It’s no fun when that eBook you slaved over receives zero downloads. In fact, it’s probably enough to crush your ego. The worst part is, you have no idea what people don’t like about it. Is the copy boring? Is the design lackluster? Did people miss the download link?
If you are using eBooks to generate leads but haven’t had much luck, it’s very possible that you’re making one of these five basic mistakes. They can be easy to miss, but luckily, they are just as easy to fix.
1. You have no clue who you’re writing to.
It’s a rookie mistake. You have a lot to say and you start putting words on paper. Everything looks good, sounds good, and makes logical sense. Unfortunately, it’s written to no one in particular. This is a problem.
In order to write an eBook for your target persona, you must know who they are. A few key characteristics to learn about your audience include:
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Demographics
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Hobbies and interests
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Goals and challenges
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Keywords
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Objections
2. Your topic isn’t a real issue.
Your eBook must be valuable. If people can find the same exact information by doing a simple Google search, they aren’t going to go through the trouble of downloading your eBook.
To ensure you’re meeting your customers’ needs, brainstorm the different struggles they face. Are they trying to save money? Do they want to improve their skills? Create an eBook that addresses these pain points and promises to solve them. The content should be entirely unique.
3. Your design is cheesy.
The cover of your eBook sets its story, so it needs to appear engaging and interesting. This is what your customers see first, and you want them to be impressed and intrigued by what you have to offer.
Here are a few basic elements that your eBook cover should contain:
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Consistency with your brand (colors, font, voice)
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Display of what’s inside
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Clear, concise title
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Attractive, high quality images
4. You forgot to tell people about it.
How well did you really promote your eBook? People aren’t going to just stumble upon it. Start with the basics: social media, email, blog, and pay-per-click ads. This will provide your eBook with a decent start. Once you’ve gone through these channels, find new ones with new influencers. Ways you can do this are:
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Write guest posts
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Ask influencers to share your eBook
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Send out press releases
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Submit content to an eBook marketing platform
5. Your landing page is missing.
Whoops. It’s going to be difficult for people to download your eBook if they can’t get to it. Make sure that your PPC campaign leads to your landing page. Your landing page should be easy to find and fill out. Optimizing your landing page ensures you generate more leads and more downloads. Your landing page should contain:
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Keywords used in your eBook
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Short summary of what your eBook is about
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Image of your eBook
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Bullet points to highlight key information
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Simple design – no links or navigation bar
Conclusion
We believe in you. We know you can create valuable eBooks that win over your audience. Just be sure that you aren’t making any of the rookie mistakes listed above. By following the rules and basic best practices of digital marketing, we’re certain you can turn your eBooks into the lead generating tools they’re meant to be.
