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With more than 2 million blog posts written daily, finding a way to stand out is essential for any content marketer who wants to avoid getting lost in the online noise. There are many strategies for establishing a content brand and building a following. One question frequently asked is, “Should I convert my content to an e-book?”

There are certainly pros and cons to taking existing content and converting it into a downloadable e-book. When done properly, it can help build a brand. But when done without a plan, it just becomes lost with everything else lacking the desired SEO exposure.

Using Existing Content “As Is”

There are many programs today that convert existing content into beautiful e-books. One might question why someone would want to convert existing published content into an e-book.

What this does for you as the content marketer is give readers something they can take with them and read. It becomes a strong lead magnet and opens up the brand to new readers who might subscribe to future blogs and content.

Ideally, content marketers work to establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries. A “book” helps accomplish this by providing a venue for simple and sleek content that pulls leads and subscribers in.

Riffing Off Existing Content

Rather than just reformat a blog into an e-book, a content marketer might take existing content and expand it in one way or another. Of course, the more you add, twist, or riff on content, the more content creation work you create.

That being said, if you already have a large reader base, giving them something new and different might renew interest and upgrade your brand.  You don’t want to be redundant in the information you give readers who have already been through your content.

Choose existing content that was well received by your subscribers; these are the topics they are most interested in. Then add to it, update the information, and give them more.

Content like this not only becomes a strong lead magnet for new subscribers – it also becomes a method of monetizing the content.

Creating a Marketing Plan

Smart content marketers KNOW that even great content does nothing to build a brand without a strong marketing plan. Ask the millions of self-published authors on Amazon or Kindle who sold 100 copies to friends and family and then went nowhere.

Any content needs a marketing strategy and a platform to reach a bigger audience. Without these, content becomes self-indulgent bucket list items that take up space in the digital world.

What does a content marketing strategy look like?

There is no surefire way to accomplish marketing success. E-books used as lead magnets lend themselves to attractive social media ads targeting the desired audience.

For brands looking to use the e-book to build a sales conversion platform, develop the right funnel, whether to an existing email list or new targets. Use the e-book as a way to intrigue readers and follow up with a systematic drip campaign with a call to action.

Develop power partnerships with industry leaders and mentors, giving them access to freely promote your e-book to their base. Allowing thought leaders to use your e-book as their giveaway presents you as another thought-leader with incredible social proof. Who doesn’t want exposure to another leader’s subscriber list?

The bottom line is to be smart with converting content and don’t just do it for the sake of having an e-book. Develop content according to a plan.