I’ve been reading a great book recently ‘The B2B Social Media Book’.  It’s a printed book, which was published in 2012, so probably written sometime before this.  It’s given me lots of ideas for how to use social media more effectively, but I am left wondering whether it is already out of date.  Changes to social media seem to happen daily, so is what I’m reading still relevant today?

I think so, as it addresses tools and techniques for using social media across wider marketing strategies and plans.  However I do need to keep in mind that since it was written, there will have been changes to some of the tactics talked about by the principle social media platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook).  So, are eBooks a better way of presenting your information, that won’t necessarily go out of date so quickly?  If so, you do need to think about how to write an effective eBook and why are you doing it.

In his last Appletree blog, Yan talked about why books and eBooks can be so effective as a marketing tool, so here’s a bit of the how.

Overall, one of the biggest roles an eBook can play for your business is that of an offer.  Social media and landing pages play only one part of a lead generation activity.  To be effective, they must include an offer.  An offer is “a piece of content or service extended by a company in exchange for personal information” (The B2B Social Media Book, 2012).  If you don’t have an offer, or it is a poor offer, the chances of creating prospects from your social media are slim.

This is where a good eBook comes in.  They fall into the broad category of content-focused offers, alongside white papers and webinars that address broad problems for prospects and provide industry insight.  What’s the difference between white papers and eBooks?  Both are more in-depth than blogs, but are briefer than a book.  Basically eBooks are more modern, and should be more than just informative (which is what a white paper should be), they should also entertain.  Ideally you should leverage eBooks as a tool to show your company’s knowledge and expertise, creatively.

You just need to ask yourself why people should want to read it, and why they should fill out an online form in order to receive it.  The answer is that they are looking for an answer to a problem.  A great eBook first and foremost solves a common problem that your leads encounter related to your business.  The same applies to printed books – you must always ask yourself why anyone would want to buy it and read it.

Here’s a few suggestions for great book titles (e or not).  Remember, the purpose of your book is to create a prospect for your business at the end of it.

–          X (number) ways to solve x problem

–          The Essential Guide to …

–          The How-to Guide to …

–          A Step-by-Step Guide to …

–          X (number) Mistakes Not to Make when using …

If you’ve got a book and are unsure how to tap into its lead-generation potential, give us a call.  Or if you haven’t written a book but “it’s in you” get in touch too, we can help “get it out of you”!