Let that sink in.
We all loved picture books as children. In the B2B world, we now use picture books to tell a story about complex subjects to educate prospects. For the most part, eBooks have replaced white papers except deep-dive technical papers and in-depth research reports. Very few people want to sit down and read a multi-page white paper unless they are ready to take a deep dive into a particular subject.
eBooks are concise, use images to highlight key points, and are a fast read – there is not a huge amount of text, and scientists have found that the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. (Source: Canva)
But don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these lead magnets. People download them because they are full of rich information.
Many eBooks have a long shelf life if the subject matter is still trending, which is likely the case in B2B. They are the gift that keeps on giving once SEO kicks in. We have clients that update their eBooks every 12-18 months, and they still convert at 30-40% in years two and three, down from 55-60% in the first year of promotion.
Here’s the thing. TOF content doesn’t indicate if a prospect is in the buying cycle --yet. It just indicates that there is interest in the topic. But once you have prospects in the funnel, then it is just a matter of timing and lead nurturing. The prospect may not be ready to buy now; however, they may move forward and enter the buyer’s journey at some point. You need a strategy to nurture them over time.
Just look at these eBooks that Red Javelin created. They all have unique designs that fit their brand and targeted personas. And in each case, these downloadable assets are the lynchpin of a full TOF campaign. Click on the images to see the entire eBook.
This eBook targets a technical audience in the machine tooling and manufacturing industries and introduces the concept of SuperPrecision Turning. It simplifies a very complex topic but gives the engineers enough bits and bytes to establish credibility. This eBook was used as part of an overall product launch.
This eBook targets EH&S Managers that are responsible for employee safety. The purpose of the ebook is to connect the importance of musculoskeletal health (sprains, strains, and back pain) to a healthy work environment, particularly in manufacturing and distribution. This ebook is part of an ongoing brand awareness campaign and is still converting at 30-37% at the end of year two.
This eBook is targeted at the administrative staff in K-12 schools. This high-performing eBook aims to educate K12 staff on how they can prevent, detect, and contain safety threats to students and staff. Although it uses fewer images than the previous examples, it organizes the information into an easy-to-read format with charts and checklists.
Creating eBooks is hard, but not as hard as getting this asset in front of the right audience. It takes an end-to-end eBook strategy. It starts with the data-led topic ideation, writing, and design, culminating in a distribution strategy that puts your great work to meaningful use.
We’re talking SEO-fueled blogs and conversion landing pages, paid social ads, targeted email campaigns — the whole nine yards. If you need help filling your top-of-funnel, sign-up for a free, no-obligation consultation below.