Should You Have An Ebook For Your Health Biz?
When you have a health business, you may struggle with marketing. Many people turn to ebooks as a way of marketing their business and expertise. But is an ebook right for your business?
There are pros and cons to creating an ebook that you need to consider before diving in.
The Pros Of Having An Ebook
It helps grow the biz
No matter what business you're in, it's essential to keep working on growth. Even massive companies keep focused on how to grow their biz - through products, services and more. As a small business owner, you're no difference!
An ebook can help you to grow your business without a huge amount of effort. It could work in two ways: it could grow your mailing list, or it could be sold for profit. Either way, it can increase the visibility of your brand and what you have to offer.
Of course, this isn't a guaranteed benefit. You will need to promote your ebook in order to see success. But it can be easy to share a sign-up link or purchase link regularly across social media.
It establishes you as an authority
When it comes to health, everyone claims to be an authority. But if you're a trained and qualified practitioner, you can't just assume people know you're an authority. By writing an ebook, you can showcase your area of interest and how you can help others.
In order for your ebook to establish you as an authority, it needs to be high-quality information. You will need to use research and evidence to support what you're sharing.
You can make passive income with it
Maybe you think that creating an ebook means fast money. Unless you have a huge audience, or a highly engaged audience, it's not that easy. But if you do choose to sell your ebook, it can create a trickle of income.
Remember, you will need to continue marketing your ebook if you want it to be an ongoing income. This could be as easy as scheduling the link to share on your social media pages every month. You could also share it in groups that allow promos on certain days.
The Cons Of Having An Ebook
Creating an ebook isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's important that you consider the downsides before making a decision.
It can take time
Just like any other product or service, you will need to invest time. Depending on the length you're wanting, it could be a few hours, or even a few days focused on creating it. If you're also DIYing the design, it will take even longer.
These are hours that you may or may not have. So consider whether you have that time to invest.
If you want to create an ebook, but don't have the time - consider outsourcing it.
It can be hard to write – especially if you hate writing
A lot of practitioners hate writing. Or maybe they think they're not good at writing. But even the craftiest practitioner may struggle when it comes to creating an ebook.
It can be hard to find your voice as a writer. It's even harder once you throw in a bunch of research and evidence. That's because it can be difficult to find a balance between using research and making it approachable for your client.
So if you are determined to write it yourself, remember that you may struggle. This may take up more time than what you think. If this is a big issue, outsource the writing side of things.
It does need good design – whether DIY or outsourced
You can have the best information in the world to share with your prospective clients. But if it's wrapped up in an unattractive cover, or is just a word document, it might not keep your clients engaged. That's where design is an essential step in your ebook creation.
You can design it by yourself if you want. But if you have very little experience in the design world, consider outsourcing it. That will save you hours of stress and worry. As a bonus, you'll also be supporting another small business in the process.
It needs to be proofread and edited
A big tripping point for ebooks is when they haven't been proofread or edited. For a lot of people, spelling mistakes and grammar issues are a huge turn-off. If those people are turned off your ebook, they don't recommend it to their friends and family.
You might think that you can proofread and edit your own ebook. But it's best to have a fresh pair of eyes on the work. Ideally, you want someone who understands the content AND writing, spelling and grammar. This means you're less likely to have editing mistakes made.
Is writing an ebook the right thing for your business? It depends.
If you have time to invest in it, it could be. If you have value to share, it could be. Even if you don't have the time, but are willing to invest in a service that supports you, it could be.
The choice is yours.
Remember, if you need some extra support - I'm here. To get started, send me through some details and we'll get you sorted with a quote.
Want more health writing tips & tricks? Pop onto the mailing list here, and get blogs (plus other goodies) delivered straight to your inbox every fortnight!