It has become increasingly challenging for companies to reach their audiences online. After all, they determine for themselves when, where and how to consume content. Whether that is via a smartphone or a laptop. They pick the moments that suit them best. As a company, you have a myriad of digital channels to choose from to stand out with your content marketing efforts.
But sometimes good content deserves its own digital space. Even more so when you want to inform, involve or convince the audience from start to finish. You can seduce them with visually appealing and relevant content. Offering a mesmerising content experience ensures that you capture and retain the attention of the audience. Enter online publications. But what exactly is an online publication? And what can it be used for?
What is an online publication?
It is the digital or online publishing of editorial web content that serves a specific (business) purpose. An online publication is browser-based and must offer an optimal content experience for the public. A digital publication, an online magazine for example, is often used in business for marketing & sales purposes. See some online magazine examples.
How can you recognise a digital publication?
Now that we know the meaning, digital publications also have unique characteristics that allow us, for example, to distinguish a website from an online publication. Because isn't that the same? No. Here is a list with all of its characteristics:
Clear navigation structure
An online publication has a beginning and an end. Thanks to a clear navigation structure you are guided as a reader, by clicking or scrolling. This way, the focus is entirely on the content. Without the noise of a busy website.
Responsive design
An important characteristic of a digital publication is that it has a responsive design. The goal of responsive design is to create publications that detect the visitor's screen size and orientation and change the layout accordingly. For example, the content of an online publication is easy to view and readable on both a mobile and a desktop screen. Without having to zoom or pinch. This way, photos, videos and animations can support a positive full-screen content experience.
Visual & interactive format
Nowadays you really stand out with content that contains eye-catchers such as videos, animations or scroll effects. Thanks to handy tools and software, it has become increasingly easier to create an online publication. Without the intervention of developers.
A digital publication is no longer a static medium but contains a mix of text, beautiful visuals, audio and other media. Delivered in a beautiful design. Also, online publications often contain interactive elements, where you can persuade users to take action. Think of social share buttons, entry forms or buttons with a call-to-action.
Separate URL
An online publication often stands on her own and can be visited via a separate URL. In this way, it is not part of a corporate website. The content is the main act of its own show. This makes an online publication often a push medium that is distributed via content marketing to the right audience. An additional advantage of digital publishing is that publications are being indexed by search engines, ensuring they are easily found in organic search results.
Examples of online publications
We believe that an online publication should make a positive contribution to the ease of use for the audience. Especially when you want to distinguish yourself in a noisy digital landscape. But what type of online publications are there? Below is a list of types of publications that you may encounter online:
Publication Types
- Staff magazine
- Annual report
- Infographic
- eBook
- Client magazine
- Event magazine
- Product brochure
- E-learning
- Manual
- Onboarding document
- Corporate Identity Handbook
- Catalogue
- Corporate brochure
- White paper
- Product presentation
- Corporate presentation
- Report
- Bundle of stories
- Lookbook
- Sales brochure
- Training guide
The benefits of an online publication
I can hear you thinking; now I understand the difference between an online publication and a website, but what are the benefits? Why can't I simply send my presentation or white paper as a PowerPoint or PDF file? Like we said before; an online publication must make a positive contribution to the user's ease of use. If you still have doubts about getting started with online publishing, we have listed all the benefits for you here.
Easy to share
You never have to share huge PDF or PowerPoint files again via upload websites such as WeTransfer! You can now easily share an online publication via a separate URL. In its entirety or per page/article. Via social media, email or on the website. This also greatly increases the virality and shareability for your potential audience.
Measurable results
A incredible advantage of an online publication is that user behaviour can be measured. Because a publication is browser-based. And therefore, often linked to dashboards such as Google Analytics where you can measure how successful the content is. You will have insights into metrics like unique visitors, the duration of visits per page, scroll depth, bounce rate and sessions per page. These are all useful statistics to find out which content scores best with your audience. Perfect for optimising your future content.
Always up-to-date
An online publication can be edited at any time. This way, the content always remains relevant and up-to-date. You can make a small adjustment and publish without any additional effort. Therefore, an outdated version that is lying around is now a thing of the past! Online publications are always reusable for marketing and sales purposes.
Personalised content
Online publications are perfectly suitable for targeted communication and personalisation. This means that you can create and distribute content to specific audiences, tailored to their needs. This is a perfect way to strengthen the bond with your audience and even personalise it with their name or visual content that fits their interests.
Visually attractive
The presentation of content has become just as important as its quality. 90% of the information sent to our brain is visual. Visual images attract attention more quickly. In an online publication, you can play with visuals and moving images such as video, animation and scroll effects. An ideal way to make a lasting impression on your audience.
Increase engagement
Another great advantage of online publishing is that you can add interactive elements to your content. Think of buttons, polls or forms for visitors to leave information. With this you stimulate visitors more to sign up for a newsletter or event, to give feedback or even to fill in an extensive survey. This way you not only turn a passive reader into an active participant, but you also receive valuable user data at the same time.
A lower barrier to call-to-actions
When content is presented in a responsive design, a user-friendly publication lowers the barrier for audiences to perform any type of action. Online publications are an effective way to increase the probability of a download, order, information request or registration. Action and share buttons, hyperlinks and input forms ensure that visitors will perform the desired action faster.
Public or protected content
Does the content contain (business) sensitive information? And do you want your information not to be accessible to everyone online? An online digital publication can be protected with a password or secured login. It also allows you to choose not to have the publication indexed by Google.
Cost-saving
Cost-saving can be a valid reason for companies to digitise content. Creating and publishing a digital magazine does, of course, have production costs. Though compared to print, distribution costs are usually lower, because you no longer have to factor in printing and shipping costs. And the content always remains up-to-date and reusable, which in turn reduces production costs.
Good for the environment
Unfortunately, print publications often end up in the bin unread. And once printed, these publications can no longer be edited. For many organisations, switching to online publishing therefore also falls under their new corporate social responsibility policy. Paperless is, without a doubt, better for the environment.
Convinced in the power of an online publication? Maybe you want to get started right away! With the content creation platform of Maglr, you create interactive online publications that grab attention and increase engagement with your online audience. Login or request for a free 14-day demo trial.
