The number of e-book users will rise to about 92.9 million people between 2024 and 2027. That is a golden opportunity for coaches who want to reach more clients.
E-books are a cost-effective way to grow your client. The question is what type of free e-books should you create? You can write one of these 13 business coaching PDF guides to attract clients via your website and social media.
What is a Coaching e-Book?
It is a digital publication that readers can access using computers, tablets, or smartphones. The e-book is for reading only — your audience cannot edit it. A good practice is to convert the text into a read-only format to protect your content from copyright issues.
Creating free e-books for your target audience opens up an avenue to generate and engage with new leads. It:
- Allows you to increase your credibility as a professional coach by generating authoritative content in your area of specialization
- Is a vital tool for differentiating yourself from the competition
- Is an effective way to gather the target customer emails you need for your marketing campaign
- Is an effective way to grow your brand
- Helps you build connection and trust with your target audience
So, what are good free e-book ideas to write about?
1. A How–To Guide
A how-to e-book captures and nurtures new leads for your coaching business. It guides your target customers on how to identify and deal with their challenges.
How-to guides promote the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) attitude among consumers. It explains the directions on how to do something right.
The guide includes specific or step-by-step processes of how a customer can complete a specific task or complete a set goal.
Tip: Make your how-to guide competitive by including demonstration images and videos.
2. An Ultimate Guide e-Book
It is a detailed version of a how-to guide for clients who want to gain new skills.
Sample Scenario: Think of a client researching how to manage their business finances better. Such a customer is looking for comprehensive financial information on how to cut business costs, improve revenues and profitability, and maintain better records.
A how-to guide may be too short to provide such a customer with all the information they require to achieve this objective. You can answer the prospects questions with a comprehensive ultimate guide that discusses these concepts in chapters.
Tip: Use relatable examples that will enable the target audience to understand the concepts with little effort.
3. Case Study e-Book
Case studies contain real-life examples that convince your target audience to trust your brand. 73% of the most successful content marketers have used case studies for content creation and distribution.
The e-book inspires your target audience to believe that the challenge they are experiencing is solvable. For example “Lose 10 pounds through a 60 days Fitness Program: A Case Study.”
The title captures the attention of people interested in losing weight. One way to retain these readers is by presenting tangible proof of former clients who are willing to share their fitness journey stories.
4. Personal / Brand Story
Frank McCourt once said, “Everyone has a story to tell. All you have to do is write it. But it’s not that easy.” If you reflect on your journey, you’ll realize you have a story to tell about how you started your business, the challenges you overcame, and more.
The brand story e-book enables you to create an emotional connection by sharing your journey with the audience. A brand story gives your business a face and voice that your target audience can relate to and trust.
Potential clients will trust you more when they realize you have also been in the same situation as they are and you found your way out. For example, Oprah Winfrey has published several books about her personal life experiences that she uses as motivation tools for her target audience.
Clients who relate to your brand at a personal level are more likely to become loyal customers.
5. Self-Help e-Book
Self-help e-books target a specific niche of a broader target market — for example, busy parents who are also entrepreneurs.
You may target the audience using an e-book about managing time. In the guide, address the specific challenges related to this topic and offer solutions that will satisfy the customers’ specific needs.
Tip: Use an empathetic tone in your self-help e-book — it shows you understand their situation and want to help them get through the challenge.
6. Insider Insight e-Book
The guide turns you into an investigative journalist offering your target audience information that they would only get from a knowledgeable person in the industry.
The exclusive information you offer the readers enables them to make better decisions about products or services in that industry. For example, “The Truth about Weight Loss Supplements”
Customers in the consideration and decision (purchase) stage of a buyer’s journey will use the information you relay in this e-book to make informed decisions. For example, a decision on whether to rely on weight loss supplements or undertake a fitness program to lose weight.
The insider guide makes your target audience trust you more.
7. General Discussion e-Book
The text engages your target audience by focusing on a general topic that interests them. The guide shows customers the humane side of your brand — it convinces them you’re genuinely interested in helping them solve their problems even when they don’t have the money to buy your program.
A recent consumer experience survey found that 59% of consumers feel organizations have lost touch with the human element of customer experience. Humanizing your brand will heighten your competitive advantage in your industry.
Remember to create excitement to trigger a discussion by asking questions in the book.
8. Common Mistakes or Misconceptions e-Book
The e-book shows your customers how to avoid falling in the usual traps, for example, you can write a book about ‘7 Mistakes Small Businesses Make in Their First Month.”
Another example would be: “The Top 5 Financial Planning Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make.”
Your customers will be more clear with their needs after getting all the facts from your e-book and they may hire you to help them solve their problems.
9. Expert Roundup
It is a collection of experts’ opinions on a specific topic or a series of FAQs. The experts may expand on other issues relevant to your target audience since it is an open discussion.
You have to identify people knowledgeable in the subject and collect their opinions before creating the guide. It’ll make your text credible and the experts can link to your site giving you more exposure.
10. Beginners Guide e-Book
The latest data from the Small Business Administration (SBA) indicate that about 90% of startups in America fail. One of the causes of failure is the lack of enough skills and information.
Some people also possess the skills but lack direction on how best to utilize them. Sometimes, a lack of confidence and belief in oneself also hinders people from trying or learning new things.
Your beginner’s guide e-book advices readers’ on how to make the right start to their careers, businesses, programs, or life stages.
The beginner’s e-book is a must if you’re targeting customers who are starting their journey. It is an excellent source of potential clients who turn to you for mentoring, guidance, and more training.
Example: “Steps to Begin Your Career as a Social Media Manager.”
11. De-mystified e-Book
It focuses on simplifying complex issues clients face in the industry. The topics you choose for this e-book will be from issues or questions raised by your clients.
Your e-book breaks complex issues into small well-organized and understandable subtopics. You may include expert opinions on the matter, but make sure it is in a simple understandable language.
12. Reviews e-Book
There are numerous ‘best …… for…..’ topics to write about on any given website. For example, “Best Saving Account for an Entrepreneur” is an ideal topic if you’re a financial coach.
A significant portion of customers trust expert reviews on a product or service before making a purchase decision. Your reviews will enable customers finalize their purchase decisions.
13. List of Winning Tactics or Habits
Your target audience wants a hint of what makes you successful at what you do. They hope to gain success by implementing similar tactics or adopting habits like yours.
Create an e-book that will attract people to share its content online.
How to Implement Your Free e-Book Ideas for Maximum Gains
To get maximum benefits from your guides:
- Focus on one stage in the buyers journey: One way to go about this is by narrowing down the field of focus to reflect your target customer’s stage in the buyer’s journey. For example, a how-to guide e-book will be ideal for customers in the awareness stage of their buyer’s journey.
- Choose a specific title: People will judge the text by its cover and the title. Make the title specific and catchy to capture more readers. For example, “Increase Your Tax Savings by 20%” will earn more downloads than, “How to Improve your Tax Savings.”
- Select an e-book format: The format you choose influences how you arrange content in the guide. Common e-book formats include lists, collections, step-by-step processes, toolkits (checklists, cheat sheets, or templates), and white papers.
Let Us Help You Get Started
Want to attract customers with a free e-book download on your website? Book a call now for help narrowing down the specific ideas to explore for your coaching business. Let us help you analyze topics that can generate more leads and keep your current clients engaged.