Writing an Ebook as a List Building Strategy
This blog entry was posted on November 3, 2009.
If you sell your products on the Internet, then having a large email list is a very important way to increase sales. Building your own opt-in list is often done by offering a regular newsletter filled with great tips and ideas that your ideal prospect would find interesting.
You can use your ebook as a freebie enticement for people to opt-in to your email list.
Writing your own ebook is a powerful way to position yourself as the authority in your market. Find a topic much like your newsletter that your ideal prospect would find interesting and compelling to read. Teach a technique or skill that is being sought. People are hungry for information that will teach them how to get results.
Many are intimidated by the thought a large writing project. An ebook does not have to be long; it can be as little as 20 pages if what you teach is compelling. Worry about the content more than the length. The pages are usually small and fast to read. Save your ebook as a PDF so that subscribers can download it once they subscribe.
There are two ways to use your ebook to build your email list. Start by assigning a price to your ebook of let’s say $39.95. “Free” ebooks are not perceived as valuable as ones that have an assigned price.
- Sign-up Bonus: Place your news letter sign-up prominently on your website with a special “bonus offer” where people signing up will receive a free copy of your ebook that has a sales price of $39.95.
- Joint Venture: Find others that have their own email lists, possibly a newsletter you already subscribe to. Allow your joint venture partners to give their readers a special offer of your ebook at 50% off the retail price. This would be $19.95. Allow your joint venture partners to keep 100% of the proceeds or perhaps keep $1 to cover your credit card fees. They win by getting revenue and you win by building your email list at no cost.
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Good idea about joining up with partners to get your book out there. I thought for those that are looking to make some money from an ebook, they may be interested in BookGuard Pro PDF Security. It gives your ebook protection from being copied and shared w/out your permission. It’s a pretty handy system that goes beyond simple password protections. Thanks!
Comment by Jim — November 10, 2009 @ 11:33 am