In the digital age, online content creation is a necessity for any business or individual looking to reach a wider audience. However, with so much content online, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 tips for creating unforgettable online publications.
Use compelling images
Images are an important part of any online publication. Readers are more likely to read an article if it’s accompanied by eye-catching images. Images can also help convey information more effectively. Be sure to use high-quality images that match the subject of your publication.
Tell a story
Stories are a powerful way of capturing readers’ attention. When creating an online publication, try to tell a story that’s relevant to your target audience. Use anecdotes, examples and testimonials to bring your story to life.
Be original
With so much content online, it’s important to stand out by being original. Avoid using ready-made phrases or clichés, and try to find a unique angle for your publication. Research your topic thoroughly to find new and interesting information to share.
Use the right tone
The tone you use in your publication is important for capturing your audience’s attention. Try to find a tone of voice that suits your subject and your target audience. Use simple, clear language to make your message easy to understand.
Use a clear, easy-to-read layout
The layout of your publication is also important for understanding your message. Use a clear layout that makes your publication easy to read. Use headings and sub-headings to organize your content, and use short paragraphs to make it easier to read.
Conclusion
Creating outstanding online publications may seem difficult, but by using these 5 tips, you can create publications that stand out in any channel (whether on Calaméo or on social networks). Use captivating images, tell a story, be original, use an appropriate tone and a clear layout to capture your audience’s attention and communicate your message effectively.
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.
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.
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!
The smartphone turned ten in 2017 and in just a decade it has had an enormous impact on everything from banking to ordering takeout. Digital publishing is no exception. Now more than ever, making sure your content looks great, works perfectly and offers maximum appeal on mobile devices is key.
In this post, we’ll discuss why getting it right on mobile matters in today’s digital publishing landscape.
Mobile majority
First things first: more people than ever are using their smartphones to go online. That means that if your publications aren’t optimized for mobile display, you risk missing out on a big chunk of your audience’s time and attention. Globally, mobile usage overtook desktop in November 2016 and climbed to 54% of total internet usage by July 2017. Users across the world averaged 86 minutes a day on their phones to access the internet in 2016, compared to 36 minutes on their desktops. Those figures are even higher in the United States: Americans spent 52 minutes a day online on their desktops, and 145 minutes online on their phones.
Responsive design
By making your publications easy and attractive to view on mobile screens, you can reach readers who prefer to use their phones to browse online. With Calaméo, you never have to worry about how your document will look beyond the desktop. Our powerful technology automatically optimizes your publications for cross-platform viewing. Links always stay right where you put them and your documents keep impeccable image quality on all mobile and tablet devices.
Social content
Smartphones open up an ideal avenue to bring your digital publications into the social media ecosystem. Mobile users spend a lot of time on apps—fully half the total time that they devote to digital media—and social networking apps play a big part. It has been estimated that the average person is on Facebook for 35 minutes a day and will scroll through 18 entire days on Twitter over the course of his or her lifetime.
It’s essential that sharing your publications is simple for your readers, even on smartphones. The share button on Calaméo’s viewer lets readers post about your publications on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more from their mobile devices in just a few taps.
The next step is to share your own publications on your business’s own social media accounts. Up to 47% of Facebook users access the service exclusively through the mobile app. You can maximize your ability to engage mobile users by adding your publications to your social profiles, so that readers can easily find and view them on their smartphones.
💡 TIP: Looking for social inspiration? Our Guide to Social Strategy is full of smart ideas for digital publishers.
What’s next
Responsive design and smart sharing allow your digital publications to shine on mobile devices. Go further with the biggest trends in smartphone usage: video content and mobile shopping.
Our PLATINUM plan has everything you need to take full advantage of your content’s mobile potential. Start by using the Editor to add Shopping links and embed videos directly inside your publications. Then, consult detailed statistics to find out what engaged your audience most and how they click on mobile. The results just might surprise you!
