How digital publishing helped businesses adapt during the pandemic

In PUBLISHING
22 July 2021
Share

Well before the pandemic arrived, many companies were already using digital publishing in their strategies. However, practically all business activities were compelled to adapt to online-only in the early spring of 2020. Businesses quickly pivoted to using digital publishing in creative ways. Here we’ve compiled some of the ways that digital publishing helped businesses adapt during the pandemic.

Touchless menus

Due to the risk posed by people touching the same menu, many restaurants and bars turned to touchless menus. And while posting menus online is not a new phenomenon, the pandemic was the catalyst for more restaurants to start publishing their menus digitally. More specifically: a digital format available for diners to consult instantly on their mobile devices while at the restaurant. 

How it works: using their own mobile device, diners scan a QR code on their table. They are then redirected to the digital menu that is posted on the restaurant’s website or a digital publishing platform such as Calaméo. No need to touch a physical menu!

Thanks to digital publishing, restaurants are able to update their menus easily. Also, the public appreciates the convenience of reading the menu without coming into contact with a high-touch object like a physical menu. Our prediction? Digital menus are here to stay! 

Digital business cards

Gone are the days of trading paper business cards with a new contact, only to lose them in the shuffle of countless other business cards in your possession. And as businesses moved online during the pandemic, there weren’t opportunities to meet face-to-face and trade business cards. Now it is easier than ever to create and publish business cards digitally. Consider switching to digital business cards so that contact information can be saved digitally in one place and there will be no risk of cards going missing.

Services

Limiting time in an enclosed space where other people are present is essential for stemming the spread of the virus. With this in mind, many businesses decided to upload their services onto digital publishing platforms. Now, customers can choose what they want before they come in person to receive their service (think: salons and spas). This avoids unnecessary time spent together inside. It also means that more time can be devoted to the service itself rather than discussing and deciding. 

With many in-person businesses limiting the number of appointments they provide per day, posting their services on a digital publishing platform where customers can read and decide in advance eliminates the need to have long buffer periods in between appointments; therefore the business can accept more clients every day. It’s a win-win!

💡 TIP: Platinum members can use the “Overlay” option which inserts forms that open in your publication, useful for implementing pre-booking and virtual check-ins, for example

Digital flyers, brochures

In-person events are slowly coming back, but enthusiasm for the printed materials that come with them is not. Much like paper business cards, printed materials such as flyers or brochures are going out of fashion. Whether it’s a company brochure or a flyer announcing a new event, it’s likely that the printed materials will just end up in the trash. In addition, due to the risk of community spread, sharing materials digitally is a safer option. Not to mention the resources saved when you opt to go digital! 

By using Calaméo’s platform and optimizing your content, your digital publication will wow potential clients. They won’t even miss the paper brochures and flyers of the past!

💡 TIP: Don’t know where to start? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Digital Publishing  and you’ll be a digital publishing whiz in no time

Digital publishing became a crucial tool that helped businesses adapt during the pandemic. The events of 2020 and 2021 have shown the world that digital publications are an efficient and safe way to distribute information. Now individuals and companies alike have adapted to this new way of consuming, creating, and sharing content.

Related Posts
PUBLISHING

Create unique digital publications in 3 steps

In PUBLISHING
8 July 2021

Not all publications on Calaméo are the same, and that’s a good thing! You surely already know, but in communication, and more generally in marketing, you must know how to differentiate yourself while still being recognizable right away.

To help you create excellent publications, the entire Calaméo team got together to list their best tips for unique digital publications, and here is the result:

Step 1: Before importing your document on Calaméo

For a unique and recognizable publication, it starts with the writing (on your word processor) and the design (on your layout software).

Tone

The way you speak is an integral part of your brand’s identity. The tone you use is unique and should reflect your values: it can be funny, serious, informative – or any other adjective – it all depends on you and the character you want to give your brand. Find and adopt a tone that is specific to your business and use it in all your communications.

