Why digital publishing is the future of communications for municipalities

In MARKETING
17 October 2024
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Communication is a crucial issue for municipalities. As local players, they must inform citizens, publish administrative documents and promote their initiatives. However, in the face of increasing digitalization, traditional means of communication are no longer sufficient to meet the expectations of citizens, who demand accessible, up-to-date and interactive information. Against this backdrop, digital publishing is emerging as an innovative solution, enabling municipalities to modernize their communications.

Thanks to tools like Calaméo, local authorities can disseminate their content more effectively while reducing costs. In this article, we explore how municipalities can use digital publishing to improve their communication practices.

Today’s communication challenges for municipalities

Municipalities face a number of communication challenges:

Multiple communication channels

Today’s citizens use a multitude of channels to obtain information: social networks, websites, newsletters, mobile applications and more. For municipalities, this means having to manage multiple platforms while maintaining a consistent message.

Accessibility and transparency

Access to public information is a legal requirement, but also a growing expectation on the part of citizens. It is becoming increasingly necessary to guarantee total transparency and easy access to official documents. However, managing paper documents or using disparate digital channels makes this task complex and inefficient.

Key benefits of digital publishing

Digital publishing offers a number of advantages for municipalities.

Instant and wide distribution

With tools like Calaméo, municipalities can distribute their documents and publications instantly to a wide audience. Newsletters, minutes of meetings and by-laws can be consulted immediately after they have been put online, accessible to all at any time.

Optimizing costs and resources (paperless)

Switching to digital publishing enables municipalities to significantly reduce their printing and distribution costs. By eliminating paper documents, municipalities can save resources while adopting an eco-responsible approach.

READ MORE: Publishing goes green: Five easy ways to reduce your impact

Greater accessibility for citizens

Digital publications can be viewed on any device: computer, tablet or smartphone. This enables citizens to consult local information at any time, wherever they are, thus improving access to public information.

Examples of use for municipalities

Digital publishing offers a wide range of applications for local authorities. Here are a few examples:

Interactive municipal newsletters

Municipal newsletters can be enriched with videos, links and interactive images, offering a more engaging reading experience for citizens.

READ MORE: Discover our EDITOR tool

Regulatory publications (by-laws, local urban plans)

Municipalities can publish regulatory documents such as by-laws or local urban plans online, enabling citizens to access them easily without having to travel.

Practical guides and tourist brochures

Practical guides, tourist brochures and information on municipal services can also be published online, making it easier to disseminate important information to residents and visitors alike.

Why should you use Calaméo?

Calaméo offers municipalities a complete solution for putting their documents online, optimizing them and distributing them efficiently.

Enriched, engaging publications

Calaméo is an intuitive platform for converting documents into interactive publications. Municipalities can create publications enriched with links, videos and much more – and distribute them online.

Powerful analysis tools

Our platform also offers analysis tools to track the performance of publications and understand how citizens interact with them. Thanks to these detailed analyses, municipalities can track in real time the number of views, the time spent on each page and the actions taken by readers (such as clicks on links or videos).

READ MORE: Analytics made easy: Track your publications on Calaméo

Optimizing your visibility with SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential if your publications are to be easily found on search engines such as Google. With Calaméo, municipalities can optimize their account and publication descriptions, as well as use strategic keywords in the titles and texts of their publications.

Simplified multi-channel distribution

Another of Calaméo’s great strengths is its ability to easily distribute your publications via multiple channels. Municipalities can integrate their interactive documents directly onto their website, but also share them on their social networks such as Facebook, Twitter (X) or LinkedIn.

All these features give municipalities greater flexibility and efficiency in their communications with citizens, while optimizing the management and distribution of their publications.

Conclusion

Digital publishing represents a real opportunity for municipalities to modernize their communications and better meet citizens’ expectations. By opting for solutions like Calaméo, municipalities can distribute their documents more widely, reduce costs and make public information more accessible. Thanks to this approach, they can reinforce their transparency and efficiency, while adapting to new digital communication practices.

Request your free 14-day trial of Calaméo PLATINUM and test all our professional tools!

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How to promote content with Twitter

In MARKETING
11 June 2020

The Content Creator’s Guide to Social Media

Thanks to social media, delivering content to thousands of people at once is as easy as hitting the “Post” button. But it isn’t always easy to achieve the results you have in mind. That’s why we’re bringing you a new series all about making these channels work for your digital publishing needs. Our final entry: how to promote content with Twitter.

Why use Twitter to promote content?

As social media networks have evolved over the last decade, Twitter has taken on an increasingly complicated role. It began in 2006 as a simple “microblogging” platform designed to let users share thoughts of 140 characters or fewer, but tweeting has become especially popular among politicians, journalists and comedians. As a result, Twitter can be tricky territory for businesses in general and digital publishers in particular.

That isn’t to say businesses aren’t successfully using Twitter to communicate. The platform boasts 187 million monetizable daily active users that companies are eager to reach. However, achieving the elusive status of a brand that is “good at Twitter” may not be the most sensible goal for your business. In fact, unless you have a dedicated Tweeter on your social media team, you may find it challenging just to keep up with trending topics.

Instead, focusing on your audience provides a more practical option for digital publishers who want to promote content with Twitter. Customers are comfortable tweeting brands to ask questions, solve problems and offer feedback. Once your business’s account is set up, this kind of interaction makes Twitter a great place to have a conversation about your content. Read on for our best tips for including Twitter in your digital publishing strategy.

