How to create an interactive PDF?
Flipbook with flip effect on a laptop
In today's digital world, content is king. Creating engaging and interactive marketing materials has become critical. An interactive PDF is a great way to engage your audience, whether you want to create an interactive brochure, portfolio, or presentation. In this blog, we will walk you through the steps of creating an interactive PDF that will leave a lasting impression on your readers. So, let's dive right in and start unlocking the potential of your digital content!
What is an interactive PDF?
An interactive PDF (Portable Document Format) is a type of PDF document that includes elements and features that allow the reader to engage with the content in various ways. Unlike static PDFs, interactive PDFs can contain hyperlinks, multimedia elements like videos and audio, buttons, forms, and other interactive components. These features enable users to navigate through the document, click on links to access additional information, watch videos, and more. Interactive PDFs are often used for onboarding materials, training manuals, multimedia presentations, and other content where user engagement and interactivity might be an advantage.
Flipbooks floating out of a phone
Why should you create and use interactive PDFs?
Creating an interactive PDF not only allows you to present information more creatively but also enhances the overall user experience. By incorporating interactive elements such as hyperlinks, videos, and interactive charts, you can provide your readers with a more immersive and dynamic experience. This not only captures their attention but also ensures they engage with your content for a longer duration. By focusing on user experience, you can create a more memorable and impactful interaction with your audience. Additionally, an interactive PDF offers a unique opportunity to showcase your brand's identity and personality. By customizing the design elements, colors, and fonts to align with your brand guidelines, you can ensure that your interactive PDF is consistent with your overall marketing strategy. Consistency in branding helps in establishing a strong brand identity, making it easier for your audience to recognize and remember your brand. Creating a visually appealing and on-brand interactive PDF will not only leave a lasting impression on your readers but also reinforce the essence of your brand. An interactive PDF can serve as a powerful tool for gathering valuable insights and data on your audience's behavior and preferences. By embedding forms and surveys within your PDF, you can collect feedback, opinions, and contact information directly from your readers. This information can be analyzed to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience and make informed decisions for future marketing strategies. Utilizing interactive forms and surveys in your PDF can also help in building a database of potential leads, making it a valuable resource for your sales and marketing teams.
Long gone are the days of scrolling through endless pages to find the desired information. With an interactive PDF, you can easily streamline navigation and ensure that your readers can access the content they are interested in quickly. By incorporating a clickable table of contents, bookmarking specific sections, or even adding a search function, you can empower your audience to navigate through your PDF effortlessly. Simplifying content navigation not only saves time but also improves the overall user experience by making it more intuitive and user-friendly. An interactive PDF provides an opportunity for your audience to share your content with others easily. By incorporating social sharing buttons into your PDF, you can encourage readers to share your content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. This helps in expanding your reach and potentially attracting new audiences who may be interested in your products or services. Social sharing also promotes engagement and allows your readers to become brand advocates, spreading the word about your content and increasing its visibility.
How to create an interactive PDF?
Creating an interactive PDF is very simple - it doesn't matter if you want to create an online brochure, portfolio, onboarding material or different business documents! By following two simple steps you can easily create an interactive PDF with ease in no time!
1. How to create an appealing PDF using Canva?
Canva Logo
Canva is a popular design tool that offers a range of templates and customization options to create visually appealing PDFs. Here's how you can use Canva to create an interactive PDF:
First, sign up for a free Canva account or log in if you already have one. Once you're on the Canva dashboard, open a new "Doc". This will open a new document - you can also change the size if you want to.
Someone working on a laptop
Next, choose a template that suits your content and brand. Canva offers a wide range of templates for various purposes, such as brochures, reports, or presentations. You can search for specific templates or browse through the categories to find the one that fits your needs. Once you've selected a template, you can start customizing it to make it visually appealing and on-brand. Canva provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows you to add text, images, shapes, and other design elements to your PDF. You can also customize the colors, fonts, and layout to match your brand guidelines.
