Writing and publishing an e-book can be an excellent way to grow your business.  We’ve written before on the many benefits you stand to gain by publishing a book:  You gain authority and credibility in your industry, and they can be excellent “freebies.”  (Click here  if you want to read the full post.)  If your publishing platform can provide you with physical copies of your book, you can give them away with your business cards.

If you’re going to take the time to write a book (and we can help you, if you don’t have the time), then you should be sure to use the book in every possible way.  Many of our published authors and SkillBites Express clients have gone far beyond simply offering copies of their book to interested prospects.  Here are just a few of the creative uses we’ve seen for eBooks:

Generating Website Traffic

All of today’s most popular “e-reader” devices double as tablet computers.  Take advantage of this fact by including hyperlinks in your book.  Have an area of expertise that you want to expand upon?  Instead of adding all of that text to your book, create a custom “landing page” on your website for the information.  Interested readers will click your link, visit your website, and gain even more information about who you are, what you do, and why you’re the best.

Providing Exclusive Content

When they’re done with your book, what if your readers have more questions?  Create another page on your website, just for your readers.  Invite them to “click here” to ask more questions or learn more about your business.  When they arrive at your customized landing page, greet them with more detailed information or a video, or welcome them as readers of your book and provide them with a form they can fill out to ask their question (and be sure to send them a personal response!)

Offering Discounts to Readers

Offer a discount to your readers.  Anyone who has spent the time to read your book is clearly interested in what you have to say.  Why not thank them for their interest by offering a discount on your product or service, or by giving them a special link to your website where they can download another “freebie” document – filled with valuable information, and available only to them.

These are just a few of the creative ways we have seen our SkillBites authors and SkillBites Express clients use their eBooks.  What are your ideas on using a book to your business advantage?