Embrace the format

First, consider the tweet. Although the text used to be capped at 140 characters, Twitter doubled the length of a tweet to 280 characters in 2017. But don’t be fooled by the extra room—any links you share in your tweet are included in the character count. In addition to being short, Tweets tend to have a short “lifespan.” Unlike the evergreen content of Pinterest or social posts on Facebook and LinkedIn, Tweets are usually seen by users for 15-20 minutes.  

This brevity might make it seem awkward to promote content with Twitter if your emphasis is on longer, more immersive digital publications. One common strategy to get around this issue involves sharing your content multiple times. Since your tweets probably won’t all surface in the feeds of your followers, it’s a safe way to improve your publication’s chances of getting noticed. (Just be sure to tweet about something different in between!)

But even the savviest Tweeters know that overall, the platform is rarely a strong source of referral traffic. Research estimates that under 20% of social referral traffic to outside articles comes from Twitter. While that doesn’t mean you should abandon plans to promote content with Twitter, it should inform both your expectations and your strategy. To make a bigger impact, invest time in finding the right audience and having a conversation.

Find your niche

Before you can go looking for your ideal audience on Twitter, you’ll need to have a pretty good idea of the target audience for your content. In other words, who is your content created for? For example, a white paper might be aimed at B2B managers in your business’s field. Or a video about new fashion trends could be aimed at young adults. Knowing your target audience is an essential part of any digital publishing strategy.

Next, investigate where your target audience is active on Twitter. Despite the outsized attention that a few high-profile users attract, there are lots of smaller communities having their own conversations. The discussions among start-up founders, entrepreneurs and professionals happening on Business Twitter may be a good match for your B2B digital publications, but with a little research you can find communities for all kinds of interests.

Hashtags are a simple tool to help you promote content with Twitter in the right places. (No surprise there—modern hashtags originated on tweets back in 2009!) Identify a couple of hashtags that appear regularly in your target audience’s Twitter community. Then use them in tweets to share your digital publications. But beware: your tweet’s hashtags and overall tone should always fit your content. In other words, trendy hashtags, jokey messaging and lead generation rarely work together.

Define your goals

In the end, the success of your strategy to promote content with Twitter depends in large part on having a clear idea of what you hope to achieve. Because of their format, tweets may not prove to be a huge source of traffic for your digital publications. However, Twitter is a unique channel for keeping in touch with your audience. You may prefer to prioritize followers, profile visits and interactions over the number of clicks your content receives.

An audience-focused strategy still provides plenty of opportunities to share your content. For instance, you can choose a single tweet to pin to the top of your profile. Simply select a high-performing tweet that links to the digital publication you want to boost. This easy step has big benefits. Any user who stops by your profile is guaranteed to see your promoted content first.

Ultimately, the fast-paced conversation that happens on Twitter makes it a flexible tool for businesses. You may use tweets to broadcast service updates, offer customer support, advertise or strengthen your brand. But for digital publishers looking to promote content with Twitter, establishing your presence and opening up a connection with your audience is the best way to start.

Ready to start?

Now that you’ve got all the details about how to promote content with Twitter, it’s time to turn your online documents into great digital publications. Sign up for your free Calaméo account today and explore what digital publishing can do for you!

MARKETING

10 tips to build a highly engaged community on social media

In MARKETING
5 October 2023

Today, social media play a crucial role in creating a community around your brand. Companies need not only to be present on these platforms, but also to be active on them to attract the attention of potential customers. In this article, we’ll look at different strategies for creating and maintaining a community around your brand on social networks.

How to create a community on social media?

  1. Define your target audience: to start with, it’s crucial to know who you’re targeting. Determine your target audience by analyzing the demographics, search habits and online behaviors of your current and potential customers. This will help you create targeted content that resonates with your audience.
  2. Create compelling content: once you’ve defined your target audience, create compelling content that meets their needs. Use high-quality images and videos to engage your audience. Don’t forget to post regularly to maintain engagement.
  3. Use relevant hashtags: hashtags are a great way to get your brand noticed on social media. Use hashtags relevant to your industry and your posts to reach a wider audience.
  4. Encourage interaction: encourage your followers to comment, like and share your content. Ask questions to spark conversations, and respond quickly to comments to show you’re engaged with your community.
  5. Run contests and offer exclusive deals: contests and exclusive deals are a great way to boost engagement and retain your community. Offer rewards that are linked to your brand to encourage sharing and interaction.

How do you get your community to engage with your content on social media?

  1. Respond to comments and direct messages: it’s important to be attentive to comments and direct messages from your community. Responding quickly and personally shows that you’re engaged with your audience.
  2. Use polls and questionnaires: polls and questionnaires are a great way to engage your community and get valuable feedback on your brand. Ask questions that are relevant to your business and use the results to improve your products or services.
  3. Collaborate with influencers: influencers can help expand your reach on social media by sharing your content with their own communities. Seek out influencers relevant to your industry and collaborate with them to reach a wider audience.
  4. Organize online events: online events, such as webinars or live chats, are a great way to engage your community in real time. Offer valuable content and create a space for discussion to encourage engagement.
  5. Monitor trends: stay abreast of trends and events relevant to your industry. Use this information to create content and engage your community around topics that are relevant to them.

Conclusion

Creating and engaging a community around your brand on social media takes time and effort. By following these tips, you can attract the attention of your target audience and build lasting relationships with them. Be patient and persistent, and you’ll see long-term results for your business.