Using digital publishing in your sales and marketing strategies

In MARKETING
14 October 2021
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User appetite for content is stronger than ever as consumers demand access to information, anytime and everywhere. Due to these expectations, digital publishing has quickly become an essential part of business models around the world. In this article, we’ll explore 6 effective ways digital publications can prove useful in your sales and marketing strategies. Plus, see great examples of how Calaméo can help you implement them!

Utilize email marketing and newsletters

Creating attractive email newsletters for your clients can be a major asset to your marketing strategy. That’s because it allows you to reach a place that most people use every day—their inbox. You can optimize this platform even further by promoting valuable content up front to your readers with digital publications.

🔎 EXAMPLE: We see below how the Calaméo marketing team used an email newsletter creatively to promote the Guided Tour digital publication. Note the use of descriptive text and bold graphics for maximum impact.

Optimize advertisements

The best sales and marketing strategies leverage technology to convert audiences into buyers. With online publications you can link your readers directly to your advertiser’s website by using the Calaméo Editor. Instead of relying on your readers to have enough interest to remember to search the information displayed in a print advertisement, one simple link gets your reader to the ad in seconds.

Offer a window to your brand

Of course, you already have a website where you drive traffic via organic search, convert visitors to email subscribers and sell your numerous products. But don’t forget to showcase digital publications there, too!

Online content consumption is at an all-time high. So displaying digital publications on your website is a great opportunity to get your message across to a target audience. This will also build credibility in the eyes of potential customers. You can compile all of your online publications in your very own newsstand with the Calaméo library widget. Create a window to your brand and maximize the power of your digital content—a clever marketing tactic!

🔎 EXAMPLE: Here is how our client EU Jacksonville makes their publications consultable via their website:

Content lead generation

Content is king and can prove very effective in your sales and marketing strategies if executed successfully. Releasing digital publications can be highly useful for lead generation. Because they provide value up front, this content can help educate potential leads and showcase your product or service in a creative way.

💡 TIP: Calaméo offers PREMIUM and PLATINUM users the possibility to add elements to digital publications to help make the content more accessible and improve the user experience.

🔎 EXAMPLE: The town of Asnières, France has allowed for easy offline reading of their newsletter by enabling the share, download, and print options. When you click on the publication, you will see all of these options available in the upper right-hand corner of the viewer.

Leverage videos

Today, video is a key element to any marketing and sales strategy. Marketers who fail to capitalize on this do so at their own risk!

Videos are naturally engaging and attention-grabbing. In an age of information overload, it’s important for marketers to offer content that is easy to digest. Calaméo enables PLATINUM users to insert Vimeo, Dailymotion, or YouTube videos in their digital publications to boost conversions and to offer a rich multimedia reading experience.

🔎 EXAMPLE: The Club Med Trident magazine uses video effectively to complement the content in their digital publication:

Include strategic CTAs

Calls to Action (CTAs) in your digital publications guide your readers through the buying journey and can turn visitors into loyal customers. The Calaméo Editor enables you to create links within the pages of your digital publications. This feature can be used to encourage “soft” actions (e.g., driving the user to another piece of content) or to promote an actionable next step (e.g., Subscribe to our YouTube channel now).

🔎 EXAMPLE: Cambridge University Press encourages readers to “Start your free trial” of their learning platform using a CTA that links to their website:

There you have it. We hope you can see just how important digital publications can be for your sales and marketing strategies!

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MARKETING

SEO Trends 2021: Tips for your business content

In MARKETING
4 February 2021

This year, optimizing content for search is top of mind for businesses everywhere. Of course, search has been key to success on the Internet for more than 20 years. But as just about everything went online, getting discovered in search results has taken on a new importance. What are the SEO trends to know in 2021?

But first…

In case you missed it, check out our look at the top SEO trends in 2020. Learn about voice search, the no-click challenge and more. All caught up? Read on for three ways to prepare for the future of search.

2021 Search trends for business

Back to basics

The number one rule for 2021 is to focus on the fundamentals. Despite entire industries built around tiny changes to the way search works, simple optimizations are still easy and effective. They may not be new, but these strategies are the starting point for any good SEO effort. For example, make sure that you associate each piece of content with appropriate keywords. Then, double check that those keywords appear in the content’s title, description and text.

While this idea has always been the heart of SEO, few would have imagined it to be a major trend in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced businesses to move everything online—and revealed that many were neglecting search basics. All the more reason to set aside the fancy stuff this year and review your content’s keywords. Or to put it another way, don’t let an oversight stop your content from being found in search.

💡 TIP: You can add or update your publications’ title and description on Calaméo in just a few clicks.

UX factor

Although the basics should come first in 2021, that doesn’t mean SEO trends are standing still. One major announcement from Google made it clear that it’s time for businesses to get serious about user experience. Also known as UX, this aspect of digital design includes the interfaces and structures that allow people to interact with websites. Overall, good UX makes it easier to do things like placing an order or contacting support online.

