Companies experiment with different content formats to make their digital marketing strategies more efficient. Also, It enables them to repurpose their content to increase website traffic and maintain the existing audience. Ebooks have become popular in recent years thanks to the normalization of tablets and e-readers. PEW research statistics from 2011 showed that 17% of Americans had read an ebook while, in 2012, this share reached 21%. Additionally, Marketers have found that producing a well-designed digital manuscript contributes to better lead generation. So, here are some crucial components of designing a compelling ebook.
Table of Contents
Elements of a well-crafted ebook
- Ebook title
- Ebook cover
- Table of contents
- Organized layout
- Color combination
- Readable fonts
- White space
- Social buttons
- Mobile-friendliness
- CTAs
Elements of a well-crafted ebook
Designing a compelling ebook is important. Marketers prefer creating well-crafted ebooks because of numerous reasons. These portable, shareable, and lightweight products have become a necessary component of every business’s content marketing strategy. They are globally accessible and come equipped with features such as read-aloud that enable visually-impaired people to study ebooks. These digital volumes can be updated, allow readers to copy/paste their favorite portion, and offer convenient search options.
But the most crucial element of your ebook involves its design. Since it’s the design that convinces your target readers whether they’re interested in reading your content or not, ebooks that have poor designs fail to attract many readers. Fortunately, there are many ways to make an ebook design appealing enough to grasp your niche’s attention. We’ll discuss ten significant contributors to a well-designed digital manuscript so that you can produce a successful product for your marketing campaign:
1. Ebook title:-
Though your ebook’s heading doesn’t exactly constitute a design element, this critical factor shouldn’t be overlooked. Since an engaging caption directly conveys your ebook’s worth. A reader judges your content’s value after glancing at the title. So, make the title interesting and descriptive. Ensure that this title demonstrates the actual value of your product compellingly. Your title should be actionable and hyper-targeted so the audience would quickly determine its merit.
Weak: Clothes to wear this summer
Medium: Which clothes to wear this summer in California?
Strong: Top 10 fashionable clothes and accessories for a comfortable California summer
2. Ebook cover:-
This is a very important aspect of designing a compelling ebook. Most readers will judge your ebook by its cover. An appealing and illustrative cover convinces folks to download your ebook. It helps readers choose your product instead of your competitor’s. That’s why marketers employ graphic designers to create an attractive package for their content. Use high-quality imagery to grab a customer’s attention. Ensure that the cover aligns with the perception of your brand and use a subtitle to convey the ebook’s value to the readers.
3. Table of contents:-
Including TOC (table of contents) allows readers to navigate through the ebook easily. Since ebooks are lengthy and people tend to examine the content to search for relevant information. Similarly, it’s better to add page numbers and bullet points in the product to make the ebook navigation-friendly. It allows readers to maneuver easily through the content by relying on the table of contents as their guide.
4. Organized layout:-
Your ebook’s layout must contain two essential elements: readability and appeal. The design helps keep readers engaged while they skim through your content. Did you know that people had an attention span of 12 seconds back in 2000? A study by Microsoft revealed that an average person’s attention span had decreased to mere 8 seconds! Thus, it’s imperative to keep the layout interesting and compelling. A tip is to break down lengthy paragraphs into shorter ones for better readability.
5. Color combination:-
Using the correct color combination is integral to design a visually appealing ebook. It’s optimal to use not more than four colors; otherwise, the mix would become overwhelming for readers. Use lighter shades for your manuscript’s background (such as white) since lighter colors make your content more readable. Accordingly, use darker shades for the content. Also, make your hyperlinks prominent by using a different color (such as blue).
6. Readable fonts:-
Please, don’t incorporate fonts that are difficult to decipher when designing a compelling ebook. It decreases your content’s readability. Fonts that are calligraphic or imitate a person’s handwriting are a big no while designing an ebook. You should choose simple fonts that are legible and contribute to the text’s comprehensibility. Stick to a single font for the entirety of your content. Though, if you want to highlight some unique aspects of your product, don’t go beyond three fonts for the reader’s sake.
7. White space:-
Including white space adds to your content’s readability and simplicity. Contrary to a misconception, white space doesn’t make your ebook appear insipid. Nobody likes reading pages that are cluttered and crowded with words. Your ebook’s layout must seem organized, and adding white space leads to a structured arrangement. It brings balance to your ebook’s design. White space ensures that readers don’t get distracted while reading and stay focused on the content.
8. Social buttons:-
Firstly, Social sharing buttons – as the name indicates – make your product massively shareable online. In fact, one HubSpot study stated that social buttons lead to seven times more mentions for your website on the internet. And, some websites provide sharing options only on the landing webpage. Experts even suggest that you should incorporate sharing buttons on every page on the ebook inside headers and footers. Lastly, it encourages your audience to share the information they like with their contacts.
9. Mobile-friendliness:-
When designing a compelling ebook, It is important to note that some people will prefer printing out the ebook to read it on paper instead of a screen. You should ensure that your digital manuscript is printer-friendly. Moreover, most of your website traffic comes from smartphone users. So, it’s crucial to ascertain that your ebook’s PDF version works fine when viewed on hand-held devices. If your ebook lacks mobile optimization, you’ll lose a significant portion of your target audience. So, test out the final product’s mobile compatibility.
10. CTAs:-
In the end, what’s the eventual purpose of producing ebooks? Your content should convince the audience to take some action, such as subscribing to your newsletter or purchasing your latest product. CTAs (calls-to-action) encourages your readers to take that desired action. Now, where should you place these CTAs? It’s viable to insert eye-catching and attention-grabbing CTAs at the end of the ebook. Dedicate an entire page for CTAs and emphasize them with different colors.
Conclusion
Experts believe that the ebook market will continue growing in popularity. However, paperbacks outshine digital manuscripts in worldwide consumption. According to estimates, the ebook market will exceed $23.12 billion in five years, while it stood at $18.13 billion in 2020. Marketers utilize ebooks to repurpose their long-form content. Ultimately, designing a compelling ebook heavily contributes to its worth and appeal. You can expect to acquire a larger audience by producing well-designed and visually appealing ebooks.
Enjoy This Article? You May Also Like:
- Ultimate Guide To Increase Sales On Instagram
- Top 10 Essential Beginner Graphic Designers Tips
- 22 Ultimate Instagram Content Editing Apps
- 7 Content Writing Strategies to Boost Your Organic Traffic