Document design

Design is a very important element in making you stand out. Having a strong brand style guide or graphic charter that you will use in all your communications – including your digital publications – is essential.

Remember to follow your brand style guide when using:

  • colors
  • typefaces
  • images and illustrations
  • your logos

And while it’s necessary to stand out, keep the user experience in mind: your content must be understandable and readable. Don’t lose the meaning of your message because of a layout that is too complex.

💡 TIP: Think of your document and its format according to the purpose it will have: will it be printed? Will it be downloaded? Or only viewed online? You should adjust your document accordingly (ex: no image for printing, etc.)

Step 2: When importing your document on Calaméo

When publishing your document on Calaméo, just before uploading it, you will have the opportunity to start working on the design of the viewer to offer a unique experience to your readers.

Choice of display mode

You can choose how the pages of your document will flow: scroll up, or a slideshow, or a flipbook with pages that turn like a magazine. Think carefully about how you want your publication to be displayed because each mode offers a different reading experience and comfort level.

Sound atmosphere

So far we’ve only talked about visuals, but with digital publishing you can also import audio elements. With a Premium or Platinum Calaméo account, you can add background music to your publication, as well as a sound effect each time the page turns to create a unique reading environment!

Personalizing the viewer

Another advantage reserved for Premium and Platinum users: you can add your logo and a customized background to the viewer. Of course, you should respect your graphic charter so that all your publications reflect your brand. For example: you can choose to create a single background that you will use for all your publications or you can create color variations that correspond to your charter.

Step 3: Once your document is posted on Calaméo

Once your document is posted on Calaméo, it becomes a publication. To make your publication unique and recognizable, you can use several of our personalization tools that will operate directly on your publication or on the viewer.

Adding interactivity

Thanks to our Editor tool, you can add all sorts of interactive elements to embellish your publications. You can add:

  • external links: send your readers to your site, to your sources or any other URL.

💡 TIP: thanks to the “Overlay” option (reserved for Platinum users) of the external link integration tool, you can also add forms that open directly in your publication

  • internal links: redirect to a page inside your document. You can make an interactive table of contents for example.
  • shopping links: link directly to the product information. For example, you can insert a shopping link over a photo of a product in your publication.
  • videos: for example, you can create personalized videos and insert them in each one of your digital publications, like a vlog, to give your content more personality.
  • audio tracks: add music that will accompany your readers on a single page or throughout the publication. You could also add music at a convenient time to create a specific mood: joy, fear, relaxation, etc.
  • media: think of all formats. You can add photos, images, animated GIFs, etc. Feel free to experiment!
  • zoom zones: created to improve visual comfort. You could also insert elements that are only readable with the help of this zoom zone like a small hidden QR code for example.

Thanks to the elements you can add with the Editor tool, you will be able to create an atmosphere specific to your brand: bring movement and energy by adding animated GIFs, recall the environment of your stores by adding a recognizable audio track, imagine unique experiences for contests etc.

💡 TIP: Learn how to use our Editor tool  

Personalizing the viewer (continued)

Thanks to our Elements tool (reserved for Platinum accounts), you can create custom themes and change the appearance of the viewer however you like. Change all the elements directly in the code: the social network buttons can change color, the navigation arrows can be a different size, etc.

💡 TIP: Explore the Elements tool and make your publication stand out with customization

The possibilities for customization are infinite with the digital publishing tools that allow you to create personalized content that is unique to you and your brand!

PUBLISHING

Digital publishing: A guide for educators

In PUBLISHING
4 November 2021

Digital publishing is a tool that can be adapted to every industry. And education is no exception! From elementary schools to universities to employee training courses, digital publishing is useful for all facets of education. But how can educators and the education industry best use digital publishing?  Here we have compiled a guide for educators on how to use digital publishing in the education industry. 

Teachers & professors

In 2020, teachers and professors around the world were forced to quickly adapt to online teaching. This big change was hard for many education professionals, especially those who did not have the right tools. While many schools have decided to go back to in-person learning this year, there are some digital tools that proved so useful that teachers will continue using them, including digital publishing!

