Writing ebooks is one of the easiest ways to make money online. The thought of writing an ebook might fill you with dread, but it’s something anyone can do if you know how to go about it. Even if your English and writing skills are very basic, there are ways you can create your own ebook. Initially all you need to do is write a short report of six or seven pages. Eventually your confidence and skills will grow and you’ll be amazed at what you can produce.
Giving away a free ebook is a proven way to build a successful affiliate marketing business. There are two main ways I use this strategy. Firstly, I list my report on sites where you can advertise free ebooks. My reports have a link back to my main websites where I have affiliate offers for related products. Secondly, I use an opt-in offer on some of my sites and a visitor can download a free ebook in return for signing up to my mailing list. This second strategy often leads to repeat sales and excellent returns per customer.
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What To Write About
Any ebooks you write should obviously be relevant to the audience you plan to target with affiliate products. Your reports should have strong appeal to the potential reader, so think very carefully about the subject. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, some keyword research may help. Think about the problems someone in your niche might face, and ask yourself what information are they really looking for. My websites are on the subject of photography. Examples of ebooks I might use to attract traffic would include things like ’10 Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Camera’ and ‘7 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Pictures.’
If you’re selling one specific product as an affiliate, make your ebook as relevant as possible to it. For example, you might be promoting a Clickbank book on cures for snoring. A relevant short report to this might be ‘5 Home Remedies For Snoring.’ The ebook you give away must contain some useful information so that the reader can see you have some knowledge in the subject. However, be careful not to give away too much or they may not feel the need to buy the product you are promoting. I get around this by promoting physical products as an affiliate. For example, I give away an ebook on how to use photographic filters and this links to Amazon where the reader can instantly buy a set of filters.
How to Write Your Affiliate Marketing E-Book
The actual process of writing is what most people fear. Once you have a subject and a title, this is the easy part! Use a notepad and pen, and sketch out a plan of what your finished ebook will look like. Consider questions people might ask about the subject if you’re struggling. A plan might look like this.
- Introduction. What are photographic filters?
- When should I use photographic filters?
- What effects can filters produce?
- Are filters good for all subjects?
- Can filters correct mistakes in my pictures?
- What are the best types of filters to use?
- Where can I buy filters?
Once you have this plan, the task looks far less daunting. You could break the headings down further to generate more ideas. I would now set out to write one or two hundred words for each heading and the ebook would be complete in a few hours.
Avoid using fancy fonts, and make your ebook easy on the eye of the reader, Use short sentences and break the text into paragraphs. Keep the language simple as the reader is looking for information not for a piece of literature!
Use of graphics and photographs helps to complete an ebook and make it look more professional. You can use Photoshop or any online photo editing tools you prefer to do this. Don’t download images from the Internet to use in an ebook unless it’s clear that permission is granted for commercial purposes.
Should You Outsource Your Affiliate Marketing E-Book Creation?
If you’re short of time and have some money to spare, you can outsource the creation of an ebook. There are plenty of good websites where you can make a request and freelancers will tender a price to complete the work for you. If you’re happy to write the words but want someone to collate the guide or add a cover, freelancers and designers will also carry out this type of work. The site Fiverr.com is great for finding people willing to proof read, edit or create a cover for an ebook.
Outsourcing has its advantages, but make sure you give very clear instructions to anyone working on your behalf. It’s a good idea to ask to see examples of their past work. If your ebook is on a technical subject, make sure the person has the right level of knowledge or is able to carry out good research.
Mistakes to Avoid
You’ll be amazed how the words flow when you start to write your first ebook. Planning and research are the secrets of success. If you can commit to write just a couple of hundred words on a regular basis, you’ll soon have the first draft of your ebook complete.
Avoiding the following mistakes will give ensure you get the greatest return from your ebook.
1) A boring title. Remember to keep the title appealing to your target audience. People are attracted to lists of things, so adapt your ebook to this style if possible. ‘How To Take Good Pictures’ isn’t going to have people rushing to download your ebook. Changing the title to ‘7 Secrets To Instantly Improve Your Pictures’ could make a huge difference.
2) Too many words. Keep it short and simple. The goal is to get the reader to the end of the ebook wanting more so that they will visit your website or sign up to your list. If they lose interest half way through, you’ve lost a potential customer.
3) Giving too much away. Remember not to give your reader the complete solution. It’s fine to give away some genuinely useful information, but you must keep the real nuggets back for the product you want to sell.
Writing an ebook is a great investment in your online business.