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 goes green: Five easy ways to reduce your impact

In PUBLISHING
26 April 2018

A few simple ideas can help almost every business become more environmentally friendly: turn down the office air conditioner, choose eco-friendly cleaning supplies and encourage recycling. Publishers can face special challenges, however. Producing printed material uses water, trees and creates a large carbon footprint.

In this article, we will reveal easy places to reduce the environmental impact of your business’s publications.

Publish digitally

This one is a no-brainer! Paper copies of magazines, books and reports take lots of resources and energy to produce. Digital publishing provides a high-quality alternative to traditional print without the waste. Your publications not only look great on Calaméo, they can also reach a far greater audience online than in print.

Sign up readers

The dozens of subscription cards stuffed into magazines are becoming a thing of the past thanks to convenient online tools. Asking your readers to sign up for your content with pop-up forms is easy and entirely paperless! For more tips and tricks to drive subscriptions, check out our post about how to grow your subscriber base.

Distribute online

Sending paper copies of your publication to subscribers can mean high carbon impacts from delivery vehicles. Create a digital newsstand with our Library Widget to offer visitors a window onto your publications instead! Here’s a great example from National FFA:


PREMIUM and PLATINUM users can also set up digital subscribers for their publications on Calaméo. (PS—You’ll save on postage, too!)

Revise efficiently

Did someone forget to insert the ad that was supposed to be on page 14 of your latest publication? Or has the price changed for one of the products in this year’s catalog? Making changes to published documents is no problem with Calaméo. Rather than losing revenue or printing up a whole new batch of your publication, just correct your original file and upload the new version.

Go paperless

As an alternative to photocopying your employee newsletter, why not publish it online? The copies of memos, internal reports and other documents that circulate around offices are a major source of environmental waste. Publishing these documents online privately and sharing them with colleagues can help reduce paper use. Our PLATINUM plan includes unlimited direct downloads for the most professional, environmentally friendly results!

Digital publishing is only one part of the picture for businesses looking to go green, but it couldn’t be easier to get started. Create your account today for free and see how Calaméo can work for your business.

Did you miss the environmentally focused publications we’ve been highlighting this week on Facebook and Twitter? Follow us to get the latest highlights from the our global community of publishers. You can also see what’s new with Calaméo on Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

PUBLISHING

Top 5 Digital Publishing Strategy Trends for 2020

In PUBLISHING
26 November 2019

Digital publishers have gotten used to seeing huge trends arrive every couple of years. In 2013, traffic from social media networks was the biggest news in digital publishing. By 2015, it was the pivot to video. After that, paywalls came back in style and in 2019, everybody loved podcasts. So what’s next for 2020? Digital publishing strategy trends that get back to basics and put content first.

Read on to learn which strategies will help define digital publishing in 2020. Plus, discover how they can help your business achieve its goals.

CONTENT MARKETING

Our top trend pick for 2020 is not exactly new. In fact, content marketing has been part of the digital publishing conversation for more than a decade. But that’s because content marketing has proved to be a valuable tool for many types of businesses. Over 80% of brands are making use of online content in their marketing strategies and 96% of marketers think it is effective.

One reason that digital content has become such a popular marketing strategy is the growing dislike of ads. Unlike traditional ads, the content that businesses publish online aims to inform their audiences about relevant subjects as well as entertain and inspire. From funny GIFs to white papers, content marketing will continue to be a key digital publishing strategy trend in 2020.

INSIDER INFLUENCE

A major success story in 2019 came from food magazine Bon Appétit’s digital strategy. Emphasizing video, its set of Test Kitchen series have become an internet phenomenon. Fans have favorite Bon Appétit editors, celebrate the “Cinematic Universe” featuring their teamwork and rank every episode. As a result of that engagement, subscriptions have risen 64% this year from digital channels.

While you may not want to commit to a full-on video strategy, there are other ways for digital publishers to adopt the “editors as influencers” trend. For example, try showcasing the people behind your publications on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn. Because audiences there are drawn to authentic personalities, they’re smart places to build connections between your contributors and your audience.

SUBSCRIBERS FIRST

Speaking of platforms, digital publishers won’t stop using them in 2020. But another top strategy trend focuses on subscribers over followers. Although platforms like Facebook still provide opportunities for clicks and views, it can be difficult to take advantage of this audience. Many publishers say they don’t see significant value from posting their content to social platforms.

On the other hand, readers who visit your site and sign up to follow you there offer digital publishers a lot of advantages. It’s a great way to learn more about their interests and stay in contact. And creating a direct relationship with your subscribers doesn’t have to mean selling your publications. For example, you may want to develop newsletters, target promotions or send exclusive content to subscribers.

ECOMMERCE EVERYWHERE

In 2020, digital publishers will find new ways to connect ecommerce and digital publishing. It’s clear that internet users are tired of ads. But they’re also less likely to sign up for paid subscription services than they used to be, thanks to “subscription fatigue.” Despite this slowdown, online sales keep growing: revenues over $4 trillion are projected next year.

Above all, these trends show that digital publishing strategy can benefit from including sales. There are lots of possibilities to test. Consider producing shoppable content, branded content and free content to attract customers and encourage them to buy while they browse.

PRIVACY RISING

The last digital publishing strategy trend on our list for 2020 is respecting online privacy. Over recent years, protecting the digital data of internet users has been in the spotlight. And new standards are helping to change how businesses communicate with users online, from ads to email.

Although it’s too soon to know exactly how those changes will look, digital publishers can already anticipate a few best practices. The first is to keep privacy in mind when working on strategy in order to be prepared. The second is create great content that readers will find useful, connect with, sign up for and even shop.

The one thing that all of these digital publishing strategy trends have in common is strong content. If you’re getting ready for 2020, 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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