Maneesha Manges, Director of Consulting at HighRoad Solution, discusses the importance of gaining new leads through the use of eBooks in her webinar Gaining New Leads Through eBooks. Maneesha highlights why your organization needs new leads, why eBooks are powerful calls to action, important elements to include in your eBook, and lastly, how to measure your success. Unable to watch her webinar on HighRoadU? Read more as I discuss the highlights and main takeaways of how your organization can gain new leads by using eBooks!
Lead generation is the “initiation of consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business”. In other words, lead generation is the gathering of information of someone you do not know who is potentially interested in what you have to offer. So why do you need leads? Leads are the basis for revenue and growth. Leads add to your member base, expose your brand, and extend your organization’s network!
An eBook is a “book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both readable on a computer or other electronic device”. eBooks are made available in print and through digital. Consider your audience when compiling your eBook. Are they more likely to interact with your eBook in print or through digital? Because of the shift in audience demographics to millennials, digital eBooks are often more popular, easier to produce, more cost effective, and leverage a wider bandwidth. In general, however, eBooks are a powerful lead generation tool. They can be leveraged in digital channels, help to support SEO efforts on digital, and can provide data and insight. eBooks can also be used in associations for annual reports, career profiles, industry research, platform advocacy, and more!
When creating an eBook for your organization be sure to include relevant and visually pleasing content and images. The format must be optimized for the user and user friendly on multiple devices. Be creative and remember your audience!
Elements to include:
In order to get the most value out of your eBook it is important to identify your metrics. Consider clicks, landing page views, form submissions, download clicks, and more. Consider where your traffic came from (social, sponsored, paid, direct email, SEO, LinkedIn, etc.) and if you have referrals (partners, vendors, etc.). In general, you want to see a combination of organic and paid efforts and how they work together. You can also look at your metrics from an aggregate perspective to evaluate progress and how to improve for the future!
Wrap-Up
Be sure that your eBook is relevant to your audience and that you leverage digital marketing efforts to build exposure for your eBook and your organization. Optimize your digital marketing efforts (paid advertising, email signature, social media, staff email banner, etc.) and don’t forget to measure your results! Are you interested in learning more? Check out the full webinar and learn how the American Payroll Association generated leads through their eBook.
*Information courtesy of HighRoad U Webinar Gaining New Leads Through eBooks