If you’re serious about turning content into a pipeline, an eBook is one of the most effective marketing tools.

Unlike a blog post that disappears in the feed or a social update with a 24-hour shelf life, an eBook positions your brand as an authority, generates leads, and creates evergreen value you can repurpose. 

What used to require a publisher and months of prep is now fast, affordable, and fully in your control. With modern document creation software like Google Docs, Scrivener, or Adobe InDesign, you can plan, design, and ship a professional-grade eBook in days. Pair it with the right distribution strategy, and your content becomes a scalable marketing asset — one that attracts prospects, nurtures them through the funnel, and drives measurable revenue.

If building an eCommerce strategy for your eBooks is on your 2025 roadmap, this is the place to start.

If you look eBook up in the dictionary, you’d find the following:

Noun: A book composed in or converted to digital format for display on a computer screen or handheld device.

Pretty straightforward. An electronic book; an eBook.

To have a better understanding of what an eBook really is, let’s take a look at the characteristics of an eBook.

If you were to search for eBook formats, you would come across quite a few options. Dozens actually. However, the likelihood of actually using many of these formats is pretty slim. To keep it simple for you, we are going to just take a look at the three that are known for their ease of use and ability to be used in a format that is widely distributed: EBUP, AZW, and PDF.

EPUB (.epub)

An EPUB, or electronic publication, is the most widely supported format and can be read on a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, tablets, and most eReaders (except Kindles). EPUB files are reflowable, which make them true eBooks and easier to read on small devices.

AZW (.azw)

AZW files were developed by Amazon for its Kindle eReaders. These files can store complex content like bookmarks, annotations, and highlights. But use of AZW files are limited to Kindles or devices with Kindle apps. Additively, they can only be accessed from the Amazon online bookstore.

PDF (.pdf)

A PDF, also known as a portable document format, isn’t technically a true eBook according to our definition, but it’s the format most people are familiar with. Created by Adobe, PDFss are known for their ease of use and ability to hold custom layouts. Because they hold their format and aren’t reflowable, they can be difficult to read on a small screen. Despite this, they are still one of the most commonly used eBook formats, especially by marketers.

If you’re considering making an eBook, it’s most likely for one of two reasons:

1. Self-publication purposes
2. As part of your marketing strategy

Whatever the case may be, let’s look at why you should move forward with making an eBook.

Self-publication

Whether it’s a research paper or simply a book you’ve been working on, self-publishing an eBook is a great idea for anyone looking to share their ideas with the world. Not sure how to publish an eBook? Don’t let that stand in your way; it’s pretty easy and worth the effort. Given the fact that eBooks are shareable and easily accessible to readers, new writers can expand their audience by sharing their eBooks online.

They’re also a great way to gain confidence in your specific subject matter and improve your writing skills. Creating an eBook to educate readers allows you to expand your knowledge on the topic, establish your expertise, and develop your writing and editing skills along the way.

Marketing strategy 

eBooks are becoming increasingly popular as part of marketing strategies. This is because content is the backbone of inbound marketing, and the quality of that content can make or break an inbound marketing strategy. When it comes to mastering your strategy, understanding what type of content works best in each stage will help you successfully plan your inbound marketing strategy.

eBooks are particularly great assets in the attract stage of the inbound marketing strategy. They create brand marketing awareness and offer value to visitors (potential customers) by giving them something that is useful to them. If you manage to do it right, you can turn those visitors into leads by gathering their contact details and moving them to the convert stage.

As a marketer, writing an eBook is a great opportunity to be the one-stop shop that readers want. With informative, valuable content, you’ll attract strangers to your website and provide your company with potential leads. How do these visitors become leads, you ask? If you gather their contact information, such as their email addresses. A great example of how effective eBooks can be in your marketing efforts.

Quite possibly my favorite benefit of eBooks. The book-printing industry consumes 16 million tons of paper each year; that’s 32 million trees. And don’t get me started on the amount of pollution that factories release into the air. Talk about an enormous carbon footprint.

With eBooks making up around 30 percent of book sales, they not only save energy and reduce pollution, but they also save approximately 9.6 million of those 32 million trees annually! This is a win for everyone.

eBooks are portable and convenient

Anything that makes life easier for people is attractive, and convenience is a real crowd pleaser. eBooks are portable AND convenient. With a supported eBook device, you can have a library at your fingertips. Carrying around your favorite books on your iPad, eReader, smartphone, or tablet (all lightweight devices!) sounds a lot easier than lugging around a thousand paperback books if you ask me.

Instantly download eBooks

Nowadays, when people want something, they want it now. You can buy an eBook from virtually anywhere on any eBook-supported device with the touch of a button and download it instantly. No more driving to the store and wandering around for hours, shuffling through the dozens of bookshelves, or waiting for your order to arrive. You can easily access eBooks anytime and anywhere, and start reading right away.

