You might be just starting to create ebooks as a marketing tool or rethinking their place in your current content strategy.

Whatever stage you’re at, you’re probably asking yourself a crucial question: what ebook formats are best for your marketing library? This is a legitimate concern because the ebook format you select will affect how successful your campaign is.

All ebook formats are discussed here, along with advice on which one is ideal for your project. We’ll also talk about how using Dazzling Way’s ebook templates can help you meet the goals your marketing team has set for generating leads.

Templates for formatting ebooks

Download our package of sample ebooks to get a sense of the different ebook formats that are accessible to you.

You may format your ebook content in Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign, or Google Slides with the help of our selection of 36 free ebook templates. You can format your ebooks to best meet the demands of your marketing team and the tastes of the people who will be reading your information.

The best ebook formats for producing content

Adobe’s sophisticated design software gives people who make content a lot of options for how to format and create their work. These are the ebook formats you ought to start thinking about if you’re a content provider.

Adobe InDesign 

Adobe’s sophisticated design software gives people who make content a lot of options for how to format and create their work.

Although these sophisticated tools are pricey, professional marketing designers rely on Adobe InDesign because of them.

Pros

Adobe is renowned for having many features. Because you can build and include unique design components right into your document, you can expect your ebooks to look their best when created with InDesign.

Cons

The bells and whistles of InDesign might not be necessary for a beginner designer or a marketer who just wants to put out a useful ebook. Because InDesign’s interface and usability aren’t the easiest to use, you might have to put in more work than is necessary to produce your final product.

Google Slides 

In comparison to InDesign, Google Slides is a simpler tool for creating ebooks. The ebook is available online, so you and your team can work together in real-time to create an excellent deliverable. Oh, and it’s free, which is advantageous if your marketing budget is tight.

Pros

Google Slides is a great tool for marketers who need to make a good ebook quickly, especially if they are working with a team and asking for feedback. If you’re unfamiliar with either application, Google Slides’ interface is probably simpler than InDesign’s, so you can move and update creative elements more quickly.

Cons

Google Slides is more of a presentation tool than an ebook authoring tool, so you might miss some important details that would help make your ebooks interesting enough to get the attention of your leads.

On the other hand, you might need to create design elements somewhere else (like in Canva or Adobe) and then import them into your Google Slides presentation. If you need to find design pieces after you’ve made them, this can make the process of making things less consistent.

 Microsoft PowerPoint 

PowerPoint is another presentation-making platform that may be used to create an ebook. It is a little more sophisticated than Google Slides, but not nearly as sophisticated as Adobe software.

Pros

Google Slides lacks some capabilities that PowerPoint provides, such as superior design effects. Additionally, PowerPoint is an offline program, allowing you to create ebooks without Internet access.

Cons

In Google Workspace, PowerPoint is not a free tool but a purchased piece of software. If you’re working together on updates and additions with your team, you won’t be in sync with them. Lastly, it doesn’t have as many advanced features as InDesign does, even though it has more creative features than Google Slides.

See Also:(9 predictions on the future of automation in 2022)

The best ebook formats for reading

Because you can include links, make your ebook look like a real book, and spice up your content, the ebook formats in this section are optimal for content consumption. The forms consist of:

1.Interactive PDF 

The best way to read an ebook is in a format that lets you move it around and interact with it (PDF).

For a variety of reasons, PDFs are the preferred format for content marketing ebooks. Among them are the readability on various devices and the coherence of their design.

Since PDFs allow for the insertion of links to pertinent web pages and other sources, Dazzling Way uses them for all of its ebooks. We can also just add them to our content library and be sure that the design will stay the same whether our leads read the ebook in Chrome, Safari, or Preview. If people access the document on their desktop computer or on their phone, it will still look the same.

Because the book is interactive, we can also include an open text box where readers can complete a task (like in our Content Marketing Workbook). Also, readers can finish the task in the same program they are using to read the content.

2. EPUB

You can also save your ebooks using the EPUB file format, which stands for electronic publication.

