1. Affordability and simplicity
First of all, publishing a whitepaper or an e-book is incredibly easy in digital form – convert your piece into the target extension, usually PDF or EPUB, sometimes even MS Word and post it! It is that simple.
The front page of your piece is also very important. People usually go for either their own artwork or a photograph. Should you decide to use a photograph or artwork that isn’t your property, you’re going to have to purchase it first, and perhaps tweak it in programs such as Photoshop. Being subscribed to related programs and websites will make it easier for you to find a perfect choice for your front page, and dig up awesome deals.
2. Attracting an audience
Digital publishing is a ultimate form of content marketing; by going digital with your books, you’re making sure that you’re building loyalty in your followers. By finding a topic that your target demographic will be interested in, and promoting and publishing it, you will attract a large audience – people tend to develop stronger professional relationships with published entrepreneurs.
In fact, turning to e-books instead of making blog posts for your website may be an excellent idea – people actually appreciate longer content formats. A blog post of more than 3,000 words will actually help you stand out from the competition.
3. Authority
One of the main reasons why people appreciate longer content formats nowadays is fact that you really have to know what you’re talking (or in this case, writing) about, in order to produce 3,000+ words of pure, useful content. Naturally, this way, you are establishing a niche authority, which is essential for building your brand’s image.
A single blog post will never do the trick – the only way blog posts can compare to digital publishing is by being meticulously consistent in posting and maintaining a high level of quality; and even that doesn’t mean that blog posts will be of any help in establishing authority.
On the other hand, making a full-blown digital publication work isn’t exactly a walk in the park either. Here, you need to know all about storytelling 101 and your content marketing SEO, if you want your digital publications to do the trick.
4. Source of income on the side
Digital publications are often offered on platforms such as Amazon Kindle, where you can’t set the price to “0”, even if you wanted to. With the lowest price available resting at $0.99, you will likely earn money on the side anyway, so why not try and sell your product for what you think it’s worth. Although it really is a promotion technique, digital publishing can be turned into a solid side-project that can generate extra income for your business.
This is an awesome idea, especially at the very beginning of your startup efforts – small businesses usually become profitable after the initial 6 months, and digital publishing can actually help you maintain a steady cash flow.
5. Easy to distribute
“What kind of cash flow am I looking at?” – you might be wondering. Well, to be honest, a very humble one. People won’t pay a ton of money for something that they aren’t absolutely crazy about, so you’re likely looking at $5-$10 per publication.
What actually makes all of this lucrative and interesting is the fact that lengthier online publications are incredibly easy to distribute. Thanks to user-friendly platforms such as Amazon Kindle, but also Barnes & Noble and Apple iBooks, you’ll be able to grow your emailing list without too much effort, which will make your digital marketing efforts much easier in the future.
Bear in mind that digital publishing won’t make you filthy rich. However, it will get your name out there, and help you maintain a small, but relatively steady cash flow. The main reason to exercise this type of marketing is the fact that it’s really easy to distribute, cheap and requires little effort. Not only that, but it will also help you attract an audience and establish authority while allowing you to earn a bit on the side.
Guest article written by: Dan Radak is a marketing professional with eleven years of experience. He is currently working with a number of companies in the field of digital marketing, closely collaborating with a couple of e-commerce companies. He is also a coauthor on several technology websites and regular contributor to Technivorz.