You can change the font size of an eBook

Depending on the format (excludes PDF), you can change the font size of an eBook. This is especially appealing to those who have a hard time seeing. No more squinting or reaching for your glasses. It’s nice and easy to customize your font size with an eBook.

Although you can’t change the font size of a PDF eBook, you still can zoom in on your device. Not as convenient, but still something you can’t do with a paperback book.

eBooks are searchable

Unlike paperback books, eBooks are easily searchable. Instead of flipping through the pages trying to find a favorite quote or part of the story, you can go back by searching keywords to find the section of your book you were looking for. This is especially helpful when you’re reading long books that would take hours to flip through looking for a specific page. 

It can be overwhelming learning how to make an eBook, but they’re actually fairly easy to put together and promote with a little guidance.

1. Define your audience and goal

The process begins with defining your objectives and audience. 

Ask: “Who is this for?” and “What do I want it to do?”
Is this a lead magnet? A thought leadership piece? A monetized product?

Knowing these things will then allow you to choose a topic that will not only interest your audience, but also fulfill the reason you’re writing the eBook in the first place.

2. Choose your topic and title

Use long-tail keywords that reflect reader intent.

Example: “How to Build a Lead-Gen Funnel With eBooks”

Once you’ve chosen a topic, choose a specific title to pull in your readers. It should also give them a reason to want to read your eBook; a vague title won’t get you very far.

3. Build your outline

From there, begin outlining your eBook by planning an effective introduction, breaking it into chapters, and placing appropriate calls to action throughout. Creating this outline will save you time once you start writing.

Break the book into:

• A hooky intro
• 3–6 core chapters
• Calls-to-action (CTAs)
• Final summary or checklist

Writing your eBook should be fun. This is your chance to show readers that you’re an expert on the subject you’re writing about. Include details, be creative, and show them what you’re made of. Be sure to proofread once you’re done!

4. Write with clarity and voice

Keep it conversational but authoritative. Use examples. Anticipate reader questions.

5. Design it well

Next comes the design. From color to visuals to branding and font, the design of your eBook should complement the content it will include. Your title should pull the reader in, but the design should help with that too. As you have noticed, creating marketing content requires multiple steps and teams coming together to create a new piece of content. Some companies use a content marketing platform to communicate efficiently between projects.

Use Canva, InDesign, etc. to style your eBook. Focus on:

• Readable fonts
• Strong contrast
• Whitespace + visuals

To make your eBook appear easy to read, consider the formatting too; break up large blocks of text with lists and visuals.

6. Convert your file

Finally, you’ll want to convert, publish, and promote your eBook! You’ve put a lot of thought into it, as well as invested a lot of time in it. So promoting it is an important step. You want to make sure your eBook is seen and read. Creating a landing page, using social media marketing, and incorporating your eBook in your blog strategy are all simple, yet effective, ways to start promoting your eBook right away.

Now that you’ve made an eBook, it’s time to sell it. One of the easiest ways to distribute your eBook is to sell it directly from your website. You can easily sell PDFs and EBUBs on your site, but be sure to give visitors instructions on how to download your eBook.

Another great place to start: Amazon. In 2017, Amazon led eBook sales in the indie self-published, small/medium publishers, and big five published categories. So if you’re looking to reach the largest market, get your eBook on Amazon.

Some other retailers dominating eBook sales include Apple, Kobo, and Nook.

If you get your eBook on these sites, you’ll be selling them like crazy in no time. 

• Including your eBook in nurture or email drip campaigns
• Scheduling regular social media posts with quotes and links to your eBook
• Using influencer marketing to promote your eBook
• Writing email and phone scripts about your eBook for cold outreach

The list goes on and on, but when it comes down to it, the more exposure you can get for your eBook, the more readers you’ll attract. Consider the examples above to get you started, but don’t be afraid to spend some time brainstorming creative distribution and promotional tactics, either.

Promotion and distribution tactics

Once your eBook is finished, your job’s only half done. Now it’s time to get it in front of the right people.

Email campaigns

• Use a drip sequence to nurture leads with chapters or highlights
• Add download links to onboarding emails and newsletters
• Segment based on interests and behavior

Landing pages

Create a standalone lead-gen page with:

• A compelling headline
• Sneak peek or excerpt
• Social proof
• Lead form or instant download

Social and influencers

• Run promo posts across LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X
• Partner with niche influencers or micro-creators to spread the word

Cold outreach

Use the eBook as a conversation starter:

“Hey [Name], I put together a guide on [Topic] — mind if I send it your way?”

Tip: Track downloads and CTAs with UTM parameters and conversion events.

Ready to create designs that look as good on screen as they do in print? Explore the best desktop publishing software and start your next project today.

This article was initially published in 2018. The content has been updated with new information.