7 professional tips for your account

There are many ways to make publishing your documents online easier, faster and smarter with Calaméo. From adding engaging video to developing a social strategy, our tools can help you enrich your publications and reach your audience. But before you start, be sure to check out our tips all about how to optimize your documents for publishing on Calaméo.

Just these five simple steps will get your documents ready to become great digital publications.

Check file type

You already know that digital publishing with Calaméo can help you go beyond the PDF. However, our powerful conversion technology handles many different file types. In addition to PDFs, you can upload text files, Word documents, Powerpoints and Excel files directly to Calaméo. Before you publish, take a moment to make sure that your document is in one our accepted file formats.

Reduce file size

When you work with high-quality images, complex layouts and other data-rich elements, the size of your file sometimes grows quickly. Since BASIC and PREMIUM users can convert files of up to 100 MB on Calaméo, it may be necessary to reduce your file size before upload. Don’t want to worry about limits? Upgrade to PLATINUM and start publishing with a maximum file size of 500 MB.

Format links

Our easy-to-use Editor is a great tool for transforming your documents into interactive digital publications with GIFs, video, audio and more. If you have external links to include in your publication, you can also take advantage of automatic link detection on Calaméo! All you need to do is add the site URL in a clickable zone on your PDF. Once your file is converted, a link will automatically appear in your publication.

Print to PDF 

Most importantly, every part of your document should always look impeccable online. To ensure a flawless conversion on our platform, try printing your file to PDF rather than exporting to PDF. (We especially recommend this for Word documents with images, tables and other layout features.) As well as preventing display errors, you’ll also benefit from a reduced file size by printing to PDF.

Prepare images

Our cutting-edge conversion technology offers vibrant, clear images for publications that are works of art. But for those times that you need ultra-high resolution, consider adding image files to your publication with our Editor. First, make sure that your file (.JPG or .PNG) is hosted securely online. Next, leave a blank space in your original document where you wish to place the image. Finally, insert your image and save. You’ll enjoy perfect quality, even at the highest levels of zoom.

Keep these tips in mind to optimize your documents for digital publishing on Calaméo. By taking a few minutes to prepare your files, you’ll get the best results faster than ever. And if you’d like to learn more about ways to optimize your publications, check out our guides to SEO trends, making a virtual library and more.

Our PLATINUM plan is packed with great professional features. To request your free, two-week trial, visit our Pricing page now!

By now, the advantages of digital communications are obvious to almost everyone. Thanks to tools like email, online publishing and social media, it’s fast and easy to get your message out there. In fact, the explosive growth of digital channels is overtaking traditional ways of doing things. From meetings to marketing, online options are on top.

However, there are also some disadvantages to common forms of digital communication. For example, they often rely heavily on text. And while text-heavy formats like email are efficient, they aren’t as good at creating trust and engagement in their audience. According to media richness theory, contextual elements enhance those features and improve the quality of communication.

In other words, considering when to use enriched media can have big benefits for your digital communication. But how exactly can you create richer documents to engage your readers? Our guide has three great ideas to get you started.

Step 1: Interactivity

To take advantage of rich media in your communications, interactivity is the most important value. Don’t be fooled by its sometimes gimmicky history! Today, interactive features encourage distracted Internet users to go beyond skimming. Instead of passive scrolling, digital publications require readers to stop, think and click through for active browsing.

Even the pageflip effect helps to enrich your communications, via the concept of skeuomorphic design. Unlike the flat design style, skeuomorphism incorporates shapes and textures from real objects in digital interfaces. Because they’re more detailed than flat buttons and grids, skeuomorphic elements catch your eye. The interactive interface of an online publication can make your message stand out—and engage your audience’s attention.

Of course, you can add many other interactive features to your digital publications. For instance, external links let your readers follow up on CTAs in one click. But to get the most out of enriched media, you’ll need to consider including audio and video alongside images and text.

Step 2: Audio

Compared to written communication, it’s not hard to understand why audio is a “richer” format. Think of all the things that a phone call has versus an email: the speaker’s pauses, hesitations, laughs and above all, the tone of voice. These signals let the person listening to interpret and process the message better than with just the words.

Luckily, digital tools have made audio content extremely easy to produce and integrate into your communications. To record a voice clip or podcast, all you need is a microphone and simple editing software. Once you’re happy with the sound, upload the file to a hosting platform like SoundCloud. Then, add it to your online publication for readers to click and play.

If you’re wondering what kind of audio content to include, don’t be afraid to get creative. You can boost the impact of any message by providing an audio version. For example, try having your company president record her message to shareholders inside your annual report. Or explore the conversational side of audio and integrate a podcast into your digital publication. Since users can’t get enough audio, the possibilities are endless!

Step 3: Video

Although audio is booming, there’s one great reason to choose video to enrich your communications. That’s because in media richness theory, video is the top option. In addition to audio signals, video gives your audience visual information like movement and body language. In digital terms, video communication comes as close as possible to the engagement of a real-life experience.

Unfortunately, the infamous “pivot to video” convinced many businesses that video was too expensive an investment. And indeed, high-quality video content does take time and resources to produce. But that doesn’t mean your online communications strategy should write off video. Instead, think again about the kinds of video you can prioritize.

Three simple but extremely effective ideas include product demonstrations, tutorials and calls to action. All of these make the most out of video’s strongest features to enrich your digital publications: visual action and human presence. When your audience watches another person ask them to sign up, or show them how to, they can connect more deeply with the message.

To sum it up, media richness theory has a lot to tell us about how to communicate with audiences online. Used wisely, enriched media like digital publications can be a powerful tool for creating memorable content and developing audience relationships.

And if you want to see for yourself, why not request your two-week demo of our PLATINUM plan? You’ll enjoy access to all the professional enrichment features of Calaméo’s digital publishing solution—absolutely free.