Gone were the days when people have to go to the library to read books. Today, readers don’t need to exert much effort, they only need access to the internet and they can now have access to thousands of book available online. Readers no longer need to skim the tangible pages of a handy printed book, they only need to slide the screen of their tablets or smartphones or click the button of their mouse to read the next pages.
Ever since e-book became the trend, a lot of tech companies, publishers and editors have capitalized on its success. Selling books online became popular that it’s now one of the largest industries in the world. But, not all e-books are for sale; there are a lot of free and downloadable e-books to satisfy the reader’s palette. This is used by many companies and businesses as their marketing strategy to attract people and create awareness about their company, business or services.
If you intend to capture people’s attention, you just have to say this magic word: FREE. In almost every aspect of life, freebies entice and lure people to exert effort in order to get something for free. Giving out free items can also be used as a marketing strategy in order to get people’s attention. Free e-book giveaways can be a tool in introducing products and services to the purchasing public. Many businessmen, publishers, editors and authors, can attest to its effectiveness through increase in their sales.
The benefits of giving away free e-books
- It can reach the advertiser’s target market. It is easy for tech experts to embed links or include links to the pages of an e-book. This linking mechanism attracts attention to the product or traffic to a commercial website. Through free e-book distribution more people will be interested to avail of your product or services if they find it impressive. This will gain exposure to the advertiser’s product or service. For example, you have fitness/health/slimming products. One way of getting your target market is by creating e-books related to fitness. Within the e-book, you can insert links that will lead them to your product’s website. Which will make them want to avail of your product.
- Platform for lesser and unknown authors in releasing their books. For the mainstream authors, release of their books in its e-book version will bring in more sales to the publisher and notoriety to the author. For the lesser known or amateur authors, giving away the e-book version of their work helps get attention. When an author gains social media attention, he can also get the attention of publishers. Publishers have the potential to invest on the author’s work and his book will be released in print and in e-book version. Heard of 50 Shades of Grey? It was originally distributed as an e-book and then gained popularity. Eventually the book was published with a hard copy or printed version.
- It attracts awareness and attention to a social cause. One of the most effective scheme of bringing awareness to a particular social issue is to present that issue to the public while enticing them to freebies like a free e-book. Almost instantly a following to your social media will be formed, thus more and more people will be able to read your e-book. Bringing awareness can be in many forms like supplying links embedded in the e-book page so that when the reader clicks the page he will be directed to a link or a pop-up or banner will be displayed. Also, sign-up strategy can be used. In order for them to get the free e-book, they should subscribe to your newsletter (a newsletter that will update them about the issue or social cause you are advocating).
- The most effective way to widen one’s network. Giving away free e-books can widen your network. How? If your e-book is well written, people can share your e-book. Thus, more potential buyers or clients for your products or services. These connections will be beneficial when it comes to marketing products. As mentioned earlier, you can embed links within the e-book, so you can insert links to your website and other social media to gain popularity and network.
- Supports the printed version of the book. People who fall in love with the e-book version of a book would most probably buy the printed version of the book Thus, giving away e-books might encourage the reader to buy a printed version of the book. Also, some publishers give away e-books of the printed version with only the 1st chapter on the e-book version. It’ll serve as a teaser. People who like the first chapter will be forced to buy the book in order to read the next chapters.
