Would you like a way to stand head-and-shoulders over your competitors? One of the best ways to stand out among the sea of competitors is to be seen as an expert in your field.
One of the least expensive and easiest ways to achieve expert status is to write a book. No, I don't mean finding a publisher and writing a book to be physically published! After all, you don't want to wait years for something to hit the book store. If you want to establish yourself - and make money - in the easiest way possible, consider writing an ebook.
While this article talks about ebooks, the same benefits pertain to other types of information products. For example:
- Reports
- Manuals
- Tutorials
- Instructions
- Article Collections
- Courses
- Swipe Files
- Journals
- and much more!
Here are the ten reasons you should consider producing ebooks:
-
Lead generation. Imagine that you are about to list your house for sale and you are searching for a listing agent. One web site offers a report entitled, "How to Sell Your House for Top Dollar in Under a Month". Wow! That would be great information to have.
In exchange, you only need to fill out a short form and include your contact information. After you submit it, you'll receive the report.
This is a targeted lead which was almost free to obtain. The only cost is any promotion cost to bring you to the site.
-
Automatic Distribution 24/7. Your "salesman" sells and delivers your ebook around the clock. And, since it is delivered over the Internet, you can sell worldwide with no worries about the cost or time of delivery.
-
Easy to Update. If your industry or company changes frequently, printed material becomes obsolete quickly. When you provide information through an ebook, it's easy and inexpensive to send updates to your customers. That's a definite advantage for your customers - and your bottom line.
-
Search Within the Document. If you are providing a long document, like technical instructions or a large book, your ebook allows people to search within the document and easily find a particular word or phrase. This adds extra value.
-
Hot Link to Affiliate Accounts or Other Web Sites. Your ebook allows you to create hot links, so your readers are automatically sent to your web pages or affiliate products through your web link. By connecting within the document, you'll have more people visiting - and buying - on those sites.
-
Submit to Ebook Directories and Download Sites. Another way to build your list is to write an ebook and submit to numerous ebook directories. Within the ebook, make an additional offer so readers will visit your web site and sign up for your bonus.
-
Brand Your Ebook and Make it Viral. If you operate an affiliate program, you can use your affiliates to promote it as well. Viral marketing is a great word-of-mouth way to promote a business that can snowball and take on a life of its own. It works especially well if your free ebook uncovers a problem and your web site (or the product linked from your ebook) solves it!
-
Make Money. Once you've created your ebook, it's easy to list it for sale. You can even take it further and sign up at sites like Clickbank, which is a great place to acquire new affiliates to market your products for you.
-
Use as a Bonus. If you created an ebook for sale, you can develop 1-3 additional books on the same or complementary subject, and add them to the sales letter as bonuses. Some people buy a web site for the bonuses over the primary product… so bonuses get attention!
-
First Step in the Sales Funnel. If you've ever taken a sales class, you‘ve probably learned about the sales funnel. Prospects become customers usually by buying a low-cost, valuable product that over-delivers. They are then "stepped" through the funnel with ever-increasing price points.
An ebook is an excellent way to start people on your sales funnel. Plan this out on paper and develop your first 2-3 products at least, before selling your first ebook, so you are prepared.
