What Are Interactive Digital Brochures and How To Create One?

Interactive elements transform an online brochure from a previously static PDF file to a material that users like to read. With interactive digital brochures, you can introduce your business in a more compelling, highly engaging manner.
 

Nowadays, product information may be easily accessible online. The widespread use of digital channels leaves you wondering if brochures are still relevant for a business.
 

Bentley University conducted a study regarding the use of print brochures, specifically in the hospitality industry. What they found out was that tourists and visitors still appreciate and benefit from the use of brochures, as these numbers show:
 

• An average of 79% picked up a brochure.
• Trip planners have a 52% usage rate of brochures next to searching the web.
• 85% became aware of an attraction or a business after picking up a brochure.
• 61% plans to buy tickets or merchandise contained in a brochure.
• 73% consider changing plans with new information from a brochure.
   

Brochures are, therefore, still a valuable material to present your products and company profile. However, brochures tend to be plain and boring when you only place images and texts. Placing interactive elements helps more readers and potential buyers engage with the products and information on display.

What Is a Digital Brochure?

Simply put, a digital brochure is the same as the brochures and catalogs you see from various stores. Only, they are placed online instead of the traditional paper format handed out to customers or on a shelf for them to pick up.
 

Online brochures typically have the same images and text in a physical form. However, to take it a notch further, you can do more than just a plain PDF file uploaded on your website.
 

You can animate the texts when a reader views them or add other elements. Here are what you can include making the digital brochure more interactive:
 

Links - Whether it is a link going to your website or a sales landing page, links make it easy for users to know more details about your organization and proceed with a transaction.

CTA Buttons - You can place call-to-action buttons at strategic locations to maximize the space and increase conversion. The CTA button can either direct them to an order page or a contact form.
 

Videos - Another way to keep customers engaged with your brochures is by adding videos. While you may think that an online brochure is only limited to photos and words, you can also add MP4 videos on them to enhance the product or service presentation.
 

Motion Graphics - If you prefer not to include heavy videos, you can embed animations such as GIFs or cinemagraphs to illustrate your products or any imaging you want to emphasize. This type of media loads faster while at the same time providing interactivity for the reader of the brochure.

Benefits of an Interactive Digital Brochure

Replacing your magazine-type catalogs with an online-ready interactive brochure provides many advantages that are usually limited in its physical form.
 

Why is there a need for an interactive experience? Already 62% of B2B marketers use interactive content. 77% of marketers see interactive content as "reusable," leading to repeat visitors and multiple exposures. Thus, having a static brochure may not be enough to capture more potential customers.
 

Here are some of the benefits when you have online brochures, which are available digitally and provide an interactive experience for the readers:

1. Customize to your brand

The look and feel of your digital brochure can reflect your branding. You can personalize it according to your brand and preferred color palettes. From the images to the animated parts, you can control how the online brochure will come to life on screen.

2. Attractive to look at

Having an appealing design with interactive elements makes a digital brochure captivate the eyes of readers. On a website, you may be careful and avoid cramming information on a page. With virtual brochures, on the other hand, you can have various elements come into play in the layout. Viewers will be delighted to take a look around the sections and have more interest in your organization.

3. Easy to find information

Dividing the sections of a digital brochure allows the viewer to jump right on the information. Instead of having to go through all the pages of the material, they can skip ahead and scan the content that is most valuable to them. Make it easy to switch between pages by having a visible menu and page selectors so readers can browse over the information with less effort.

4. Keeps users engaged

After getting people to view your digital brochure, putting interactive media keeps them hooked on the content. They may even go as far as sharing an interactive digital brochure online once it captures their interest in your brand and product presentation.

5. Ability to track

It can be tricky to know whether your digital brochure is effective. How do you attribute online metrics to measure if the material is working or not? With an interactive online brochure, you can place tracking on the links by placing UTM codes. To even make data more specific, PDF files can contain Javascript codes, which you can use to include scripts that measure video plays, for instance.

How Do You Make a Virtual Brochure?

As with any marketing materials, proper planning plays a key role in producing a valuable output. A few things to keep in mind when crafting a virtual brochure are as follows.

1. Identify which information to include

Be concise and include relevant content on the brochure for only one topic or promotion. Know which sections will contain specific details about your company or your product listing.

2. Proper use of colors and text

Come up with matching color palettes that also complement your branding. Choose typography that is easy to read while at the same time exciting enough for the viewers to persuade them to read the content.

3. Testing various design templates

With the ability to track results, you can use different interactive digital brochure designs to see which one has more downloads or views. Modify the elements you include, such as alternating between links, images, and motion graphics to check which ones have more interaction.

Where Can I Make a Digital Brochure? 

There are many ways to produce an interactive digital brochure, depending on your preference. Whichever option you chose, make sure to align it with your goal in creating it in the first place.

• Graphic design software

Paid software and online tools both work very well in crafting a virtual brochure designed according to your desired output. In this method, you have full control down to specific details. However, it can also be time-consuming, especially when creating graphics is not your focus.

• Freelancers

Another typical route if you need to have a virtual brochure designed is freelancing sites. With a wide variety of skilled freelancers, you can have somebody produce an online brochure and add interactive elements. Check which freelancers are capable and, ideally, already have experience crafting the brochure.

• Design services

To get more value out of creating an online brochure, you can subscribe to on-demand design services. Some of these third-party firms allow you to have unlimited graphics and revisions.
 

You can readily produce an interactive digital brochure that fits well with your preferred design and branding. If you need to get inspiration, design services can also recommend design templates. A design service subscription gives you access to both top-of-the-line tools and skilled designers without the constraints of hiring now and then or spending hours of work.

Ready To Wow Your Customers With a Digital Brochure?

On-demand design services with graphic and video capabilities are your best bet to help you design an online brochure packed with visual impact and interactivity.
 

While freelancers and outsourcing agencies charge per revision, subscription-based design services have unlimited graphic design revisions until you are satisfied with the brochure look. Thus, you do not have to repost project offers now and then or contact a firm. On-demand design subscriptions can readily create, revise, or modify interactive digital brochures to the details that you want.
 

Delesign is one of the design services that can provide both graphics and video animation capabilities. With the cloud-based graphic service, you can make interactive digital brochures that readers will love to browse over and share.