The eBook is the future and they’ve been saying this for quite a few years now. Even if you don’t agree, it’s become relevant that although the "printed word on paper and bound into books" method used to be the only way information was given and received, this is no longer the case - certainly for education, and employment, and with movement into the private lives of our everyday.  Books were great - and remain great -  you can take them with you and put them on shelves; and they do still exist and will continue to for the foreseeable future but the time of the E-book has well and truly arrived. And many are using eBooks as a valid marketing tool.

The marketing eBook is a slightly different beast from other informational eBooks. Marketing eBooks contain text, images, links to web pages and navigation controls. The marketing eBook has become a very important part of marketing on the Internet. Viral marketing - getting the word out via an ebook, linking to your product website, blog, resume - it’s now the biggest thing in internet marketing, and eBooks are right in the middle of that info-age.

With a marketing eBook you are able to present your story in an effective way and include links to your web sales pages. Your E-book may well become your best sales tool in your portfolio.

First, your eBook needs to be interesting and informative. Importantly it also needs to be relevant - to both your own content niche and products and to your readers or customers. There’s no point giving away an eBook on auto-mechanics to your scrapbooking mums audience, for instance. Your eBook will  always have links back to your web site and to your sales page. That’s what you’re creating / publishing it for, right?

Next, make certain that you have a prominent section telling readers that they are free to give your E-book away. Yep, let them give it away - that’s the viral in viral marketing.  Let them know that they can post it onto their web site as a free download, that they can use it as a bonus - for subscribers or with another gift package they are providing, and that they can bundle it with other products. This is the way to create word of mouth marketing for your products or services.

Before you send your eBook out to the world, check spelling and grammar, and be sure that you have tested every link to verify that it goes where it is supposed to go. Ensure that your eBook provides a professional and reputation-building offering for those who do get hold of it.

Create a download page for your eBook - on your own site if you need to. Think about your own promotional strategies for the eBook.

Finally, now that your marketing eBook is ready to launch, start your promotional activities. Offer it from your own website, send it out via a subscriber mailing list, advertise it on relevant forums (in your signature if that’s acceptable). Ask a peer or favourite blogger in your niche to review and promote it for you. And you can post your eBook to some of the E-book directories. Many let you post it free of charge, or will let you post a link on their web site to your E-book.