And now, improving your site’s UX can have a big impact on its visibility in search. Just like loading speed and mobile display in past years, UX factors will soon affect search results. According to Google, content quality still matters most. But the pages to beat will be the ones with great content and great experience. The bottom line? Starting in 2021, UX should be part of your business’s SEO strategy.

Analytics overhaul

Last but not least, there’s a new reporting tool in town for anyone following their content’s views. More specifically, businesses are looking at Google Analytics 4: an updated version of the data tool used by millions of sites. GA4 will eventually replace Universal Analytics, which was first released in 2012. First, however, businesses need to consider how and when they will want to make the switch.

In addition to technical changes, Google Analytics 4 offers fresh ways to understand how people use search to visit your site. That may mean adapting your existing methods for evaluating your content’s performance. Before updating everything, take the time to test the new platform. Be sure to note the metrics you want to watch and connect them to the information you already have. For a smooth transition, a little preparation goes a long way!

Quick conclusions

Now that you’re all caught up on the most important SEO trends for 2021, what’s next? Here are a few action items to help you start taking advantage of these trends today.

Invest now

If it’s been a while since you made SEO a priority, put it back on your to-do list in 2021. You may want to invest in a full SEO audit of your business’s content to get a sense of where things stand. Then, commit the time and resources necessary to optimize the basics. Don’t forget content types other than regular pages: videos, images and publications should all be optimized.

Be patient

Even with a solid investment, the visibility of your business’s content may not grow overnight. Building an audience on search requires consistent content and attention to quality. Create a few benchmarks that you’d like to achieve this year and track your progress, but stay focused on your long-term SEO goals.

Look ahead

Many of the upcoming changes to SEO involve complex projects. For instance, UX improvements can take months to research, design and put in place. As a result, it’s a smart idea to begin planning for these changes now. Decide on a timeline for how your business will tackle big SEO transitions, like moving from Universal Analytics to GA4. That way, you’ll be ready for the SEO trends in 2022!

As always, one simple way to boost your business content’s SEO is with smart digital publishing. You’ll find all the details you need to get started in our Ultimate Guide to Digital Publishing. Or see for yourself how easy it is to do even more with your professional content! Create your free account on Calaméo today.

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MARKETING

Print vs digital in your content strategy

In MARKETING
17 June 2021

In any communications plan, there’s room for both print and digital channels. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to tell which one is right for every project. Wondering what to choose for your content? Take a look at our quick breakdown of the main advantages and weaknesses for print vs digital formats.

Speed

Sometimes, you need things done fast. Whether you’re whipping up a quick flyer or racing the clock on a complex publication, time is a key factor. However, printing your content requires hours at best and even up to several weeks. And that’s without counting how long it can take to distribute printed materials by post or by hand! Compare those hours and weeks with under a minute to upload your file to a digital publishing platform like Calaméo. The result is a clear advantage for digital.

WINNER: DIGITAL

Cost

Like speed, the cost of different formats varies depending on which materials are needed. For print content, the cost of paper and ink adds up quickly. On the other hand, many digital channels are free or low cost. For example, you can create and share unlimited digital publications on Calaméo for absolutely no charge.

WINNER: DIGITAL

Prestige

When it comes to signaling that your content is important, choosing print vs digital has a big impact. Because of the higher costs and time required, printed materials represent a greater investment than digital communciations. Plus, elements like high-quality paper, embossing and binding reflect the value of your message in a way that is hard to translate to online channels. Today, print takes the edge in prestige.

WINNER: PRINT

Experience

The toughest match-up on this list. Print and digital content provide very distinct experiences. Online formats are dynamic, interactive and shareable; printed formats are tactile, immersive and collectible. Given the amazing range of digital experiences and print innovations, we have to say that both channels are champions here.

WINNER: TIE

Stats

Before the Internet age, it was difficult to measure how many people saw or engaged with communications. Newspapers and magazines described their reach in terms of circulation, while businesses kept track of how many messages they sent. Thanks to online media formats, detailed statistics help you understand how audiences view and interact with your content. A major digital benefit!

WINNER: DIGITAL

Lifetime

Let’s go to the numbers on this one:

In general, print communications have a much longer lifetime than digital content. Of course, some printed material only lasts a day, while some tweets have been archived to live forever. But the ability to update and delete digital publications makes them less durable than print.

WINNER: PRINT

Sustainability

Finally, consider the sustainability of print vs digital content. Although you might think that online is obviously the greener choice, remember that even sending a single email has an environmental impact. So to get serious about eco-friendly communciations, it’s useful to review the entire process from creation to distribution. In most cases, digital will offer more sustainability overall. 

WINNER: DIGITAL

And the winner is…

Digital!

As our head-to-head shows, digital options have a lot of advantages for your content strategy. However, the real takeaway is that print and digital can complement each other perfectly in a balanced communications plan.