All you need to know about newsletters: Part one

In MARKETING
10 March 2022
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We have all seen a bad newsletter: messy visuals, too much text, a confusing format, boring content. In short, neither engaging nor fun to read. Luckily, the Calaméo team is here to help with all you need to know about newsletters! Publish newsletters that people actually want to read, with the aid of digital publishing and Calaméo’s easy-to-use platform.

  1. What is a newsletter?
  2. Why send a newsletter?
  3. Define your objectives
  4. Engaging text
  5. Simplified formatting
  6. Spice up your visuals

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is a publication about a specific subject that is destined for a limited audience. Newsletters have been around a long time – even the ancient Romans used them – and are still a great means of communication today. Most newsletters are not very long (only a few pages) and include both text and visuals. Newsletters are similar to magazines, but magazines are typically longer and written for a wider audience. On Calaméo, your newsletter appears in its entirety in a flipbook, scroll, or slide format with turning pages and interactive details, rather than a flat and mundane PDF. (This article will focus on online newsletters that are hosted on digital publishing platforms like Calaméo, not email newsletter campaigns.)

Example of a newsletter from Neuropedia.

Why send a newsletter?

There are many reasons for creating and distributing newsletters. Companies may want to send out internal newsletters to employees to update them on company policies, events, or big news. An external newsletter is a great sales and marketing resource to send to clients and prospects. Clubs may send newsletters to members, religious institutions to congregants, local government administrations to residents, and educators and academic institutions may send newsletters to students, parents, or staff.

If you are currently distributing a paper newsletter, consider making the switch to a digital version. Not only will you save natural resources, your publication will also be dynamic and engaging, available online for consultation 24/7. If you are sending your current digital newsletter in a PDF format, now is the time to publish it on Calaméo and take advantage of our fabulous interactive features! Read on for our tips on publishing digital newsletters.

Define your objectives

There are questions you will need to ask yourself before creating your newsletter. First, what is the purpose of this newsletter? Are you creating a newsletter in order to share information, sell or market a product, or another reason?

Next, who is your audience? A group of people with similar interests who already know the topics included in the newsletter? Or a larger group that is unfamiliar with you or your organization? These questions will help you decide if you need to include background information or if you can use subject-specific language without needing explanatory text or visuals.

Finally, how often do you want to publish issues of your newsletter? Weekly, monthly, quarterly? PREMIUM and PLATINUM members can plan publications in advance to save time and keep to a regular schedule. Defining objectives around your newsletter will help you construct a relevant publication that people will actually read.

Engaging text 

Throughout the pandemic, newsletters have been an excellent tool for keeping employees and clients (and other audiences) updated regarding changing health regulations and conflicting information. They are excellent channels for providing up-to-date news.

So special consideration should be taken while creating the content of your newsletter. The body of your newsletter should have enough text to relay your information but not so much that your reader gets lost in the details. Make the content of your newsletter dynamic and engaging. Your articles should avoid too much fluff or filler; get to the point and show your subject knowledge or industry expertise by sharing relevant information. If your company has made a recent policy change, or your club has updated its calendar, those should be included. Announcements should appear in a prominent location in your newsletter. 

Simplified formatting

Formatting is usually an afterthought. However, good formatting will help your newsletter flow and draw readers’ eyes to critical content. You want your readers to retain the most important information and leave your publication feeling better informed, not overwhelmed by a wall of text or wasted space. 

Have these tips in mind for a well-formatted newsletter:

  • Keep it simple
  • Limit the amount of text on each page
  • Stick to your brand style guide (use same font and color scheme as your other publications)
  • Include calls to action in visible places
  • No unnecessary visuals
  • Avoid background images 
  • Make use of Calaméo’s Zoom feature (PREMIUM and PLATINUM accounts)

Spice up your visuals

A good newsletter must include graphics (but not too many–see above!). Because newsletters are a visual format, take advantage of charts, graphs, and other visual aids to help share your information and illustrate your articles. Avoid clip art and other amateur graphics, especially if your newsletter is a professional publication.

The beauty of using an online digital platform like Calaméo to host your newsletter is that you can use our Editor tool to enrich your publication with dynamic visuals, like videos and GIFs. With Calaméo, you can also embellish the viewer. Personalize the theme of your viewer, add your logo, or even use our White Label feature.

