8 steps to creating an ebook for b2b marketing

You must be bored of hearing this from me now, but getting the content right is absolutely critical to B2B eBook success (in the same way that it is absolutely critical to b2b blogging and article marketing success). So here are my eight steps to publishing a B2B eBook:

Your subject needs to be relevant and useful to your target audience, so stay away from overviews of your business or product or direct promotion. It also needs to be unique, or at least a unique angle on an old subject. Put yourself in your reader’s shoes – why would they be interested in reading this book?

You might be using content from an existing blog, you could be starting from scratch yourself, or you may want to commission someone to write your content. Whichever route you choose, plan carefully in an editorial calendar to ensure you maintain momentum, hold your readers’ attention, and deliver your message. There’s a skill to all this, and if you’re not sure you’re up to it, I highly advise seeking external help, to ensure your eBook doesn’t eTank.

Check your content, run it past your contacts in the industry, ask them to be brutal. Early stage quality checks can identify major (and minor) issues that detract from the quality of your eBook but would otherwise have been overlooked.

Be sure to collect images, graphs, tables or illustrations to keep your eBook interesting and dynamic. If you use images, make sure you have a right to do so.

Engage a designer to create a layout and design that appeals.

Editing can mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to publishing a B2B eBook. Comb through your content, checking spelling and grammar, consistency and flow.

The great thing about eBooks is that you don’t need to send your manuscript off to a publisher and wait, biting your nails, for their feedback. Just save it as a PDF and voila!

Make sure your book can be downloaded somewhere. Push it out on email, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and host it on your website. Invite feedback so that your next B2B eBook is even better than the first.