Ebooks are Promotional Powerhouses

The publishing industry, I hope, does not intend toforever banish the printed word to the dustbin ofhistory. Books in print have their own specialqualities and merits, and the world would bediminished by their disappearance.

Having said that, let's look at what makes ebooks soimportant and so unique. Ebooks have certain abilitiesand qualities that other mediums do not possess.

For example, ebooks are fairly easy to produce, andtheir production cost is inexpensive. Just think aboutit: you don't need a publisher, an agent, a printingpress, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor.You just need a great concept, the ability to write itor to hire a writer, and the right software.

Additionally, ebooks are easily and rapidlydistributed online. They are also easily updated; theydo not require a second print run. All you need is togo into your original creation and modify the text orgraphics. Because of this flexibility, ebooks canchange and grow as fast as you can type.

Ebooks are also immediately obtainable. You don't haveto go to a bookstore or search through endless titlesat an online bookstore. All you have to do is downloadit from a website, and presto! It's on your computer,ready to be read.

Ebooks are interactive. This is one of the most uniqueand specific qualities that ebooks offer. You can addsurveys that need to be filled out, order forms forcustomers to purchase your products or goods, soundand video that draw your reader into the virtual worldof your ebook, even direct links to relevant sitesthat will expand your ebook outward. The potential isvirtually limitless.

Ebooks have a particular kind of permanence that othermediums do not possess. Television shows and radioshows air once, and then may rerun a few times. Ebooksremain on your computer for as long as your choose,and they can be read and reread whenever you chooseto. They can even be printed out and stored on theshelves of your traditional home library.

Another wonderful quality is that ebooks have nobarriers in terms of publishing. You don't need to gothrough the endless process of submitting yourmanuscript over and over again, and then once you landan agent, having the agent submit your manuscript overand over again. Nor do you have to shell out thousandsof dollars for printing a self-published book. Allebooks require is a writer and appropriate software.Figure out your market, write your book, post it onyour website, and with the right business savvy, youraudience will come to you.

Finally, you have creative control over your ebook.You don?t have to compromise with an editor or thepublishing trends of the time. You don't have tohaggle with a designer or wait for copyedited galleysto arrive by snail mail. You are in complete controlof the design and the text.

How to Use ebooks for Marketing and Promotion

There are innumerable ways to use ebooks to promoteyour business and drive quality traffic to yourwebsite. Once posted on your site, you can turn theminto a daily course, which brings your customer backto read the next chapter. You can use them as a freegift for making a purchase or for filling out asurvey. Put your ebook on a disc, and you will have aninnovative brochure. Blow your competition away byinserting the disc into your sales packages.

The most effective marketing products are those thatare unique. Copyright your ebook, and immediately, youhave a powerful tool that you, and you alone, canoffer to the public. People will have to visit yoursite to acquire your ebook, which increases the flowof quality traffic and the potential of sales andaffiliate contacts.

Make sure that you keep your ebook current. Update itfrequently as the market and trends change. Add newadvice and techniques to show your prospects how yourgoods or services can enrich their lives. Byconstantly keeping abreast of new trends andtechniques, you can continue to see profits from yourebook for years after your original creation.

Another phenomenal advantage of ebooks is that you cantest their marketing potential without putting outhardly any cash at all. You can even produce an ebookone copy at a time, each time you receive an order,eliminating the need for storage and inventory. Bythis method, you can gauge the saleablity of yourebook, and make adjustments as necessary until theorders start pouring in. Ebooks allow you to learnabout your market and customer habits and motivationover a period of time, without risking your preciousfinancial resources. They also provide you with aninvaluable way to gather marketing information, whichyou can use in many different facets of your business.

Use your ebook to discover what the specific goals andproblems are in your specific industry. Then figureout how to solve these problems, and publish an ebookwith this invaluable information. This will increasethe value of your business, upgrade your reputation,and get you known as an expert in your field.

You can extend the value of single ebook by breakingthe book down into chapters for a serial course, intospecial reports available on your website, or intoaudio or visual tapes. Ebooks can be broken down intoseveral different promotional materials by exceptingsome of the articles and using them to promote yourproduct. You can include a catalog in your ebook topromote all the products or services you sell. You caninclude a thank-you note for reading your book and aninvitation to download a trial version of yourproduct. Or you can include a form for your audienceto contact you for further information or withquestions, thereby building your businessrelationships and your mailing list.

Using ebooks in this manner helps to cut the cost ofindividually producing separate promotional materials.You can use a single ebook to entice new prospects andto sell new products to your current customers.

No other medium has this kind of flexibility andability for expansion. Think of your ebook like aspider spinning a beautiful and intricate web. Now goand create that web, and see how many customers andprospects you can catch!