It’s no secret that you can make money selling ebooks, but you can also make some money giving them away for free. Reports, and guides can actually be used to generate sales even if you’re not selling them, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

First and foremost, you need to create a compelling report. If no one wants to download your product, you can’t make it work for you. Be sure to pick a topic that matters to your audience. Think about questions your readers might have, or problems they might be looking to solve, and go from there.

Now that you have a compelling report in hand, it’s time to monetize it, and one sure fire way is through affiliate links. If your guide teaches the reader how to do something, consider including affiliate links to any products they might need to accomplish the task at hand. If you’re teaching the reader how to repair their DVD player, include affiliate links to all of the tools they’ll need to open the DVD player up, and any other parts they might need once they’re in there. The odds on making a sale are pretty high here, because you already know the reader is interested in the products you’re pushing – after all, they wouldn’t have downloaded your report if they didn’t intend to get into their DVD player, and they won’t be doing that without the right tools.

You can also use the report to push your own products or services. For example, if you repair DVD players professionally, at the end of your DVD player repair guide, leave your contact information and rates for your repair service. If the reader is intimidated by the repair process, they might have you fix their DVD player instead of attempting the repair themselves.

Remember, it’s not just the initial downloader you’re reaching, but everyone they share it with.If your report really helped them, they will be more likely to share it with a friend, and the more people that see it, the more money you’ll make.

By giving your readers a little information for free, you can turn a comfortable profit on affiliate links, and other related products and services. Be sure to provide solid content in the report, and your readers will be more likely to click your affiliate links or order your products and services.