PDF, flipbook or web articles: which one does which job?
2 min read
Three formats, three jobs. Choosing is easier when you're clear about what you want each one to do.
What it is. A fixed document that looks the same everywhere.
Good for: printing, archiving, documents members want to keep, short newsletters, forms.
Limits:
- No reading data on its own.
- Awkward on small screens.
- Links work, but you can't see who clicks.
- Large files are hard to email.
Flipbook
What it is. The PDF displayed as a page-turning online magazine.
Good for: the feel of a magazine, clickable ads and links, embedded video, reading data, a clean shareable link.
Limits:
- Less useful for search engines than separate pages.
- Needs a platform subscription.
- Some members prefer to scroll a plain page.
Web articles
What it is. Each story is a page on your website.
Good for: being found through search, easy sharing of one story, reading on any device, accessibility and long-term archive.
Limits:
- Loses the sense of an issue unless you manage that.
- Needs publishing work for each piece.
- Design is less controlled.
Side by side
| Flipbook | Web articles | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Looks like a magazine | Yes | Yes | Not by default |
| Works well on a phone | Poor | Good | Best |
| Reading data | None | Yes | Yes, through web analytics |
| Findable by search | Little | Little | Best |
| Clickable ads and links | Yes, untracked | Yes, tracked | Yes, tracked |
| Easy to print | Best | Via PDF | Variable |
| Effort per issue | Lowest | Low | Higher |
A combination that works
- Produce a PDF as your master.
- Publish it as a flipbook for the full issue.
- Publish the best three or four articles as web pages, each linking back to the issue.
- Offer the PDF download to members who want it.
You do the writing and design once, and members and search engines can both reach it.
Questions to decide
- Do you need advertising results? Use a flipbook.
- Do you want to be found by people outside your membership? Add web articles.
- Do your members print it? Offer a PDF.
- Do you have time to publish pages? Start with two per issue.
Related
Turning a PDF into a digital magazine and SEO for a digital magazine.
Frequently asked questions
Is a flipbook better than a PDF?
For reading on screen, tracking and clickable links, yes. For printing and archiving, a PDF is simpler.
Do web articles replace the magazine?
They can, but they lose the sense of an issue. A combination often works better.
Which is best for search engines?
Web articles. Search engines can read and rank each page. A flipbook or PDF alone is much harder to find through search.
Which is easiest to produce?
A PDF, then a flipbook made from it. Web articles need each piece published separately.
