Believe it or not, the first idea for an electronic book came about in the 1930’s. Bob Brown inspired by the first talkies, wrote a book called “The Readies” explaining how an invention of this type would be a “machine that will allow us to keep up with the vast volume of print available today and be optically pleasing”. The first devices however were not built until the late 1940s.
Today there is no question about the usefulness of eReaders and the electronic book formats that are available. You know some of the most popular by name including Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook, each with thousands of pieces of content available.
For the most part, the use of this media has been for established writers or a new author willing to take a risk and invest their own money. But in recent years creating and publishing eBooks has become easier and affordable making it a possibility for everyone. So why not look at using eBooks as a new marketing tool for your company.
Experts will tell you that one key step to building your personal brand is to be published. Being able to stand up in front of an audience and hold up a book you’ve written immediately establishes a higher level of creditability. In the same way, you can impress your customers by encouraging them to “download your free eBook” for more information.
So what would you write about?
• Perhaps your company has an interesting story behind it. Share how it was founded and developed over the years.
• If you create a product with a unique manufacturing process, explain how it’s done. Or describe how the product works and why it stands out from the competition.
• Write about how you found the need for your services and how they came about.
• Document customer success stories.
Once you have a completed eBook, use it to open doors for opportunities such as speaking engagements that will give your company visibility and build your personal brand. Attach it to your website and add download information to your business card. You can even print a few copies of the book to carry with you and hand out to potential customers. Get started by searching the internet for self-publishing and find a publisher that works for you.
Ted Saul is a business coach that assists with Business Plans and Project Management. He holds a master certificate in project management and has earned his MBA from Regis University. Ted can be reached on LinkedIn, TedS787 on Twitter or emailing Ted@tsaul.com .
