How to create an ebook from start to finish in 7 steps

Knowing how to create an ebook is mandatory for a good content strategy.

Content marketing is one of the main allies for you to attract, retain, and convert clients. In addition, based on a good digital strategy and visual content, you can strengthen your brand’s authority and create positive relationships with the audience. 

Within such a strategy, it’s essential to use quality and diverse content. What does this mean? It implies, for example, that although blog posts are very effective in the nurturing of the persona, it’s necessary to offer more advanced materials, exploring the many formats of content available. 

In this text, we will focus on the e-book, which is proven to be an excellent resource for dealing with leads that are already advanced in the sales funnel.

Need to know more about how to create an e-book from the start? In this text, we will present and explain 7 key steps in the process. They are:

1. Know your audience

The production of any type of content can only be successful if you know your audience. After all, the modern consumer places great value on the customization offered by companies, and this is an important factor in their buying decision. So, if you don’t have a buyer persona yet, it’s time to create one.

The buyer persona is nothing more than a semifictional profile representing your ideal customer. But how do you define the characteristics of this profile?

Well, if you already know your target audience, you can use the demographic information to structure your persona.

After all, the place where they live, their level of education, their profession, and other elements directly influence the way they consume your content.

For example, if you deal with an audience of executives, you should adopt a more formal language. If your target is young, you can use a more casual tone of voice. 

However, the persona should not rely solely on demographic information. Its essence lies precisely in the most abstract information, such as the motivations, needs, desires, and interests of consumers. In this way, it’s easier to find the right triggers to stimulate conversion. 

2. Build authority

Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. If you come across a brand offering an ebook but don’t know anything about the company, what are the odds of you downloading it? Not great, right?

That’s why before you make your ebook available to the audience you need to have a certain degree of authority in your target market.

Building authority is a task that takes some time since it consists of creating relationships with the audience and developing a positive image for your brand. If you skip this step and offer advanced materials, you may find yourself in a very frustrating situation. 

To deal with this, it’s important to organize your content production according to your marketing funnel.

A good practice is to create a pipeline and divide it into at least 3 parts: attraction, nutrition, and conversion. Thus, you have a north to produce content and gradually prepare your audience for the ebook. 

Blog posts are a fundamental part of this process, as they are formats that deal with more general topics and use simpler language. Moreover, with good SEO techniques, it is feasible to increase your brand’s exposure and attract even more followers to your channels. 

3. Develop the ebook content

If you have enough authority and feel your leads are ready to consume an e-book, it’s time to develop the content.

At this point, in addition to the consumer characteristics, it’s essential to consider your business strategy. Note that the e-book should not always talk specifically about your products and services, and may involve related topics. 

So, the first step is to define the topic that will be addressed. You can do this by analyzing the audience and identifying the most relevant issues in the market in which your company is inserted. A good keyword search may be the best way to start this process. 

After defining the topic, you need to develop the text. Many companies do not have professionals specialized in this type of production, which may generate poor quality materials.

Therefore, always keep in mind the option of outsourcing this type of activity. If this is the case, remember to calculate the content marketing ROI to make sure the investment is worth it. 

Writing an ebook is not an easy task, however you can outsource this with ghostwriters.

4. Design the ebook template and cover

Although it is the main element, the text does not represent the whole ebook. After all, besides being rich in information, the content should be pleasant for the audience, stimulating the reading. In this sense, it’s essential to work with F-shaped paragraphs, which makes the experience better. 

It’s important to count on eye-catching visual elements on the cover in order to attract people’s attention at first glance. In addition, the colors of the material, both on the cover and inside, should reflect the visual identity of your brand. 

Another point to be highlighted here is the adaptation for mobile devices. Providing materials that can be easily read on tablets and smartphones is a way to promote better experiences for the public, besides reaching even more interested people. 

You can use free templates to structure the design of your e-book, however, this can limit your creative freedom. So, once again, outsourcing production may be the best idea. 

5. Develop a landing page

Landing pages are the main allies of an e-book distribution campaign. They let you offer the material in exchange for the consumer’s contact information, generating even more leads for your marketing campaigns. Add interactive elements to your landing pages to increase your conversion rates. 

6. Promote your ebook

If you have already created your ebook and your landing page, it’s time to get the audience there. Email marketing campaigns can be very effective but don’t limit yourself to them. 

Your social media, for example, offer high engagement potential and represent a suitable channel for you to inform the public about the content’s availability. 

The same idea applies to your blog. Create posts on issues related to the ebook topic in order to provide a knowledge base for the audience. If the public is interested in your blog posts, they will seek more information on the subject and will perceive the ebook as an opportunity to expand their knowledge. 

To stimulate this process, it’s vital to invest in effective calls-to-action, taking readers to your landing page.

7. Measure results

Measuring the results is the only way to define your strategy’s effectiveness and, if necessary, carry out changes. So set goals in advance and establish key metrics to assess the progress of your approach. 

If your goal with the ebook is to acquire more customers, measuring the conversion rate among the people who downloaded it might be a good idea. If you produce more than one ebook, use the opportunity to conduct a/b tests and discover the elements that perform best. 

Finally, you can turn your ebook into an interactive page. This way, it’s easier to visualize the actions taken by readers and even the sections of the material that attracted the most attention. 

Now that you know how to create an ebook, you can start producing yours. Templates available on the internet may seem like an interesting alternative but remember that they don’t allow you to explore all the features of the strategy. For this, it is crucial to count on specialized tools and professionals. 

Visually connects your company with qualified professionals for the production of different types of content. Contact us, get a quote, and maximize your results!