After becoming a popular ebook format for e-readers, EPUBs gained popularity. But because it can be read on Apple macOS and iOS devices through Apple Books, the format is also a workable, if somewhat limited, choice for content marketing ebooks.

The. Epub file format’s ability to scroll is one of its distinctive qualities. Readers can view one page at a time and must scroll or swipe horizontally to simulate reading a real book. In contrast, PDFs require vertical scrolling. Instead of interacting with online material, your users will feel like They are reading a book when they use the epub format. This could make it harder for readers to navigate the article and get the necessary information, though.

Also, unlike PDFs, .epub files can include video and audio files. This lets your users access more interactive information without ever having to leave the ebook.

You can save your InDesign ebooks as an.epub file if you’re sick of the PDF format and want to jazz up your content format. Just be aware that certain readers might not be able to read your content, even though you probably don’t want this to happen. This is due to the format’s restrictions. For instance, pub files cannot be read by Amazon Kindle devices. If readers wish to read your ebook on their Kindles, they will need to convert it into another format.

How to Select the Appropriate Ebook Format

The format you choose for your ebook will have a direct effect on how well it does after you publish it. Here are some suggestions to assist you in making the best decision for your project.

1. Take into account your target market

Who are your clients? The first thing you must decide before selecting an ebook format is this. Readers must be able to access your content. For instance, if you want to reach a large audience, you should think about using an ebook format that is compatible with a variety of digital devices.

2. Choose your ebook’s marketing strategy

Another important consideration is the format’s suitability for your ebook’s intended audience. You will self-publish when it comes to selling ebooks since you need to expedite the process. You can either do this on your own website or on a platform like Amazon.

You can market your ebook using your resources if you choose to self-publish. So, you’ll need a plan to reach a large audience, which could include using an ebook format like AZW that works on any device. Your audience will be able to read your book on the most platforms thanks to this, giving you the greatest degree of versatility.

3. Take into account the e-book’s genre

The characteristics of the ebook format should also be taken into account while choosing it. Will there be primarily words or also graphics and images? Will you be including useful, downloadable digital products like Google Sheets for readers? All of this will help you choose the ideal ebook format for your undertaking. If at all feasible, make a list of every sort of information your ebook will have to be sure the format you select for it will accommodate them all.

You will need a format that supports these capabilities if you plan to sell an ebook that includes music or video, along with digital graphics and pictures. For instance, while MOBI does not, EPUB supports movies, color graphics, and other interactive components.

Refrain from making assumptions about how your book will appear in an electronic format. Sometimes the end result will be very different from what you wanted, and fixing it will be expensive. Before choosing any format, make sure you have all the facts and have done extensive study.

4. Take your ebook’s security and privacy into account

The last thing you want after spending a lot of time and effort writing an ebook from scratch is for everyone to start modifying it after it has been published. This may affect your brand in a number of ways. For example, if you give your audience false information about your project, it could lead to results you didn’t plan for. Make sure there is a mechanism for the reader to edit materials in your ebook. They can avoid modifying the whole thing. This protects the privacy of your readers by stopping people from accidentally putting their personal information on a public paper.

To keep your ebook safe, you should stop people from copying, printing, and pasting it without your permission. This is especially important for expensive e-books since it stops people from sharing your information without your permission. It is suggested to use a format like EPUB that is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) if limiting sharing is significant to you (DRM). The latter prevents unauthorized sharing by locking files on a certain platform.

5. Consider your budget

The easiest way to decide between two or more ebook formats that are suitable for your project is to weigh the costs. How much will each format cost you to release your ebook? Is it practical? Don’t forget to factor in the expense of expansion as well. The ideal ebook format is affordable both initially and over time. It’s not worth it if it’s initially affordable but restricts your ability to grow. When you want to grow, a good ebook format should not only make it easier to sell your product, but it should also be affordable.

Select the appropriate ebook format, then begin

There are a number of widely used ebook formats available on the market. However, what works for one publisher may not be the ideal choice for another, just like anything else in business. Spend some time learning about what each format has to offer, and then choose the one that works best for your project.

Additionally, think about the price, the type of material your ebook contains, and most importantly, the delivery strategy that will best reach your target audience.