What is the best format for your digital product? Find out!

It is not always easy to choose the best format for an educational digital product. To help you, we have created a video that explains the advantages and points of attention of the ebook and video classes, the two most common in the digital market.

And if you prefer to read while watching the video, we provide you with its transcript, with all the links you need. Enjoy them! Check out our tips to ensure your product is of quality, regardless of the format you choose.

Do you want to work online sharing your knowledge, but you don’t know what kind of to create? In this Tips, we are going to show you how to choose the ideal format to present your content”

There are several formats of digital products, but the two most used are the ebook and the video class. The main factor for the success of these two formats is the easy access for those who buy them.

In the case of , the customer only has to download and read it on the device of their choice. Already with the the person only enters the student area and plays the videos.

But what are the characteristics, advantages and points of attention of each of these two formats?

Let’s start with the ebook or, in Spanish, the digital book.

Ebooks have written content and can also have images, charts, and flowcharts.

PDF or ePUB

The most common e-book file formats are PDF and ePUB.

The PDF can be read from a computer, tablet, and even a cell phone. Already the ePUB format is aimed at electronic readers.

Since most e-readers are electronic ink and have a black and white screen, ePUB ends up being better for ebooks that only have written content.

Despite this limitation, the ePUB has a great advantage over the PDF: the content is responsive, that is, it adapts to the size of the device’s screen. And it also allows you to change the size and font of the text.

Advantages of the e-book

Now that we know the characteristics of the two main ebook formats, let’s discover the advantages of an electronic book.

The positive points are:

• It is the best format for the producer who prefers to express himself through texts or does not feel comfortable in front of the cameras.
• Producing an eBook is easier and cheaper than recording video lessons. You just have to write it in a program like Word or Google Docs and then diagram its content.

If you don’t know anything about design, you can hire a designer. Another possibility is to use a template available on the Internet. Like the ones we leave you here in the video description.

Even the fact that it is cheaper to produce an ebook is also an advantage for the buyer, who can acquire a quality product paying a low price.

• The client only needs internet to download the e-book. After downloading, it is possible to read it offline.
• the electronic book is accessible to the hearing impaired.

attention points

The points of attention about the electronic book are:

• Unfortunately, many texts are plagiarized or used without reference. Hence, to protect yourself, you must register the intellectual property of your electronic book in the responsible body in your country.
• The e-book can alienate many potential customers who have resistance or difficulty reading. Therefore, you have to be sure that your target audience is going to buy an e-book before you produce one.
• Since they are cheaper to produce and simpler than video lessons, the average prices charged in the e-book market are lower. So you will have less profit margin.

Also, with the amount of interactive resources offered by online courses, it is more difficult to attract the reader.

If you decide to produce an electronic book, here are some tips:

• Check the text and leave it according to the rules of Spanish or the language you use.
• This is important to give a tone of reliability and seriousness to your product.
• If possible, use images and graphics to help the reader better understand the content.
• Another very good resource to improve reading is to divide the texts into chapters or topics and subtopics.

If you want to discover how to make an electronic book, check out our tips in this Tips that appears on the screen.

Now, let’s talk about the video classes.

When talking about educational digital products, most people think of video classes, which consist of transmitting content by video. In general, the producer hosts the videos on digital platforms, such as .

Advantages of video classes

These are the main advantages of video classes:

• Since they cost more to produce than e-books, the profit margin is higher, as buyers are generally willing to pay more for them.
• The video allows building a relationship of greater trust and identification between the teacher and the students.
• Video lessons also make learning easier and more enjoyable. Also, if you need to teach a technique or step by step, the message is better transmitted through the video than through the ebook.

You can even use features like screencast, music tracks, effects, and other audio and visual features that make the class more interesting.

attention points

The points of attention of the video classes:

• Producing video lessons is more complex than producing e-books.
• It is very likely that you will need to gather professionals to help you with image and video capture and video editing. You can even do it all, but maybe it will take more time to finish the production.
• In order for people with hearing disabilities to be able to follow your course, it is necessary to put subtitles or sign language translation.

If you choose video classes as the format of your online course, the first advice I give you is:

• Try to divide your course into classes of up to 20 minutes, to prevent the viewer from losing focus on the content.
• It also helps students who want to take short breaks in work to get ahead in your course.
• This is not a mandatory rule, but it does increase the chances that you can hook students.

And if you are interested in the subject of video classes, I recommend other videos that are .

There’s a video on how to make a great video, another with tips for speaking on camera, and one that helps you prepare as an online teacher.

Don’t miss them!

And now, do you know what digital product to develop? Tell us below in the comments.

Also take advantage of the opportunity and sign up for the 30 Day Challenge to learn how to create your ebook or video class in a month.

The 30-Day Challenge teaches you how to choose the topic of your course, define your buyer persona, record videos, write ebooks, and register the course on .

In short, everything you need to launch your product. That is all. See you!