There are many reasons why so many business owners are writing eBooks to demonstrate their authority and establish their expertise. Since 2011, Amazon.com has noted that eBooks are selling more copies than physical books, which shows how much eBook readership has increased in popularity within the past few years. Since eBooks are so popular, why not cash in on this big trend and write an eBook yourself?

In the prior blog post, we discussed one of the main benefits of using eBooks, to establish expertise in a particular field. EBooks can be used to communicate even complex messages and ideas. Since you’re offering readers helpful, useful information, they’ll begin to trust you as an authority on the topic, increasing the likelihood that they will purchase a product or service from you when they need it, or refer you to others who may need your expertise. When you use the right keywords in your title and eBook description, those who are looking for your expertise will find your eBook and come to you, instead of your having to find new leads and customers.

Another advantage of eBooks is the ability to avoid distribution or printing costs when you publish an eBook. While you will have to invest time in the writing of the eBook and creating a good cover, you won’t pay to print the book because it’s delivered digitally. This allows you to enjoy all the benefits of putting out a book without paying for physical books.

A third advantage of eBooks is that eBooks are very attractive to readers today. They are easy to download in just a few seconds, making them accessible almost immediately. EBooks are also easy to read, which makes them an attractive form of content today. Also, since you can easily update an eBook, you can build upon that first investment instead of writing a whole new book. The format of eBooks even makes it easy for you to re-purpose eBook content to other forms of media as well, such as blog posts or tweets, helping you get the most from your eBook publishing investment.

Of course, if you want to establish your expertise when you publish an eBook, it’s important that you actually provide valuable information while avoiding sales writing. An eBook isn’t a sales letter. It should offer good information to the reader. Writing an eBook like sales material can quickly harm your reputation instead of demonstrating your authority on a topic. Authors also need to ensure that they offer enough information to establish their expertise. If you leave readers hanging without the answers they are seeking, they’ll be frustrated and you’ll lose the chance to turn them into future customers.

While it takes time, effort and resources to develop a quality eBook that establishes you as an expert and an authority on a given subject, it’s well worth the investment. Since eBooks are such a popular content form today, get on board and begin enjoying all the marketing advantages eBook publishing has to offer your company.