Writing an eBook is hard. Marketing one is even harder. If you are a self-published eBook author, expect tough times ahead as you try to get your book onto the market. Traditionally, publishers handle all the marketing and distribution for books. This is a luxury most self-published authors cannot afford.
There are two main ways to market an eBook: web and mobile. You may have already considered web-based marketing tactics such as Google Ads. However, have you given much thought to mobile marketing? If not, you really should. Consumers use their smartphones more and more to access the web and engage with online businesses. Your eBook counts towards this category too. Also, people read eBooks mostly on handheld devices. So you will need a mobile marketing strategy to promote your eBook.
The best eBook marketing strategy is the one that combines the best of both worlds. Here is a list of tried and proven ways to market an eBook on web and mobile.
Make Your Website Responsive
First of all, you should account for the highly likely possibility that people would want to browse your website on both computers and mobile. These devices have considerably different screen sizes. So, even if your website loads fine on a large screen, it might not on a small screen. So take steps to make your site mobile responsive. You can contract a third-party Android app development company for advice on how to do this. You should also seriously consider whether it would be worthwhile for you to invest in a mobile application as well.
Make Purchases Possible from Your Website
Usually, eBook authors look to big retailers like Amazon to sell their books. Obviously, they have a much larger paying customer base. However, don’t overlook that fact that you can sell directly as well from your website. You will need to use an e-commerce theme and equip your site with an online shopping cart. Then you will be ready to sell right away. When you make your site mobile responsive, make sure the shopping facility is mobile responsive as well.
SEO
You must use SEO to market your eBook. Search engine optimisation drives traffic to your website. That means more exposure for your eBook. On your website, you should optimise your tabs, text, image descriptions and URLs with appropriate keywords. Do not use too many keywords while you are at it. Use keywords sparingly to get the most benefits. If you are not sure how to do this, you can contact a third-party SEO professional.
Blog
The best way to keep your website up-to-date is to blog. Let’s face it; when you are selling an eBook, there will be little new content you can churn out each day to remain relevant. If you have a blog on the other hand, you can post every day and attract a following. So pick a suitable niche and start right away. Don’t forget to use images and infographics for your blog posts. They need to be optimised for search engines as well. Also, guest post on other blogs to create your personal brand awareness.
Marketing an eBook is not easy. There will be a lot to learn along the way. However, don’t be discouraged. Use the above tactics to attract readers to your books. Get reviews and offer free samples, and your book sales will soon be through the roof.