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    Categories: Flipbook

Issuu vs Calameo – A better alternative to create Flipbooks is Yumpu

The Internet has certainly changed the way things are done and the way people read content, but one thing that has not changed is the natural desire to flip a page. This is why I wanted to publish my PDF as a normal print copy, but all I had to turn to was Calameo Issuu and other similar platforms. The problem with platforms like Issuu Calameo is that they are simply inadequate and do not help fulfill the needs of modern-day readers. But then I found the best solution for myself called Yumpu. Start now get to get the best choice with Yumpu Publishing!

Calameo vs Issuu both presents the issue of limited functionality. Additionally, both platforms are not truly free and accessible.

Blogging and Why FlipBooks Matter

There is no doubt that platforms like Issuu y Calameo can make a difference, but I have to think about what readers want. I have a lot of readers and most of them are millennials. This is one of the largest groups of consumers, so it is important to market in a way that they understand, which makes programs like Issuu vs Calameo a little ill-prepared.

Tailoring to the Right Target Group

I did some research and found that millennials are not too interested in printed material; that does not mean they will not read print documents but they rather need to be presented in a way that millennials are used to. Sure, blog-reading is one of the possibilities, but the point is to take the blog-reading experience one step further. More precisely, to expand it in ways that programs like Issuu vs Calameo simply do not allow me to do.

The Solution to My Problem

Thankfully, I did find great software that I felt you should know about. The solution is Yumpu.com. What makes this site different from sites like Calameo Issuu is the overall usability and effectiveness of their features. I felt like they really understood what readers wanted from their flipbook experience. Additionally, it seemed a lot more focused than Issuu Calameo.

What Makes Yumpu.com Different (compared to Issuu vs Calameo)?

I was planning to release a published flipbook for my readers as a gift, just to give them something for continuous support. Hence, I wanted to make sure that it is in line with the kind of quality that my readers expect.

This publication platform allows for the creation of great e-papers. You should also know that you are able to publish other types of publications like catalogs, brochures, flyers, magazines, and other print-like material in an online version.

Clickable Links

I wanted my readers to get the full magazine experience but also to be able to access additional information to enrich the reading experience. This means I wanted to have links embedded within the text as well as audio and video files. Yumpu Publishing satisfied this need better than expected.

Discoverability

Yumpu.com also fulfilled my need to be exposed to like-minded readers, which I knew would be important to me now as I continue to expand my blog. In general, Yumpu is an all-encompassing site that allows readers to search for the kind of publications they are interested in. This site is reminiscent of a normal newsstand with all kinds of digital publications.

Their platform exposes over 20 million publications to the world, and they have millions of active users that may be exposed to your work. My work deals with fashion, which is one of the niches within this site, though they do cover other types of content like culture, arts, local events, and other types. This makes it a site that anyone can use effectively.

This software ensures that the PDF file that you upload is searchable in Google by using SEO optimization. This should help your content to be found by the people who are actually interested in the information that you are publishing. What should be understood, especially about millennials, is that they prefer reading personalized publications rather than just random information.

Even More Features

Yumpu offers numerous features. Sure, there are some features that can only be used when paying for, but I did not need to pay since the free version has everything one needs to prepare a great flipbook. My finished product was an elegant digital publication with many special effects (like embedded links and videos). This wouldn’t have been possible with Issuu y Calameo.

Compatible with all Devices

The site is definitely optimized to be used on all the devices that are used in today’s modern age. Millennials love to read content on all sorts of devices, not just laptops and desktop computers. This means that the publication that you print digitally should be able to be read on mobile devices as well. You can be sure that this site gives readers the possibility to read content on any device they want.

Yes, You Can Use Your Own Branding

There was something that I was really worried about and this was the ability to use my own branding. I was worried about that because some similar sites don’t offer this feature. I have worked hard to design my brand using talented digital designers. You know how important it is to have people recognize your brand. A lot of publishing software platforms let you publish your work, and it may even be free, but sometimes they do not allow you to use your own branding. However, it turned out that you can use your own branding. So no restrictions at all.

Interconnectivity

Another feature that I feel I should mention is just how interconnected the software allows your publication to be. Yes, it is important that your readers can be linked to web pages with further reading material to enrich your piece, but social media needs to be taken into account as well. Some people love connecting with others, and they love sharing publications and content that they are interested in; this means your publication should be sharable.

I found that you usually have to pay for this feature with other publication software platforms, so I was surprised to find out that it was free with Yumpu. You can embed your publication into your website, Facebook page, or your online shop as well. The publication can also be shared through one of your social media accounts, which means that others can share it too.

