Print vs digital in your content strategy

In MARKETING
17 June 2021
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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.

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How to create a white paper with Calameo

In MARKETING
13 April 2023

Nowadays, Internet users have access to a huge amount of information on the Internet. For companies, this means it’s increasingly difficult to get the attention of their target audience. That’s where white papers come in. White papers are detailed documents that provide quality information on a particular topic. In this article, we will explain why white papers can be an effective marketing tool for your business and how you can create one easily with Calaméo.

Why you should create a white paper?

White papers are a great way to establish your company as an authority in your field. By providing valuable, quality information to your target audience, you can gain their trust and loyalty. White papers can also help you reach potential new customers by enticing them with topics that interest them and showing them that you are an expert in the field. Finally, white papers can be a great lead generation tool. In exchange for their email address or contact information, you can offer your readers a free download of your white paper, allowing you to add them to your mailing list.

How do you create a white paper?

To create an effective white paper, there are several steps to follow:

Step 1: Choose a relevant topic

The first key to creating an effective white paper is to choose a topic that is relevant to your target audience. Think about what your target audience is interested in and what they would like to learn. Topics that lend themselves well to white papers are usually topics that are complex or difficult for the uninitiated to understand.

Step 2: Research thoroughly

Once you’ve chosen your topic, it’s important to do thorough research to gather all the necessary information. Use reliable sources to obtain accurate data and statistics that will lend credibility to your white paper.

Step 3: Write your white paper

Once you have collected all the necessary information, you can start writing your white paper. Be sure to write the white paper in a clear, easy-to-understand style. Use graphics, images and examples to help clarify important points.

Step 4: Design your white paper

Once you’ve written your white paper, it’s time to design it. Use a professional layout that will make your white paper attractive and easy to read. Be sure to include images and graphics to help illustrate key points.

Step 5: Publish and enrich your white paper on Calameo

Now it’s time to publish your document on Calameo. Enrich it with our Editor tool that allows you to add: internal and external links, videos, images, sounds, and much more. Don’t forget to include a call to action that links to your website or allows the reader to contact you directly.

Step 6: Share your white paper with Calameo

Once your white paper is published, it’s time to promote it. With Calameo, it’s easy to share your documents on social networks, and you can embed your white paper directly on your website to promote it to your target audience. Be sure to clearly explain the benefits readers will get by downloading your white paper.

Conclusion

White papers can be an effective marketing tool for your brand. By providing valuable information to your target audience, you can establish your company as an authority in your field, reach new potential customers and generate leads. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create an effective white paper that will be useful and appreciated by your target audience.

MARKETING

Sharing smarter documents: How filesharing services fall short

In MARKETING
9 November 2018

Filesharing tools have become an important part of modern digital life. Services like Dropbox store files on the cloud and synchronize them on different devices so that users can share and collaborate. However, they aren’t always the best option for distributing your documents online.

In this article, we will explain five ways that these services can fall short. Plus, learn why digital publishing can offer a great alternative to filesharing.

Lacks polish

Most popular filesharing services began as a tool that allowed users to work on a single file across multiple computers. For teamwork and individual use alike, filesharing is strongly associated with drafts and projects in progress. This can make it a poor choice for sharing finished work. We recommend publishing your reports, presentations and newsletters digitally for professional results.

Statistics not included

Whether you’re sharing sales material with a potential customer, circulating a memo to your team or publishing a magazine, you want information about how it is being viewed. Filesharing services generally do not provide readership statistics, so you won’t know if your audience has opened your document a dozen times or not at all. As an alternative to filesharing, opt for creating a digital publication on Calaméo. You’ll get insights on views and a full range of advanced statistics.

Limited enrichment

Although some filesharing services let users add external links and images to their documents, the possibilities for creating interactive publications are limited. With the Calaméo Editor, you can add links, video, audio and more to your publications in just a few clicks. Then all you have to do is share!

Privacy headaches

Filesharing services often require users to choose between making their documents available to everyone and approving viewers for private documents one-by-one. Want a single, private link to send to your whole mailing list? It’s easy with Calaméo. Just select “Allow access with a private URL” in your publication’s Properties. If you need more security, set up password protection for your documents with our Subscribers feature.

One look fits all

Since filesharing solutions focus on drafting, editing and modifying documents, they offer few options for tailoring your publication’s final appearance to your needs. Digitally published documents benefit from a dedicated viewer and on Calaméo, it’s fully customizable. You can add a logo, change the colors and even add your own buttons so that your publication matches your brand perfectly.

While filesharing services can be great for collaboration, digital publishing is a better fit for sharing professional, interactive documents with your audience. You’ll enjoy publications that look polished, smart privacy controls and advanced readership statistics. And the best part? Publishing on Calaméo is a breeze.

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