be consistent across them all. They should work together to reinforce the value of your prospects. Create consistent design guidelines for logo usage, eBook images, and other visual elements. To make all of the promotions that your prospects see consistent, build design templates for digital ads. The same applies to social media posts and presentations for webinars or videos.
Don’t stop with design, though. Keep the tone of your messages consistent with your overall brand, too. For example, as you create the landing page and promotional materials for your eBook. Even though each message will be tailored to a specific communication channel, such as Twitter or LinkedIn, you always want your brand personality to translate in a steady, consistent way.
In the end, it's not enough to create outstanding eBook content. For any eLearning providers creating an eBook, the marketing strategy for that content can be make-or-break. The good news is that with a bit of strategic planning, you can find your audience. You can also tailor your messages, cut through the digital clutter, and generate the highest-quality leads possible.
eLearning marketers may sometimes feel overwhelmed when they’re in the process of finding the best ways to create and market an eBook for B2B lead generation. Download our free eBook How To Create And Market An eBook For B2B Lead Generation: The Ultimate Guide For eLearning Marketers to discover how to create and market a B2B lead generation eBook that addresses the topic with the authority of an eLearning marketing expert but in a friendly tone.
References:
[1] How To Promote An eBook When You Have No Money For Advertising
[2] B2B Content Marketing: 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends-North America
[3] How to Generate Valuable Leads With an eBook
[4] 27 Things You Can Do to Promote Your eBook
[5] How To Design An Ebook Landing Page According To Industry Leaders
[6] Importance Of Brand Consistency: 7 Key Approaches For Keeping Aligned