As already briefly mentioned, I was surprised to find out that it is possible to enrich my content with video and audio. This was great since I was talking about the latest fashion trends and wanted to use videos to illustrate what I was referring to. This helps my readers get the gist of what I was writing about.

An additional tool that is just as effective as the others is getting an updated weekly report so that you can track your publications. I have always found it useful to see the kind of content that works with my readers and that does not work. This is one of those features that you usually have to pay for with other services, but Yumpu offers this for free. The reports are very detailed and have helped me to revisit my e-paper.

My flipbook has been such a success that I am thinking of continuing to publish digital stuff. Since this software allows you to do prepare as many online publications as you want to. I found out that readers can even subscribe to my magazine, which could allow me to start another stream of income.

To be honest, I did not think that my magazine would gather that kind of support, and I was not thinking of continuing, but it seems it would be wise to do so. With this software, the conversion of my PDFs is very easy because they have a user-friendly subscription and management tool that helps you deal with digital publications.

If you are interested in having an app that helps readers get to your publications, you will be happy to know that the apps offered will also feature your own design. This is yet another way to further establish your brand with your readers.

When you consider Calameo vs Issuu vs Yumpu, it seems that the last one comes out as a winner. I know there are other options available, but you should at least try it once & let others know about this site and what it offers bloggers like me and other smaller to medium-sized businesses. Start today with my personal overall winner called Yumpu Publishing!

Christina Ruiz: Bringing you the best sources for creating online documents and magazine flipbooks that beautifully present your content.

View Comments (13)

  • Manfred Klaus says:

    I just have a small business. I loved to print out small brochures to give it to my clients. After several clients asked me about emailing them my brochures I was stuck. I didn’t really had a well made online brochure. I googled for it and came to your article. It really helped me choosing the right platform to produce a professional looking online brochure. I need to thank you a lot for the great tipp!

    • Christina Ruiz says:

      No worries Manfred – I am always happy to help!

  • Hey Christina!
    I’m just curious: In your article you wrote „This software ensures that the PDF file that you upload is searchable in Google by using SEO optimization.“
    I would like to know what the SEO Benefits of Yumpu are? How does it help me with my rankings?

    • Christina Ruiz says:

      Hi Thompson.
      I got a little insight on that topic when I was asking the yumpu support team about SEO. That is what I got:

      The SEO Benefit is originating from several sources. The primary Benefit is the ease of use: Content your Marketing creates using PDFs is typically not 100% online aswell. Content gets lost and is missing, your Company is not getting indexed for Keywords you could be found if you were using Yumpu.

      The point of “an other Domain” is technically correct. For you its on the other hand one more “Domain” you got control about. By using the Yumpu Service you can rank for one topic or keyword with several domains at once.

      One more thing: If you want to host all content on your own domain, this can be accomplished with a webkiosk. Just point a subdomain (e.g. magazines.transun.co.uk) or a new domain (transun-magazines.co.uk) to yumpu.com and add magazines there. That way all content is on your domain (or toplevel domain), all new links will go there and content is Redirected to that domain (We have set up specific canonical tags to point to that domain for webkiosks)

  • NobodyisPerfect says:

    How did you insert your own branding?
    I can’t do it. I tried it several times but there is no function to change the branding. Thanks a lot.

    • Christina Ruiz says:

      I am using the adfree plan. I guess you are working with the free version? You can only change to your own branding if you switch to the next plan. If you are already working with the adfree plan here is how it goes:
      1) go to “edit my profile”
      2) Then click on “Edit Images”
      3) Here you can change the image by uploaded your image to “Player Logo”
      That’s all!

  • Cosima F. says:

    That looks like the tool I was looking for for a while! Merci beaucop!

  • I’m having trouble uploading my PDF to Yumpu and wondering if anyone here can help.
    I created action buttons in my PDF (in InDesign) which works okay, (the product turns pink when you hover over the image) but then when I upload to Yumpu, these actions dissapear, am I missing something?
    I don’t know if you are the right person to ask but maybe you can help me out.
    Thanks in advance

    • Christina Ruiz says:

      Hi JJ,
      I am not sure but I think such special functions don’t work with Yumpu. If you want to create navigational links/videos/audio files/slideshows please use the hotspot editor of yumpu after creating the magazine.
      Try it. I hope it works.

  • Stoked! I tested the free version of yumpu and it provided me with every feature I needed. No need to buy any other plugins or other features. Thumbs up for yummy!c

  • I haven’t heard about yumpu before. Thank you for the great article!

  • Gareth G. says:

    Hello Christina,
    I totally agree with you. I worked with different platforms before I stumbled over yumpu. I was very surprised by its simplicity and the professional design.

  • I came, I saw, I tested – and I got fully satisfied! Yumpu is the go to platform to publish online magazines or brochures…etc.!

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