💡 TIP : Make sure to optimize your documents before publishing!

Stay tuned


Part one of our newsletter series was all about the content of your newsletter, and part two will focus on the important steps to take before and after sending to ensure its success. Stay tuned for the next article in this series about newsletters. And in the meantime, sign up with Calaméo today to get started on your digital publishing journey!

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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

7 ideas for better B2B content marketing

In MARKETING
27 May 2021

Have you tried content marketing as a way to attract new customers for your business? If so, you’re in good company. Since this strategy is more popular than ever, finding fresh ideas is key to standing out. Today we’re rounding up the best ideas to improve your B2B content marketing plans.

1. Target to decision-makers

First things first: a main rule of content marketing suggests tailoring the message to your ideal audience. In other words, you should design your content around the needs and expectations of the people you want to discover it. In practice, this means choosing subjects, formats and keywords that will appeal to your target audience.

But are you focusing B2B content around the actual decision-makers who approve purchasing your product? To start addressing this essential audience, use B2B buyer personas to find out what information decision-makers want. Or keep things simple and ask your sales team for insight on decision-makers.

2. Broaden your reach

On the other hand, you may also want to consider making a wider range of content! Studies show that for B2B products and services, the decision to buy involves 6-10 people on average. All of them will do their own research throughout the buying process. And chances are, not all of them will be in the specific decision-maker roles you’ve identified.

As a result, it makes sense to create content that reaches more people and boosts your business’s profile. For example, some resources should be relevant to people in your industry, while others could speak to IT professionals in particular. When several stakeholders engage with your B2B content marketing, it can improve the path to purchase.  

3. Give your company a voice

For too long, B2B content had a reputation as old-fashioned. Compared to the B2C world, the audiences were smaller, more specialized and less interested in change. However, both business audiences and business content have shifted toward big trends in recent years. One huge trend in this space that’s easy to join is the B2B audio boom.

Audio has strong advantages for content marketers looking to shake things up. Most importantly, it’s a surefire way to add a personal touch to your communications. Next, there are lots of ways to use audio to connect with your audience. From Clubhouse to podcasts, jumping on the audio trend is a low-cost option for creating enriched media.

4. Create multilanguage content

Not sure how to grow your B2B content marketing audience beyond current followers? The best place to start is by checking out your own analytics. Especially if you tend to focus on target personas, content analytics often reveal global reach that may be underserved. Without re-working your entire sales and marketing plan, multilanguage content can help activate new audiences.

Because making multilanguage content is complex, try starting small. Choose a language that’s already represented in your audience and translate a popular publication. Or do some keyword research to support a brand-new article in another language. Either way, be sure to adjust your content’s SEO to reflect the needs of multilanguage buyers.

5. Collaborate with others

B2B content doesn’t have to be 100% centered on the benefits of your business. In fact, a very simple way to maximize your reach is to share the spotlight with another company. Teaming up to create collaborative content brings new audiences along to discover your brand: your followers, plus your partner creator’s followers.

Although independent influencers are powerful in B2B social media, you don’t need to dive into the world of influencer marketing to find collaborators. For instance, you can turn toward your own customers to find content opportunities! Highlight their use of your solutions in a case study or work together on producing an industry-specific resource.

6. Try a new format

Sometimes even the best B2B content marketing gets stuck in a routine. In particular, paying close attention to what works can lead to a kind of content “comfort zone.” Or to put it another way, your audience responds so well to white papers that you build a whole strategy around your library of white papers.

But even the most successful content plans can be improved with a fresh twist. Why not take some of your existing content and re-use it in a new format? You could make a poll about one of your white paper topics, make a GIF from a tutorial or even start your own magazine. Mix it up with different formats to catch your followers’ attention and perhaps reach new ones. 

7. Highlight your values

Last but not least, consider shifting your perspective for better B2B content marketing. Similarly to changes seen elsewhere, B2B buyers are showing continued interest in the values and purpose of their partner companies. In addition to product and industry content, business audiences want to know more about what brands stand for and why they do what they do.

Of course, the answers to these questions are unique to every business. And while they don’t have to become a main feature of your content, it can be worth introducing your company values when relevant and appropriate. As long as you keep things authentic, highlighting your purpose and principles helps attract audiences ready to engage beyond the bottom line.