PDF to Digital Magazine: Conversion in 4 simple steps! PageTurnPro

Great content usually dies in the form of a static PDF. You take hours of your time to create a nice design, polish up on the copy and choose the appropriate images and then get to watch users scrolling through a bulky dead document on their mobile phones. It would be exasperating to you, and tedious to them. This is solved by digital magazines. They provide the touch of the print-page-turn, print-page-spread, with the interactivity of the web. The readers can view videos, make clicks, and have a responsive experience that can be used on any device. When you have a PDF to hand you are already 90 percent there. The transformation of a non-interactive publication to an interactive publication is not as difficult as many individuals believe. You do not have to be able to write the code, nor do you have to rent a developer. The following are the four steps that you can use in converting your PDF to digital magazine.

Step 1: Optimize Your PDF file to be converted

You must make sure that the groundwork is laid out before you post your file to a conversion site. A digital magazine is as good as the file it comes with. Despite the strength behind conversion tools, they do not resolve a low-resolution picture or a typo in the design.

Start by optimizing your PDF. When making in Canva, you should export your file in a way that would allow it to be viewed on the web. Print-ready files are extremely huge in size and crop marks appear unappealing on the screen.

Checklist for preparation:

• Checklist: Make sure that your pictures are quality and optimized to the web (150 DPI is a good compromise between quality and loading speed).
• Hyperlinks: You can add links at any point of time, but it also saves time when your links (internal and external) are already functioning in the PDF.

Step 2: Choose the suitable PDF to Digital Magazine Platform

Flipbook creators and digital publishing systems are dozens in number, and they are available in free basic and enterprise-scale software. This will be determined by how much money you have and the features you require.

Key features to look for:

• Mobile-friendliness: Does the platform reshape your content to suit your mobile screens?
• Multimedia Integration: Is it possible to insert YouTube videos or GIFs on the page?
• Analytics: Will you be in a position to monitor the number of people reading your magazine and the pages they took more time to read?
• Branding: Does it have the option of taking off the platform logo and having your own domain?

When you are already on the platform, open an account. The majority of them provide a free trial, and this is ideal to have a one conversion test to assess whether you prefer the interface.

A fine software to try for free for 15 days is PageTurnPro PDF to digital magazine software.

Step 3: Upload and Customize

This is the moment of magic. Post your ready PDF to the service of your choice. The document will be processed by the software which normally takes a few minutes and present itself into a flipbook.

However, don't stop there. That is only the initial stage of the conversion to raw. The viewer experience should be customized to make it look like a real digital magazine.

Enhancing the experience:

• Add Interactivity: This is the most significant benefit as compared to a standard PDF. Integrate a welcome video by the editor on the home page. Include the Buy Now buttons on product images and these should be connected to your checkout page.
• Table of Contents: The majority of platforms provide you with an opportunity to make a table of contents clickable. This plays a vital role with regards to user experience as a reader gains ability to jump directly into the articles he/she wishes to read.
• Branding the Viewer: Customize the Viewer Change the color of the viewer to a color within your brand palette. Load your logo to the loading screen. These little details create the impression that the publication is proprietary and not generic.
• SEO Settings: Fill in the title, description and the keywords in the settings of the platform. Digital magazines usually have an improved ability to be searched as compared to a static PDF, which in most cases is not easily crawled by search engines.

Step 4: Publish and Distribute

When you are okay with the layout and interactivity, click the publish button. A direct link (URL) and an embed code would be normally provided to you.

Digital magazines have an advantage in distribution. You are not making anyone download such a bulky attachment. You are simply sharing a link.

Distribution ways of your new magazine:

• Place it on your web site: The embed code will help to insert the magazine on a landing page. This retains traffic in your site not driving them away.
• Social Media: Let others know about the direct connection on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. The site normally produces a good preview cover of your cover.
• Email Newsletters: You can also do this by producing a visually appealing button in your email instead of attaching a file which is labeled as Read the Magazine.
• QR Codes: In cases where you have physical touches (such as a store or event), print a QR code, which refers to the digital magazine.

Conclusion

The conversion of a PDF to digital magazine is a low effort, high payoff strategy. It improves your brand awareness, creates a more drastic experience to your reader and offers information on how your content is performing, something that a regular PDF can never give you.

With these four steps, it is possible to adapt the existing material into a useful resource that will result in actual engagement. You do not work in vain, and your work should not be in a download folder; you have to make it come alive on the screen.

Simon Fox is a tech lover and writer who creates innovative Flipbook Software solutions for interactive digital publishing. With expertise in SaaS product.