Creating a Great E-book Lead Magnet Your Ideal Customer will Want!
A few years back it seemed that everyone was offering a free e-book lead magnet. Everywhere you looked someone had a book for you that promised to "change your life."
The trouble with many of these e-books, was most were not at all visually appealing. They also often required quite a bit of energy to get the results promised. One thing I have found with freebies, is that if you can't produce quick results, most move on quickly. When this happens, they haven’t just lost interest in your e-book or freebie, they have probably lost interest in you.
But don’t let this discourage you. E-books are still a fabulous resource and when done well, they will be well received. One of the biggest struggles I found when downloading a new e-book, was the formatting. Many were created with small font, tiny margins, and little to no diversity in the over all layout.
I have no doubt that many of these e-books had great content to share, but if people aren't engaged, it really doesn't matter. So today I have a very special friend and colleague, Betty Hilliard, here with me to talk about e-books and offer some tips for making them appealing and attractive to our ideal customers. Betty is the owner of Mainstay Editorial Services, and has an extensive background in writing, editing and marketing. She is also my go-to expert for my editing needs. Take a look at our interview below.
Creating a Great E-book Lead Magnet Your Ideal Customer will Want!
A few years back it seemed that everyone was offering a free e-book lead magnet. Everywhere you looked someone had a book for you that promised to “change your life.”
The trouble with many of these e-books, was most were not at all visually appealing. They also often required quite a bit of energy to get the results promised. One thing I have found with freebies, is that if you can’t produce quick results, most move on quickly. When this happens, they haven’t just lost interest in your e-book or freebie, they have probably lost interest in you.
But don’t let this discourage you. E-books are still a fabulous resource and when done well, they will be well received. One of the biggest struggles I found when downloading a new e-book, was the formatting. Many were created with small font, tiny margins, and little to no diversity in the over all layout.
I have no doubt that many of these e-books had great content to share, but if people aren’t engaged, it really doesn’t matter. So today I have a very special friend and colleague, Betty Hilliard, here with me to talk about e-books and offer some tips for making them appealing and attractive to our ideal customers. Betty is the owner of Mainstay Editorial Services, and has an extensive background in writing, editing and marketing. She is also my go-to expert for my editing needs. Take a look at our interview below.
To learn more about Betty and her amazing services, check her out at www.MainstayEdit.com.
And now we would like to offer you our final suggestions for those of you looking to create a fabulous e-book…
Keep it Simple
Ideally your e-book will have a single focus, and one that you can get to right away. The whole purpose of an e-book is to help make their lives better now. Keeping it simple and getting to the main focus of your e-book right away will go a long way at keeping them engaged and hanging on your every word.
Make it interactive
Offer up easy action steps right away. I am always motivated by action, and even more motivated when I can see results immediately. Plus I love being able to apply knowledge right away. For a little inspiration on action driven how-to’s check out my website CookingwithTeresa.com. This website started off as an e-book back the in days when I taught cooking classes, that I shared with my followers how to cook some key base recipes one day and eat all month long with minimal effort.
Keep an eye on the primary goal for your readers – their call to action
The whole purpose behind a lead magnet is to engage with your ideal customer, give them a little something for free, and make them want more. So before you set out to write your brilliant e-book, make sure you are clear on their “next step.” Do you want them to opt into your email list? Or perhaps you’d like them to sign up for an upcoming mini course or webinar. Maintain focus on whatever action you would like them to take, and then share it clearly in the end.
Create something visually appealing
I once downloaded and e-book that had been created in Microsoft word with half in margins and 8 pt. font. There was no subheadings, no clever cover, and no images. Nothing to breakup the endless flow of tiny words. Needless to say my eyes began to hurt in the first page, and I never made it past page two. While I never insist on images, I do need something to break up the flow or words.
Grab their attention early
I always get hooked when I can start off by reading a great story that shares their struggle and ultimate triumph. A great story inspires me, and gets me talking to others about it. It sticks with me, and I remember it when faced with similar situations. Better yet, I remember the author, because I feel connected through their story. If you are looking for a great resource in story telling, I encourage you to check out The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell.