Beyond the PDF: Why opt for enriched documents

In PUBLISHING
27 July 2017
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Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software and operating systems. The format was established in the early 90’s and has since been widely used around the world. But PDFs do come with some disadvantages in the modern business world. 

The creators of PDFs originally designed the format for printing and features have since been added. However, many do not hold up to the high standards of enriched multimedia document technology that we have today.

In this article, learn about the top three problems with relying solely on PDFs. Plus, we will explain how Calaméo can help transform your PDF documents for your business needs.

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What are common issues with relying on PDFs?

DISPLAY

PDFs are not screen-friendly and are often ill-formatted on small devices like tablets and mobile phones. As a result, finding the right page can mean minutes wasted scrolling unnecessarily within a document.

TECHNOLOGICAL COMPATIBILITY

PDFs have always been difficult to integrate on webpages. For example, without the necessary plugins, users are often prompted to download and view the file in a separate application.

In addition, PDFs make it almost impossible for you to engage your readers with interactive content. That’s because images and videos are cumbersome to include within the document. Unless you’ve added dynamic links to the document, viewers cannot even click on links provided in the PDF itself. Thus, PDFs actually get in the way of a seamless online user experience.

ONLINE VISIBILITY

Finally, one of the biggest disadvantages: PDFs tend to lack key information that search engines need in order to understand exactly what your document is about. When your content is hosted on a high PageRank website like Calaméo, search engines index it quicker and make it appear higher in their search results.

Which PDF alternative should I use?

Calaméo is the perfect solution to bring your documents into the digital era. Our HTML5-based publication viewer requires no plug-ins and adapts perfectly to any screen.

Moreover, with our high-speed document conversion technology and user-friendly Editor, you can transform your documents from dull and lifeless PDFs to enriched interactive documents in a matter of minutes.

You can also make the most of our Statistics. The detailed insights about your readership they offer can be vital for optimizing your publications’ content, ad revenue and more. 

Conclusion

Of course, PDFs are still a valuable resource for the sharing and viewing documents. However, we strongly advise using intuitive conversion platforms such as Calaméo to help you to publish and share your documents in the most professional manner. Our online solution gives your digital publications in the best possible presentation, guiding your readers from browsing to action.

Haven’t tried digital publishing for your documents yet? Join Calaméo today and see the difference for yourself. It’s fast, easy and free to start.

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PUBLISHING

Insider publishing tips from the pros

In PUBLISHING
16 December 2021

Digital publishing is an excellent tool for communication, marketing, sales, personal projects, and more. (Take our quiz to find out if digital publishing is right for you!) But if you really want your publications to shine, read on for the top insider publishing tips from the pros!

Account settings

Before publishing your document, we suggest that you check to see that your account is set up properly and that all of your personal and professional information is correct. Within your Account Settings, you can:

  • Choose your language
  • Include your name 
  • Link your account to Google Analytics (PLATINUM members)
  • Add a custom URL (PLATINUM members)
  • Add your logo
  • Fill out an account description in the box provided (more on that below)
  • Choose your account name (if you are using Calaméo for professional purposes, this is where you enter your company name)
  • And more!

Once you have filled out all the necessary information, you are ready to move on and start publishing like a pro!

Getting in touch

If your publication is meant to reach a wide audience, or your digital publication includes sales or marketing information, you will want to make sure that readers can contact you easily.

Contact information

If you’d like your contact information to be visible in your publication, or you’d like readers to be able to get in touch with you, be sure that your contact details are in a noticeable spot. You have a few options for displaying your information prominently: 

  • Put your information (website, email, social media) directly in your publication. Use the Links feature in our Editor to send your readers directly to your website or social media page when they click on the link(s) in your publication. Tip: turn your external link into a contact link if you’d like to send your readers directly to your email address. Take a look at the example from our Guided Tour; it includes a clickable contact link that sends readers right to our email:
  • Include your website in the description of your account. This will make it easy for your readers to get in touch with you. You can add this information in the text box labeled “Website”. You will find this in your Account Settings, under Account Info. See the example from Calaméo’s account:
  • Put your contact details in the description of your publication. That way, only the readers who click on this publication will be able to see your information, rather than all the people who visit your Calaméo page. You can add these details in the “Description” field before or after publishing. Check out the example from Trans Tasman Media’s Our New Zealand magazine:

Visibility

Calaméo is the perfect resource for sharing your newsletter, magazine, annual report, or any other content you’d like to publish! Some users may want their publications to be widely available, and others may wish to keep them private. You can choose who sees your publications and how people interact with them.

💡 TIP: Our full Privacy Policy can be found here

Privacy and Sharing

When your publication is set to “Public”, anyone can see your content. If you don’t want this to be the case, make sure that your publication is private. 

On the other hand, if you want your publication to be read far and wide, sharing it is easy! You can use a link to share your publication via social media or email, and it only takes a matter of seconds. Make sure that your publication is set to “Public” and then you are good to go. Don’t forget to include your contact information if you want readers to be able to get in touch with you.

The text in publications with the “Public” setting is indexed by search engines. This is an element to take into account when choosing to make your publications public.

💡 TIP: Learn how to to increase your website traffic with Calaméo!

Printing and Downloading

If you are a PREMIUM or PLATINUM member, you can allow readers to download and/or print your publications. If you do not want readers to be able to print or download your publications, simply update your preferences by unchecking the relevant boxes under the “Sharing” tab when you publish your document:

Embeds

To go even further with your publications, take advantage of our Embeds feature to seamlessly integrate your publications into a blog or website. We’ve embedded the Calaméo Magazine here as an example:

💡 TIP: Learn how to embed your publications into a blog or website

Adult only

If you want your publications to be public but they are not suitable for children, you can use our “Adult only” setting. 

When you upload your document to Calaméo, there is the option to mark your publication as “Adult only (18+ years old)”. If you have content that follows our Terms of Service but is not suitable for children, then the “Adult only” feature may be a good option for you.

💡 TIP: Oftentimes, users employ the “Adult only” setting when they actually mean to make their publications Private. Double check your settings before publishing, especially if your publication contains personal information

Bells and whistles

After your account settings, contact details, and sharing preferences are all taken care of, it’s time to focus on the publication itself.

Optimize

Before publishing your document, you will need to make sure that it is correctly optimized. Your document should be one single document containing all the pages of your publication. Each document uploaded is converted into a separate publication – it is not possible to assemble separate pages of your publication on Calaméo. It is important that your document does not consist of different page spreads; if your document contains a mix of different page spreads (for example a single page for the front and back covers and double page spread for the rest), blank zones will be added during conversion to compensate for the discrepancies.

Another insider publishing pro tip? Think ahead while creating your documents! For example, if you know that your document will be read both online and printed on paper, anticipate the user’s experience. Add a clickable video as well as a QR code to the same video. The reader viewing your publication online can click on the video itself, and the reader viewing the print version of your publication can scan the QR code and see the same video. That way, whether your publication is read online or in print, readers will have the same experience. 

And final optimization tip: leave space in your original document if you know you will be adding videos or other enrichments. If you will be inserting an element such as a GIF in your publication, ensure that you have enough space around where the element will go so that it does not obscure the existing text or visuals in your document.

💡 TIP: Of course, you can always upload a new version of your document without changing the URL or erasing your links!

The Calaméo Editor

Ready to make your publication pop? Take advantage of all the bells and whistles via our Editor tool! Add sound, images, videos, links, and other enhancements to enrich your publication. 

Make it yours

The best publications are the ones that are entirely unique! Read our tips on making your digital publications unique and wow your readers with your finished product. 

Logo

If you have a company or personal logo, PLATINUM and PREMIUM account holders can display it in the publication viewer. This will create useful brand awareness and readers will instantly recognize your publication as belonging to you.