Online assignments

Easily post homework and other assignments on a digital publishing platform. This is a great solution for a student out sick who needs to catch up, or a teacher deciding to go green and reduce paper waste.“The dog ate my homework” will no longer be a valid excuse! Teachers can post workbooks, readings, worksheets, discussion questions, and everything in between for students to access online. 

Lesson plans

If schools are using a hybrid in-person/online model, students who are at home can follow along with the classroom students thanks to digital publishing. The teacher can add external links to the publication if there is a quiz or video component to the lesson, for example. 

Answer keys, corrections

Using digital publishing, teachers can post a plethora of additional materials for students to help with studying. Archive old assignments so students have a useful study guide at their disposal before big exams. Answer keys, corrected assignments, additional exercises, external resources, and more! The possibilities are endless.

Virtual library

Want to display students’ work? It’s easy with our Library widget! End-of-semester projects, presentations, creative writing assignments…these can all be beautifully displayed and embedded in a website or classroom blog for everyone to see.

💡 TIP: Students can create a digital portfolio of their work! Read our article on how digital portfolios work harder for grads.

Privacy

Teachers have options when it comes to uploading material that is for students’ eyes only. First, by making a publication private, the teacher controls who can access the publication. Then, they can choose to share the publication via a private URL, or using the Subscribers feature with a PREMIUM or PLATINUM account.

💡 TIP: Our Editor tool is the key to an enriched publication!

Administrators

Digital publishing is not just reserved for the classroom. Administrators can also take advantage! From school districts to school boards to Parent-Teacher Associations, digital publishing can help administrators achieve their communication goals.

💡 TIP: Using Calaméo for professional purposes? Take a look at our PLATINUM plan!

School or university brochures

Show off your school or university in a beautiful digital brochure. Add links, videos, music, and other interactive features to wow potential students and their families. Embed it in your website or share it via your social media pages. Display your school colors and logo by using our white label feature!

Newsletters

Much like brochures, digital publishing is an excellent medium for newsletters. Whether it’s an internal newsletter for teachers and staff, or an external newsletter for students and families or alumni, your publications can shine on a digital publishing platform. Add links to sign-up forms for field trips or volunteering, and, if you have a PLATINUM  account, include videos of student performances or other highlights. Online newsletters are the perfect solution for communicating important information to many people at once. Use our Statistics feature to see how many views your newsletter receives!

Professional documents

Policies, procedures, school rules, student handbooks, school directories, annual reports (and more!) can be posted online for all to see. These crucial documents can be shared easily to ensure that both faculty and students receive all the important information throughout the school year.

Yearbooks

Traditional yearbooks have gotten a 21st-century upgrade! Why not include videos of congratulations or well wishes from faculty, for example? Students can share their yearbooks with relatives to show off their accomplishments from the previous school year.

💡 TIP: Need to know what types of files you can convert on Calaméo? Click here!

Flyers

Bake sales, charity auctions, open houses, school plays, talent shows…broadcast all your school events and important announcements with digital flyers! Embed them in your school’s website and share them easily. If there’s a date or venue change, no need to panic. Upload a new version of your publication and the URL remains the same.

Training

Another sector of the education industry that could benefit from digital publishing is professional training. Many companies provide continuing education or training courses for their employees, both online and in person.

Training materials

Professional trainers can upload their training materials to a digital publishing platform such as Calaméo and enrich it with interactive touches like links and videos. In fact, PREMIUM and PLATINUM members can use Folders to organize by theme or company department, managing access via private URLs or our Subscribers feature.

Intranet or employee training portal

Training managers can embed their training materials on the company’s internal website, Intranet, or training portal, for employees to consult from anywhere. Easy to upload and easy to access, employee training will be a breeze!

And more!

Private tutors, professional aides, volunteers…absolutely everyone in education can use digital publishing! Not only is Calaméo a great option for a digital publishing platform, it’s easy and will save educators’ most precious resource: time.