Why ebooks are your best bet for driving leads and sales in 2024
via DALL-E3
If you’re a B2B marketer looking for more leads and sales, ebooks should be your go-to content medium. Netline's 2024 Content Consumption Report reveals that ebooks are still the most popular type of B2B content, with a 34.5% increase in registrations year-over-year.
“Ebooks remain the most popular content format representing 39.5% of demand,” says David Fortino, NetLine’s chief strategy officer. “We process a ton of data on behalf of demand gen teams and marketing orgs, and every year, ebooks consistently show strong performance.”
But, as you’ll see, ebooks aren't just for top-of-funnel lead gen. When you thoughtfully map ebook topics to buyer pains and aspirations, you can engage prospects at every stage of the journey.
The power of ebooks across the funnel
While the overall goal of your ebooks is to drive leads and sales, the specific purpose of each piece varies depending on the funnel stage you're targeting.
Ebooks for the top of the funnel
TOFU (top of the funnel) ebooks are your icebreaker. They're not about selling, but about connecting with prospects by showing you get their challenges—and the bigger picture. Think of it as building a reputation as the go-to expert in your field. This trust lays the foundation for turning curious readers into warm leads, ready for the next step in their journey.
In TOFU ebooks, focus on high-level topics like:
Industry trends and predictions
Beginner's guides and frameworks
Best practices and strategies
Here are a few example TOFU titles to get your creativity started:
Executive Coaching Insights: Your 2024 Guide to Trends, Triumphs, and Transformations
Scale Up Your Marketing Game: 10 Insider Strategies for Explosive Agency Growth
From Street Corner to Catwalk: How the Urban Sombrero Became a Viral Marketing Sensation
Speak Like a Pro: Insider Tips from the World's Most Captivating Keynote Speakers
Note that I spend a lot of time brainstorming titles when working on client ebooks; for the purposes of this article, I kept the brainstorming to a minimum.
Ebooks for the middle of the funnel
MOFU (middle of the funnel) ebooks are like friendly guides for your prospects, who are still figuring things out, weighing their options, and trying to see which path is right for them. This is where you step in with helpful advice, a clear picture of what your product or service is all about, and why it might just be the perfect fit. It's about nurturing that spark of interest into a real connection.
In MOFU ebooks, include:
Case studies and customer successes
Comparison guides and checklists
Deep dives into specific features and benefits
Example titles:
Employee Engagement Unleashed: Kramerica Industries’ Executive Coaching Success Story
Conquer Marketing Chaos: Your Agency's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Automation Platform
Supply Chain Supercharge: 10 Proven Steps to Slash Costs and Boost Efficiency
Email Marketing Showdown: A Comparison of 5 Top Services
Ebooks for the bottom of the funnel
BOFU (bottom of the funnel) ebooks are like the final pep talk before the big game. Your prospects are almost there, but they might have a few lingering questions or hesitations. This is where you give them the confidence they need to make the leap. With detailed, step-by-step guidance and clear answers to their burning questions, you'll empower them to choose your solution without second-guessing themselves.
In BOFU ebooks, feature:
Implementation and onboarding guides
Technical FAQs and troubleshooting tips
ROI calculators and success metrics
Example titles:
Beefareeno HR Heroes: 5 Real-World Success Stories of Time and Money Saved
Unlock the Power of Executive Coaching: A Proven ROI Roadmap for Higher Education Leaders
Agency Profit Vault: Insider Tactics to Skyrocket Revenue and Slash Churn
The Vandelay Import/Export Toolkit: Templates, Checklists, and Resources for Seamless Transactions
If you're low on ideas, dig into your existing content for inspiration. Webinars, customer interviews, and even internal conversations with subject matter experts can spark ideas for ebook topics at every funnel stage.
Anatomy of an effective ebook
Of course, not all ebooks are created equal. Having read, written, and edited hundreds of ebooks myself, I've noticed that the best ones—the most engaging and readable ones—share certain qualities:
Subheads, bullets, charts, and visuals frequently break up the text
Straightforward language replaces jargon and corporate speak
Key takeaways are easy to find and skim
Extraneous details appear sparingly, often in footnotes instead of in long-winded body text
One of the best ebook examples I've come across is The New B2B Marketing Manifesto from Velocity Partners. It ticks all the boxes, delivering its message with clarity, personality, and even a bit of humor.
A well-written, well-designed ebook can have your readers flying through your persuasive content in ... [+] no time. Velocity Partners
Although the ebook clocks in at just shy of 50 pages, it reads fast—way faster than a report-like ebook jam-packed with content and walls of text.
I remember a sinking feeling when I saw first how long the ebook was. And then the rising excitement as I moved through the content, and my amazement at finishing it in just 10 minutes. The content was really good—engaging, compelling, funny. Reading it felt like driving on the open road with my windows down, hair whipping around, my favorite Tom Petty tune cranked loud. Those 10 minutes I spent reading flew by.
Your ebook can give readers the same experience, but it doesn't have to be a 50-pager, although hitting 50 pages is easy if you’re willing to spread the content out over more pages the way Velocity Partners did. The point is to give buyers the content they need in an easy-to-consume format.
NetLine’s David Fortino agrees. "Give your buyers quick ways of understanding the topics, content, and pain points that you're speaking about," he says. “Sometimes a bite-sized cheat sheet or high-level overview is all you need to pull a lead into—or deeper into—your funnel.”
How to use ebooks to support sales
After you've published your ebook, it's time to put it to work. Here are some ways to use ebook content to drive leads down the funnel.
At TOFU:
Gate the ebook behind a lead gen form. Despite the "to gate or not to gate" controversy, NetLine's 2024 Content Consumption report shows that readers are increasingly willing to fill out a form in exchange for an ebook.
Drive traffic to the ebook with social media, newsletters, and ads. Consider creating campaigns for each channel for the most visibility and downloads.
Analyze lead data from form submissions to better understand your audience and inform future content creation.
At MOFU:
Have reps send ebooks to prospects who've expressed interest. The content can help overcome objections and shine a light on your solution's value.
Incorporate key insights and data from ebooks into sales presentations to reinforce thought leadership and your perspective on industry challenges.
Create a lead scoring system that assigns points to ebook downloads and other actions, like webinar attendance and product demo requests, to help sales engage with the most engaged leads.
At BOFU:
Use ebooks as leave-behinds after sales calls and product demos. They provide details the prospect can peruse on their own.
Develop a modular ebook with sections for different buyers. Sales can then customize the content for each prospect's use cases, pain points, and triggers.
Arm sales with ebooks that directly compare your solution to competitors, giving them the information they need to handle objections and showcase your value proposition.
By adding ebooks into your sales process, you'll have more touchpoints to engage buyers, demonstrate value, and, ultimately, close more deals.
What’s next? Create that ebook!
Ebooks could be your secret weapon for attracting and converting prospects. Whether you're looking to drive top-of-funnel leads or help your sales team nurture prospects, well-designed, well-written ebooks can deliver the right content at the right time.
The most important thing is to get started. “Doing something is better than doing nothing,” says Fortino. “There are many tools available to do a lot of the lifting for you."
Pick a topic, gather your insights, and share them in an ebook. Your demand gen and sales team will thank you.
(P.S. If you need help creating your next sales-driving ebook, check out my ebook writing services.)
Originally published on Forbes.com.