An ebook is a marketing document that businesses use to provide in-depth information about one or several topics. An ebook is longer than a blog and shorter than a book. It is usually presented in PDF form and can be formatted in various ways including text, images and even interactive elements.

Ebooks help businesses generate more leads and increase their conversion rate. You can put your ebook on your website as a free download – this gives prospects a ‘safe’ way to engage with you. Once clients read your ebooks and discover how much expertise you have and that you’re able to solve their problem, they’ll be more likely to contact you and will be more receptive to your pitch.

You should write content that simultaneously makes you look good and helps potential clients. You can write content that offers advice, solves customer problems and offers how-to manuals. You can also share insights on industry trends and market predictions and highlight success stories. An ebook should align with your business goals and provide value to your audience.

Make your ebook long enough to cover the topic well while still keeping readers interested. The length will largely depend on how much information you need to include, how complicated it is to explain and what your target audience is likely to respond to. Short ebooks can be 1,000 to 2,000 words while long ones can exceed 10,000 words.

To write a compelling ebook, you need to know your audience – and what they want to read about – and have a clear purpose. You need to choose a topic that is relevant and interesting and then create a detailed outline for organised content. Craft a title that captures attention and write an introduction that is engaging. Your writing must be clear and concise; you can break content up into sections to make your ebook easy to read. You can even include visuals and interactive features. Once you have written your ebook, make sure it is thoroughly edited and proofread, as well as optimised for mobile devices.

Common mistakes include overlooking your audience’s needs and interests; failing to have a clear purpose; and choosing irrelevant topics. Boring introductions, complex language and verbose content should also be avoided. Other common mistakes include neglecting visual appeal; not editing your content; failing to test readability on various devices; and omitting a clear call-to-action. 

Ideally, you should have an ebook for every client type you serve or problem you solve. 

You can share your ebooks on your website and social media pages, through emails and on ebook platforms like Amazon. If you have a good SEO strategy, your website and ebooks can be easy to find on search engines. Other distribution options include sharing them in business networks and forums, writing about them in blogs and referencing them in webinars or during podcasts.

Ebook design is very important. People do judge a book by its cover, so the nicer yours looks, the more professional you’ll appear and the more eager potential clients will be to read the content.

That depends on your budget and preferences. If you want to save money, and have the time and skill to write an ebook, you can do it yourself. However, if you don’t have the capacity and ability to write an ebook, if you value professional expertise and want high-quality content, and if you can afford to outsource the job, hiring a copywriting agency could be a smart choice.