How long should an email list building free e-book be?

by 10 replies
11
Hi all.

I FINALLY joined!

I am about to launch a parenting website with special focus on 'eduparenting' -- parents who have a special interest in the wellbeing and education of their children. As a teacher and school leader of two decades, it seemed like a suitable niche. And I believe it could also be quite profitable.

I have prepared 20 blog posts and am about to set up, but know that I need to have something to offer people off the at so that I can start gathering email addresses. My question is: how long should I make my 'free' e-book 10,000 words? 5000? Is there a sweet spot?

I'm a good writer and have some pro tools to help, but don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time on writing the book when I need to get the website and blog out there.

Thanks in advance!
#beginners area #building #ebook #email #free #list #long
  • Congratulations on your new 'parenting' website! For your free e-book, aim for around 5,000 to 7,000 words. Provide practical tips and advice for parents to actively engage in their children's education. Focus on quality content without overwhelming yourself. and please if you don't mind can you give me your website name so I can visit your website?
    Thank you.

  • That's a long article - not a book. Offering a 'free ebook' and sending 15-20 pages is not going to impress anyone.



    Can list site in signature but no links to site in post...per forum rules. "About to launch" seems like site is in development.
  • [DELETED]
  • The "sweet spot" is offering something that a potential subscriber would value enough to sign up for.

    That could be anything from a substantial report/ebook to a one-page check-list of useful resources. It all comes down to the content - and how well you know your target audience.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks


  • Your giveaway does not need to be any particular
    length, you should focus more on providing great
    content, so however long it takes to convey your
    information, that's how long it should be.

    It also doesn't have to be an ebook, it could be a
    cheat sheet, worksheet, recipe, template, etc.

    I recommend topics such as how-to guides, insider
    information and things that are considered industry
    secrets. This usually works to entice people to sign
    up for the freebie and your newsletter.

    Setting up an authority website with relevant content,
    emails, and freebies can be time-consuming, so you
    should block out a couple of weeks or even a month
    or more to get it all set up. Some things should not
    be rushed.
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Exactly what Monetize said ... it needs to be as long as it needs to be to thoroughly cover the topic at hand. That may only take 1,000 words; it may take 100,000.

      Remember, it's free. It's not like someone paid for something and will be severely disappointed if they don't receive a full encyclopedia.

      They will tend to regard you as an expert and buy something down the line the more comprehensive your free e-book is, but, another tact is to give the basic guidelines in an ebook and have links that direct people toward the far more comprehensive (and paid for) version of the ebook/article. Which approach you ultimately decide on is something that needs to be split-test
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Focus on content and try to give as much information as you can. I also thing that 5,000 to 7,000 words is a good length but if you want longer go for it.
  • Monetize is right. The length is determined by what needs to be included to make it worth your clients' time.


    That said, if you call it a book, some people will be disappointed if it's too short. However, different people put the cutoff point at different pages.


    Call it a report, and nobody'll complain, no matter what the length.


    Why are you offering a book?


    Why not several cheat sheets (to segment them), with upsales (even if free) of
    report
    then book?


    What are you going to be selling? If only one type of thing, you do not need to segment. If more than one type of thing, segmenting, and segmenting early, would help.
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
  • [DELETED]
  • [DELETED]
  • Does it really matter? Trying to make your lead magnet bloated is why many fail.

    If you focus only on how many words you want to cram in, you'd leave your subscribers disappointed. Bad first impression.

    Instead of there to squeeze out 5000 words, why not try to give your audience something valuable? I mean Info that will help them immediately and blow their minds, making them come back and thank you for giving it out for free.

    If 500 words do the job, fine. No need to add extra 4500 extra words of irrelevant fluff.

    Just focus on the value first.

  • Yes - it matters if you are calling it 'an ebook'. 500 words is barely an article - but you could offer a report or a 'training series'. If you offer an ebook - and send someone 5 pages...they will be underwhelmed.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Congratulations on your new venture! Your expertise as a teacher and school leader is a great foundation. For your e-book, aim for quality over quantity. A concise 5,000-7,000 words can be impactful and manageable. It's about providing actionable insights. Best of luck with your website launch and email collection!
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • [DELETED]
Join the discussion

Next Topics on Trending Feed