After you've finished designing your interactive PDF, you can download it as a PDF file. Once you've downloaded your PDF, you can go on with the next step by uploading it to the Paperturn software.
2. How to make your PDF interactive with Paperturn?
Paperturn is a digital flipbook software that allows you to transform your static PDF into an interactive and engaging flipbook. Here's how you can make your PDF interactive with Paperturn:
PDF upload, converted to a flipbook
First, sign up for a Paperturn account or log in if you already have one. Once you're logged in, you can begin the process of uploading your PDF. Simply click on the "Upload" button and select the PDF file you wish to make interactive. If you don't have an account you can create one for free and upload your PDF within the signup process.
Once your PDF is uploaded, you can customize your flipbook by using interactive features. Paperturn offers a range of options to enhance the user experience. You can implement them in the editor by clicking on the “settings” of your PDF a.k.a flipbook and choosing “LINKS/VIDEO & SEO”. Then you click on “LINKS & VIDEOS” and you’ll have access to add all the available multimedia and interactive elements.
An image showcasing different features of an online flipbook
You can add clickable links that lead to other pages inside your interactive PDF or to external web pages. This provides a seamless way to share additional information or resources and simplifies the navigation for the users at the same time. To create an engaging user experience you can insert appealing images and integrate videos from YouTube or Vimeo. This will make your PDF even more interactive and will grab the attention of your readers. Another interactive feature are the pop-ups. They can be a valuable addition to your content as they can provide additional context, information, or visuals without overloading the main page. By incorporating pop-ups effectively, you can offer a more interactive and informative experience to your readers, making your interactive PDF even more engaging and user-friendly. Moreover, you can enhance your interactive PDF with sound effects using Paperturn. Incorporating sound effects can create an immersive and engaging experience for your readers. Whether it's adding background music, narration, or interactive audio elements, sound effects can bring your interactive PDF to life and make it more enjoyable for your audience. Last but not least you can use the iFrame Widget to integrate all kinds of interactive content like playlists, maps or event calendars to make your interactive PDF an immersive reading experience. You can find 10 creative ideas to use the iFrame Widget in one of our latest blog posts.
Additionally, Paperturn allows you to add a table of contents which makes it easier for your readers to navigate through the content and quickly find the information they are looking for. You can do so by clicking on the table of contents tab in the flipbook settings.
Once you have customized all the interactive features, you can publish your flipbook. Paperturn provides you with a link that you can share with your audience or embed on your website or blog. This makes it easy for your readers to access and engage with your interactive PDF. And this is how an interactive PDF can look like:
What are the benefits of creating an interactive PDF with Paperturn?
Paperturn provides a valuable lead capture form feature and analytics options that can significantly benefit businesses and content creators. With Paperturn's lead capture form, you can seamlessly gather important information from your readers, such as email addresses or contact details. This is a powerful tool for gathering direct leads for your sales team, building your subscriber list or connecting with potential customers. Your personalized lead capture form will pop up whenever someone wants to view your interactive PDF - only users who put in their contact information can access your interactive PDF. Additionally, Paperturn's analytics features offer in-depth insights into how your flipbook is performing. You can track reader engagement, page views, and even see which sections of your content are most popular by using the built-in statistics or the Google Analytics 4 integration:
These analytics empower you to make data-driven decisions and refine your content strategy for better results. Together, Paperturn's lead capture forms and analytics options provide a comprehensive solution for not only creating engaging flipbooks but also optimizing your outreach and content effectiveness.
Flipbooks on different devices (laptop, tablet and phone)
At Paperturn, we are dedicated to simplifying digital publishing while prioritizing important aspects. We employ stringent security measures to protect your data, ensuring full GDPR compliance and giving you peace of mind when collecting and handling sensitive information through our platform. Our commitment to accessibility ensures that everyone, including those with disabilities, can easily access your interactive PDFs. Plus, our excellent customer support is here to assist you whenever you need help. You can reach them via email, phone or chat with any questions. Additionally, you can have a look into our help guide - maybe you'll find your answers there.
