Creating eBooks and magazines with slides has been done for a very long time, with some very positive results, but is it still the best way to attract an audience? With the creation of flipbooks within an online magazine maker, this is now another option to you, so the question is which one is best? They both have their pros and cons, so it really depends on what you want to get out of your product. Do you want something that is familiar and instantly recognisable, that people will know how to use, or do you want to think outside the box and get something new and innovative on your website?
You will need to do some research into your target demographic to see how they use the Internet to work out which method of communication is best for your message, but it’s also a good idea to be aware of the advantages of each method too.
Benefits of Slides
Slide shows do have their advantages, which is why they have always been used for content marketing, and these include:
Free and Easy to Use
Sites such Slide Share do not cost anything, and they are really easy to use. You will need to create an account, which can be populated by the information you have already entered into Facebook or LinkedIn. The end product can be easily created by files that you already have stored on your computer, and the end result is something like a Powerpoint presentation.
Wide Audience
Slides can be embedded in your website, or shared via your social media accounts, which can attract a very large audience to your products. When you consider that 70 million people use Slide Share per month (source), that’s a number of people that could stumble across what you have to say every single day.
Analytics
You can apply Google Analytics to your slide show to see exactly how many people are visiting your slides, and you can make some judgements on your future marketing based on that. You can instantly see what works and what doesn’t, which is much better than what you get with normal advertising.
There are downsides of slide shows too – for example, it can be very challenging to apply video content to your file, you cannot edit your content once it has been uploaded (which flipbooks allow you to do), and the transitions between slides can be clunky and slightly unpleasant.
If the information that you want to get across is informative and straight forward, then this might be the right method for you, but if you need much more from your eBook or magazine, then it might be better for you to think about a flipbook.
Benefits of Flipbooks
Actually one of the best things about flipbooks is that they offer you all of the above benefits, plus more. Not only are they much more aesthetically pleasing, they are also more interactive too. The pages flick, which is more exciting for users, and the content that can be included uses features that draws readers in – hyperlinks, expandable captions, videos – all of which is much more interesting for your readers.
Other notable extra benefits include:
Flexibility
The flipbook is much more flexible than the slide show, which means you have much more control over the design and the end look. You can have a really fantastic eBook or magazine that will really draw attention – if you’re willing to put in the effort to get everything perfect.
Mobile Friendly
As most people use their phones for the majority of their online searches these days – 51%, according to Smart Insights – it’s very important that whatever content you’re sharing needs to be mobile friendly, and flipbooks are.
Intuitive Control
Everyone will be able to see your flip book with ease, because of the ability to zoom at different levels. The visibility of everything within your pages will be accessible to everyone, attracting even more readers.
Search Engine Optimisation
We all know how important search engines are to the ‘discoverability’ of our website, and flipbooks are a preferred format for all the major searching tools. When people are searching for the product that you sell, they are much more likely to find your flipbook first – so remember to make it awesome. First impressions are really important.
Easy Download and Print Function
If one of your readers wants to keep your flipbook with them, there are a number of really simple ways to do this. A printed out slide show can look very simplistic and basic, whereas a flipbook can still look just as exciting on page. Run a test printout, just to confirm that it still looks good.
Language
With most of the free flipbook websites, such as Yumpu, readers can also choose what language they read the flipbook in, allowing you to target a worldwide audience. There is nothing more restrictive that readers not being able to understand the information in your magazine!
Unlimited
You can create and unlimited number of pages in your flipbook, leaving you with the freedom to do what you need to, not having to worry about restrictions. This means you can be as creative as you like, really driving your brand home. The key is to get people to remember you, so use this feature to your advantage!
Of course, there are disadvantages to flipbooks too. For example, if people are running a very old operating system on their computer then they might not be able to access your information with ease.
So now that you’ve seen the pros and cons for both methods, it’s up to you to decide which one suits your products best. There might be a lot more advantages to using flipbooks, but if they aren’t necessary to you, and you’re used to using slide shows, then there is no point in fixing something that isn’t broken.
You just need to ask yourself – what do you want to achieve with your online marketing?