A good public relations campaign needs imagination.

Most people enjoy getting gifts. Books are always popular. Why not combine these ideas and give your current and potential customers a free ebook as a goodwill gesture?

An ebook is an electronic book. With the help of modern software anyone in business can publish one inexpensively and speedily (in a variety of different formats).

ADVANTAGES FOR PUBLISHERS

An ebook has many advantages over a conventional book for the company producing it. In particular:

• There are no printing costs.
• There are no distribution costs.
• No storage space is required.
• Links can be provided to one or more web sites.
• There is no wastage from obsolescence.
• The information in the book can readily be kept up to date.
• The contents can easily be expanded in the light of feedback.
• The use of colours is easy.
• The medium is ideal for photographs and other images.
• As much information as is considered desirable can readily be accommodated.
• The absence of paper means that an ebook is environmentally friendly.

It is good public relations to give your customers information about your products and services. Topics such as the importance of preventive maintenance can also be presented.

But you can also discuss matters unrelated to the company directly - for example, the need to reduce the adverse effects of climate change, how to lead a healthy lifestyle or how to manage one's personal finances.

In the process the image of your company as a good corporate citizen will be enhanced and you will have kept its name and logo before the public.

As an alternative to being made available completely free of charge an ebook produced by your company could be offered for sale to your customers for a nominal figure. Some people value items for which they have actually paid money more highly. Apart from that, books which have been purchased are more likely to be read.

ADVANTAGES FOR READERS

An ebook also has great advantages for its readers:

• They experience no postal delays in receiving a copy.
• They never encounter a waiting period while a warehouse processes an order.
• An ebook does not take up any shelf space in its owner's personal library or office.
• It cannot be misfiled.
• Even if it is not free, it usually costs a lot less than a conventional book.
• An ebook is readily searchable.
• Extracts can easily be made.
• Its type size on screen can be adjusted for comfortable reading.
• It can be used with text-to-speech software.
• It will never wear out.
• Related web sites can be accessed by a single mouse click.

What does an ebook look like? Some examples (ebooks by Nick Renton) may be of interest.

Successful Public Relations is a book which every CEO of a business should read.

The Wit and Wisdom of the Money Experts is a work that contains wonderful quotations on business and investment - ideal material for someone preparing a speech or an advertising brochure.

It is most desirable for an ebook to have an appropriate cover, even though it has no physical presence. The cover of Successful Public Relations shows a colourful portion of the Mandelbrot set, designed to attract attention.

The cover of The Wit and Wisdom of the Money Experts shows a 19th century share certificate featuring a picture of a fascinating steam engine, while that of Successful Newsletters shows the logos of voluntary associations that are typical publishers of their own newsletters.

The cover of Reflections of a Business Rebel: Controversial Essays shows bookshelves with some of the books written by the author.

This is the 21st century. Modern businesses need to realise that the era of the ebook has arrived.