Creating a quality ebook loaded with valuable advice is a powerful step towards establishing yourself as an authority in your industry.

But even if people are well-aware of the benefits of using ebooks as a marketing tool, they often hit a wall when deciding what to write about.

The process of writing an ebook begins by knowing what you want to achieve with it. Clearly defined goals will help you identify the subject your ebook should be about.

But you also need to choose topics you are an expert in and favour themes you can discuss thoroughly in ways your readers can easily understand. If you know your topic well, it means you can offer a different perspective to other authors writing on similar subject matter.

Your biggest asset when creating an ebook is your experience, and telling stories will strengthen your content further. Using storytelling in your writing gives it a higher chance of being remembered as an effective story captures the emotions of your audience and is proven to be more memorable because readers relate to stories more than tons of data and statistics.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what ebooks you should write to prove your expertise and enable readers to learn from your experiences.

5 ebooks you need to write 

Every business should, or at least be working to, publish these five ebooks.

Deciding what to write about tends to get tricky for small business owners, because readers are at different awareness levels (whether they realise it or not). Depending on how long they’ve been exposed to you and what you offer, you need to adjust the way you communicate with them. 

The five stages of awareness are:

• Unaware: Your prospect doesn’t realise that they have a problem that requires a solution. 
• Problem Aware: At this stage, you have a prospect who recognises they have a problem, but is not aware that there are solutions available to solve it. 
• Solution Aware: The prospect now knows the result they want, but is still not aware that your product can provide it. 
• Product Aware: Your prospect now knows what you sell, but is not totally convinced that it’s right for them. 
• Most Aware: At this point, your prospect knows what you offer and is close to making a purchase.

The following five ebooks can help you target your customers at different stages of awareness. Each uses a distinct style to get your message across effectively to your readers so you can engage with them and convert leads into customers.

1. Hero’s Journey ebook

A hero’s journey ebook puts you, the business owner, in the spotlight (although not egotistically).

This ebook presents an opportunity for you to share who you are and what led you to start your company.

It puts a face to a name; by knowing your story, your brand will be associated with you. Write about the problems you aim to solve for your customers, how this motivated you to start a business and the pursuit of your goals.

This is a smart way of communicating to customers who are still in the “unaware” stage and let them realise they do have a need and that you can help them.

When you create this ebook, let your personal experiences shine. Everything you share is unique to you, helping differentiate you from your competitors. You’ll also engage your readers, sharing stories of true to life situations you encountered and the steps you took to overcome setbacks and challenges.

If you explain your hero’s journey in a way that’s memorable and genuine, your ideal customers will warm up to you and what you offer.

2. Branded Story ebook

Though similar to the hero’s journey, a branded story ebook shifts the focus from the entrepreneur or business owner to the brand itself. 

One way to cultivate a connection between a company and its market successfully is to tell the brand’s story. Champion your mission – take away the sales pitch and instead talk about how you aspire to help people with the products or services you offer. 

A powerful branded story is meaningful and relatable. It makes the brand feel like a human that’s engaging in a conversation with its customers. By being authentic, you will win the trust of your prospects, and more importantly, you will establish an image to remember you by which is vital when talking to your prospects who are still in the “unaware” stage.

3. Thought Leadership ebook

Thought leadership ebooks are arguably the most comprehensive piece of content you’ll create. The views, arguments, or new perspectives you present need to inspire your consumers to act and take the next step in their journey. For prospects who find themselves in the “problem aware” stage, this ebook is your chance to educate with something new yet relevant to their experiences.

But what exactly is a thought leader?

A thought leader is a trusted source who inspires people with innovative ideas, guidance, and insight. They have a talent that’s backed up by years of experience to answer the biggest questions in the minds of their audience. And though they may be masters in their field, they never stop learning.

Developing thought leadership takes time, and that’s why it’s an attribution that is earned, often bestowed, when people recognise the unmatched value he or she can provide. When you create a thought leadership ebook, you are making a resource that presents a depth of proficiency no one else has.

Remember, you’re not a thought leader until other people are saying it on your behalf. And you can’t achieve this in an ebook until you bring new knowledge to the table that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

4. How-to Guides

At the “solution aware” or “product aware” stages, your customers need a little more convincing, and you can use a how-to guide to tell readers everything they need to know to make an informed decision.

This type of ebook introduces a process or system that is easy to follow. You need your readers to do it from start to finish, so you must give them the correct information and necessary tools to succeed.

The content of a how-to guide covers all bases, and that includes addressing any possible roadblocks they may encounter that they are not yet aware of.

When creating your how-to guide ebook, follow this blueprint to ensure that the reader captures everything you want to say:

• Table of Contents: Start with a table of contents to act as a guide, so your reader can navigate between the different chapters or key points of your ebook.  
• Introduction: Provide an introduction that feels personal. Some authors choose to have someone else write the introduction for them to endorse the guide and explain what they can expect to learn from it – be we suggest you write it yourself. 
• Explain the step-by-step process/s: The number of steps your guide will consist of depends on your topic, but it must be written and presented in sequence to avoid any confusion and so you can explain how each one leads to the next.
• Advanced Tips: As previously mentioned, it’s a good idea to think ahead and provide advanced tips for any unexpected challenges. This ensures your ebook remains relevant to a more knowledgeable audience too and is a great way to stand out from your competitors.
• Conclusion: Close the how-to guide with a final note to the reader that will help establish a relationship between brand and customer. This might be in the form of a CTA or a next steps suggestion.

5. Capability Statements 

At the “most aware” stage of awareness, your customers are ready to purchase, and all they need is to understand your offer and why they should choose you. Using a capability statement ebook will stop their search with you.

Capability statements function as an online portfolio of a company. From its visual design to the content within its pages, it should reflect your brand and everything that you do.

Its writing is more concise, and while you can still talk about your history as a company, it must be kept brief. The document should include a short profile of your company’s stakeholders, your core competencies, major customers and completed projects, differentiators, and finally, the contact information where you can be reached. That way, when they’ve finally decided you’re the one, they know how to contact you.

When you write your ebook, it should be about something you are an expert on, because it’s your knowledge and experience that will create a memorable piece of content. The five ebooks we’ve listed in this blog will help you identify how to best reach out to your prospects with your story.

If you want to ensure your ebook will stand out, make strategies for copywriting services, and offer value to your target customers, we’re ready to help you grow your business.