Who among us doesn’t have a book in them? How often have you said, “I should write a book”? We’re not talking about the Great American Novel. We’re talking about a short, custom ebook written specifically to attract interest in your business and generate new leads.

Many people think of ebooks as novels downloaded on Kindle and Nook. They don’t realize anyone can write a book online, advertise it, create a landing page with a PDF and collect the names of all who download. It’s a very effective means of lead generation, a way of capturing contact information from potential customers.

Giving away an ebook, even a free one, isn’t as easy as it sounds. Internet users have been tricked into reading so many hollow ones that they’re reluctant to trade personal data for a download. And, because companies know the value of ebooks for lead generation, there are far too many cluttering cyberspace.

So with such stiff competition, let’s examine how you can pull out ahead like a speed skater at the Olympics.

I’ve arranged some tips I call The Five Ts:

Target

Have you really identified your target audience? If not, you might as well write a travel guide for toddlers. Who personifies your ideal customer? Of course you’ve looked at their demographics, motivations, goals, buying habits, learning preferences, social lives and other behaviors. You know their keywords.

Then speak to them specifically. A highly technical ebook isn’t going to appeal to a busy generalist looking to learn a little about a lot of things fast.

Title

One tip on this: keep the spin to a din. Dionne Warwick had it right. “Oh promises, promises. This is where those promises, promises end.” Best ebook and life advice we can give? Don’t make promises you can’t keep if you want to keep customers and make new ones. If your ebook offers “Insider Tips for Tax Reduction,” you better make darn sure that helpful and credible information is in your book.

Content writers can put the hype in hyperbole. That’s great for headlines and ad copy. But in setting out to produce a helpful, credible ebook, it’s best to be humble and highly substantiated.

Topic

You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t perform a very valuable function, whether it’s designing Tupperware, manufacturing Tupperware, repping Tupperware, transporting Tupperware or billing Tupperware accounts. (Can you tell I love Tupperware?) Make a list of your services, go back and break out sub-services, then list micro-, mini- and nano-services. In other words, every point of interaction with customers and clients could be a potential topic.

Take a look at how services can translate to topics:

• 3 ways the right video increases customer engagement
• Outsourcing: the secret to scaling your small business
• The fast lane to floor refinishing
• Free ebook: the future of fly fishing
• Packaging trends: a quick look at the most important insights
• Optimizing cold calls to supercharge sales: the definitive guide
• 10 most common baking mistakes and how to avoid them
• How to use signage to control traffic
• Get the guide: prospecting tips from the pros

Thought-Leader

When writing your ebook, it’s a great time to impart your expertise on the subject, but don’t be afraid to quote other experts, as well, even if they’re not directly involved in your industry. Recently I’ve been reading Thomas L. Friedman’s book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. Published in 2005, it’s still the best explanation of modern times. In it, he links things such as the Berlin Wall coming down, the development of web browsers and mega-shared platforms like Salesforce to trace the origin of globalization.

See how smart I sound? Part of being a thought-leader is knowing where to find the really good thinkers. A business ebook goes beyond building brand; it builds crucial leadership credibility.

Tell

Getting the word out brings the leads in, so go tell the world. The gatekeeper to your ebook is the landing page. That’s where visitors make that final decision to exchange their information for your book. To close the deal and get them to act, include:

• Image of the cover
• Summary of contents
• Bullets touting benefits
• Short contact information form
• Visible call to action button (download now)

To help with promotion, reach out to everyone you know in the industry and socially by:

• Posting a link to your eBook landing page on your blog
• Posting to social media
• Guest posting on other related blogger sites
• Finding influencers to mention your book
• Sending a press release
• Adding the ebook link to your e-signature for every recipient to see
• Inserting a pop-up offer on your website
• Giving the ebook away at speeches and workshops
• Utilizing sponsored Facebook ads

Fill an ebook with useful, unique information and you’ve got a fine marketing tool. Move over meager content–quality prevails. Your eBook must be interesting, inviting and fill a real need to know. Promote it rigorously on social media, by email, in your blog and within the industry, then sit back, relax and watch the leads come in!

Idle promises? We think not. For help with any (or all) of the five Ts to ensure a successful eBook, give us one or 2 Cs (click or call.)