Ever considered putting together a free eBook or special report, but still not convinced it's a good use of your totally tapped time and resources? What if it generated six figures in client work over two months, and only took you a couple of weeks to create? (That's what happened with us, so we know it's possible!) Hmmm...Maybe this "free eBook" thing deserves a second thought...
You have an idea. A business. A passion. Something to say.
The question is: How important is this to you?
"Well, I have a website/blog/brochure/business card," you say. And that's a good thing. You should. They're all part of your self-marketing efforts. They're all virtually essential these days. You want to have your information retold, repackaged, and reinvented in various forms, to suit your audience's content consumption preferences.
So why not take it a step further and turn your singular information, concept, strategy, philosophy, process, or knowledge into an eBook?
Make it interesting. Make it readable. Give it titles and subtitles, sidebars and sass.
Make it easy to download and email.
Share it with people, groups, websites, and associations that would find value in it, or be entertained by it. (Or preferably, both!)
More than anything, make it available…for FREE.
"But, I don't have time to spend on creating and developing a FREE eBook?!!" you yelp. "Why the heck would I waste my time/energy/billable brain power on that?"
Well, don't you already?
Don't you already think about your own passions, ideas, business, systems, or solutions in a fairly obsessive way?
Wouldn't you like a clean overview of your might and mission to hand off to prospects, fans, clients, consumers, strategic partners, website visitors, email recipients, and accidental tourists so they could sample your wares? Experience your voice and style? Scan over your offerings? Dig into your ideas? Benefit from your expert status?
Essentially, consume a premeditated, decently configured version of YOU?
What's more, wouldn't it be valuable to YOU to put your fleeting thoughts and down-the-rabbit-hole analyses into some semblance of order and refined context? Hey - we're talking a free eBook here. It doesn't have to be a $20,000 project. Make it neat. Format it nicely. If you can get a designer to help it look good, that's a plus, but if that's not possible right now, let it go.
Most importantly - HAVE SOMEONE PROOFREAD IT so you don't embarrass yourself, or worse, lose business because of grammar, spelling, or blatant nonsensical communication skills.
Earlier this year, we joined forces with a fellow business owner and key strategic partner to create a FREE 18-page Special Report that generated more than $100,000 in new client revenue in less than two months. That little document took us just two weeks to put together. Not bad on the ROI scale, wouldn't you agree?
Don't make it harder than it is. If you've just got 10 pages, turn it into a Special Report or White Paper. You can always expand or add to it over time.
BOTTOM LINE: People can't learn to know and love you - your products, services, passion, advice, know-how, brilliance, ideas, insights, offerings, deliverables, voice, style, personality, vision, business, unique promise of value, philosophies, etc. - if you don't give them anything to know and love.
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