💡 TIP: Learn how to add your logo to the viewer

White label

Our final insider publishing tip: use our White Label feature! PLATINUM members can use this feature and make their publications stand out. The White Label feature removes all Calaméo branding and allows the publisher to insert their own branding, colors, logo, and visuals.

What’s next?

Now it’s up to you! Use these tips from publishing pros and take your digital publications to the next level. We can’t wait to see what you create!

PUBLISHING

Top 5 digital publishing strategy trends for 2021

In PUBLISHING
12 November 2020

Because the connected world changes fast, every fall we bring you a look at the most important trends to know for next year. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created major disruption across every industry—including online communications. So today we’re highlighting five digital publishing trends for 2021 that you can count on, no matter what else the year might bring.

Read on to learn which strategies will help you make the most out of online publishing in 2021.

No-Code Tools

In the future, 2020 might just be remembered as the year that everything was online. Due to safety restrictions, many people were required to stay home for long periods. The Internet allowed businesses to operate, schools to educate and friends to meet up virtually. However, as users scrambled to upload huge amounts of content, simplicity was a key priority. Digitization services needed to just work.

Don’t expect that need to change in 2021. Indeed, this trend will grow into the demand for “no-code” online services. In other words, users will continue to adopt tools that let them make websites, e-shops and digital communications without custom developments. Want to turn your plain PDF into a shareable, trackable HTML5 publication? It’s easy with a best-in-class, no-code digital publishing platform.

User Experience

Now that so much content has moved online, the next big challenge for many publishers is standing out. Since we’re shopping, learning and hanging out on the Internet all the time, it’s important to offer something different. That’s where user experience comes in. By paying extra attention to how users interact with your content, you can create exceptional experiences that audiences will remember.

Of course, the first step is having great content to share. Next, consider what digital formats will help you break through the days of videoconferencing and PDFs that users face in lockdown. Enriched media can create strong connections with online audiences. And remember that the details matter to great UX. Make your content easy to access, fun to consume, part of your brand and—ideally—just a little bit delightful.

Service First

Over the course of 2020, useful content rose above the rest to become the real winner online. Although no one sets out to make a not-useful contribution, the COVID-19 pandemic showed that audiences respond to content that solves problems. News publishers saw huge traffic as people searched for clear information and guides of all kinds, from bread-baking to home-schooling, were reliable hits all around the Internet.

In 2021, the digital publishing trend of service content will develop even further. Smart publishers will concentrate on their audiences’ most urgent questions and create made-to-order answers. To stay ahead of the curve, keep in touch with your users through social media and support. Once you know where best to be useful, it’s as simple as putting your expertise to work in a publication. (And optimize for search!)

Ad Uncertainty

Any business that relies on advertising knows how unpredictable it has been this year. Unfortunately, next year does not promise a return to stability. The biggest disruptions have hit traditional channels like TV commericals, billboards and print ads. But even though digital advertising is making a comeback, it’s not clear that things will be back to normal any time soon.

However, digital subscriptions are still growing steadily. That means 2021 will be a perfect time for publishers to take a serious look at their subscriber situation. If you already have a strategy in place, plan to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t have a strategy, start thinking about ways to build a subscriber base. Having loyal readers can help make up for an uncertain advertising outlook.

From the Heart

Last but not least, authenticity will be a key digital publishing trend in 2021. Since the pandemic and its effects seem likely to stretch into the new year, it’s important to stay flexible and acknowledge the challenges ahead. In practical terms, that means making clear and honest communication with your audience top priority. Focus on giving accurate and up-to-date information first.

In addition to being direct, authenticity can also call for finding a more personal voice. But don’t confuse bold branding with the power of a personal message. Although it may not be the right time for ironic memes, something as simple as a letter from the CEO will add warmth and sincerity to your business’s communications. Or invite employees to share a few words for another authentic perspective.

As always, one thing that all these digital publishing strategy trends for 2021 have in common is strong content. If you’re starting to prepare, give your publications a boost with Calaméo. Publish in a snap, customize and embed your content anywhere. Create your free account and get started today.

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