How to choose a digital publishing platform

In PUBLISHING
6 January 2022
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When you’re ready to start digital publishing, it can be challenging to choose a platform. Because there are quite a few options out there, we’ve put together a five-point guide to help you choose the digital publishing platform that’s right for you.

First, answer a few simple questions about your basic publishing needs. Next, consider the features that are important to achieving your goals. Then review the audience access that your publications will require and other key platform elements like languages. Finally, look at plans and prices to see which digital publishing platform is the best fit for you.

Let’s dig in!

1. Basic needs

Begin with some simple facts about the content you will be publishing online.

Since you’ll want to try out any digital publishing platform you choose for free, here is what Calaméo has to offer on our BASIC plan:

2. Features

In addition to transforming files into HTML5 publications, you may also want to take advantage of some of the great features online platforms can provide. But remember, the specific features that will matter most depend on your objectives. For example:

In many cases, digital publishing platforms will ask you to sign up for a paid plan to access advanced features. Here’s what you can expect from Calaméo:

3. Audience access

Another major factor to evaluate when you choose a digital publishing platform is content access.

  • How many times can you share your publication?
  • Can you configure protected subscriber access for your publications?
  • Are multiple user profiles available for your account to make teamwork easy?

Often, subscription set-up in particular can be complex. We recommend you research privacy and subscriber options thoroughly to find the right fit for your needs.  

4. Other aspects

Although publishing basics and features are essential, it’s worth keeping a few other aspects of working with the platform in mind. For instance:

  • Is the site available in your language?
  • Can you get fast, helpful support when you need it?
  • What kind of flexibility does the platform offer via API access?

Calaméo proposes the following:

5. Price

Last but not least, look at the pricing of different plans as you choose a digital publishing platform. In some cases, the free Basic plan may have everything you need to get started. However, the cost of paid plans can vary quite a bit—from as low as $14 per month with a PREMIUM account on Calaméo up to $269 per month on other platforms.

Below, you’ll find a chart comparing the monthly cost before taxes of Calaméo’s annual plans. (In other words, you’ll pay the total yearly amount at checkout to benefit from these prices.) Please note that all prices are listed in USD.

If Calaméo seems to match your needs, why not try out the advanced features of our professional PLATINUM plan? During your PLATINUM Demo, you’ll enjoy direct downloads, full viewership statistics and much more. Request your free trial today and experience exceptional digital publishing on Calaméo.

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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.

PUBLISHING

Updated: Digital Publishing Trends in 2020

In PUBLISHING
20 May 2020

Since the beginning of 2020, much of the world has undergone rapid changes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. With more than 30% of global population under some form of lockdown in April, everything from doing business to keeping busy has been turned upside-down and everyone is being forced to innovate.

That’s why we decided to update our list of digital publishing strategy trends for 2020. Although the strategies we discussed back in 2019 are still important, we wanted to highlight trends that have emerged this spring. Read on to learn how businesses are adapting digital publishing to meet new needs during the coronavirus pandemic.

DIGITIZATION

A main concern for companies across all industries has been getting their business up and running online. Of course, having an internet presence and even offering online sales are already key for modern organizations. However, when stores are closed and potential customers are quarantined at home, digital platforms are vital for staying in touch. One recent survey showed more than 85% of marketers anticipate bigger demand for online services, while 70% expect increased e-commerce.

In addition to serving customers online, businesses are also figuring out how to enable remote work for their teams. For many, the shift from office life to working from home was sudden. Overnight, thousands of companies have had to adjust priorities and adopt new ways to collaborate. In the US alone, the number of people working from home jumped from 4% of the workforce to 34% during the first week of April 2020.

This unprecedented move to the web means companies are racing to digitize documents of all types. From internal memos to product catalogs, their materials need to be available for customers and employees online. And due to production and distribution difficulties, the trend is even stronger for businesses with print publications. In challenging conditions, digitization is helping to provide critical publishing solutions.

SOLIDARITY

Another publishing trend to come out of the pandemic is more widely shared content. Digital publishers quickly recognized the need for people at home to stay informed, entertained and learning. Overwhelmingly, they have responded by making content that is usually paid available for free online.

Here at Calaméo we have seen inspiring examples of publishers showing solidarity with their readers. We rounded up some of the educational resources that our publishers shared to help quarantined parents and children on the blog in French. We’ve also noticed special journals, activities and more being shared on our platform for everyone to enjoy.

💡 TIP: Published something on Calaméo that you’d like us to check out? Don’t forget to tag us @calameo when you share it on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Indeed, this is a trend that’s become clear among publishers all over the internet. Newspapers and magazines like the New York Times and Vanity Fair are letting readers without a subscription access their coverage of the coronavirus. As a result, views were 30% higher on average in March 2020 than in 2019. Some sites have even reported doubling their traffic due to free content initiatives, demonstrating a strong connection with audiences online.

E-BOOKS

The last publishing trend we’ll highlight today is a bit unexpected: e-books. After a decade of highs and lows, by 2019 e-books made up about 20% of all book sales. But as more and more businesses turn to online tools to digitize and share content, e-books have gained new popularity amid the pandemic.

Offering readers the opportunity to download digital copies of their material is an important option for publishers in lockdown. Booksellers are reporting increased demand, while libraries have experienced a surge of e-book borrowing. For example, digital library book checkouts climbed by 30% during the first weeks of quarantine in the United States. And in France, e-book sales rose up to 200%.

Businesses in every industry are working hard to adapt to the extraordinary circumstances created by the coronavirus. However, the immediate future remains uncertain. Some experts predict, for instance, that 25-30% of people may still be working from home in 2021. Others wonder whether advertising will continue to support online content as usual.

We don’t know yet how these digital publishing trends will evolve over the coming months. But one thing seems clear: the best strategies in 2020 will focus on being useful in a changing world.

To learn more about digital publishing on Calaméo, check out our Guided Tour below. Write to us with your questions any time at contact@calameo.com.