The Digital age has brought around multiple trends in online content.
Keeping the evolving consumer in mind, in tune with every technical development, we began with gripping, original blog copy, evolved into the video content movement. Today, we are riding on the next revolution: Interactive Content.
Before we dive into how we can take advantage of this latest trend, first, let’s define and understand it…
What exactly is Interactive Content?
Interactive content simply refers to a more active role played by the reader. The opportunity lies in the content and is cleverly disguised as being important enough for the reader to get involved with.
How often have you found yourself spending more time on a page with a quiz or simple questions to answer, over pages with mere blocks of words rambling about a particular topic?
Interactive content actually begins by stirring the reader’s emotions, then moves to an action.
This action could be a simple share or click. But things get more interesting when you throw in a quiz, contest, assessment, survey or a personalized navigation or journey. The trick is in the seamless integration of this exciting, interactive activity that motivates within 8 seconds but fits perfectly in the content you are delivering.
Plus, humans are visuals creatures so if it looks pretty, they will bite!
How do you decide what kind of interactive content to use?
Interactive content is all about engagement and then action. Every brand, product or marketer out there is investing in interactive content to boost leads and hasten the MQL creation process. They need results and they need them now! And who doesn’t, right?
It is therefore, important to choose the right kind of interactive content, platform and tools for maximum impact and conversion.
This process involves an investigation into your immediate aim. Though lead generation is always the final proposed outcome, there are steps to achieve it.
- Data Collection and Test Marketing
Data points on your customers are highly valuable when entering a new market or simply, customizing product or service offerings that will sell better. Quizzes, polls, surveys and personal assessments serve customers and companies alike. While your buyers are engaged entering fun contests and forms, you gain golden nuggets of data that they are keen to share quite willingly. It’s a win-win!
- Higher Brand Exposure & Educational Value-Add
Extraordinary content which displays your expertise and links readers to other authority websites is a good start to build your brand. The next step is to create highly interactive infographics. These offer visual representation of astounding data on evergreen topics. Video content is also a brilliant way to spread your brand’s wings and educate audiences. Short, crisp high definition video footage that encompasses the viewer in a melange of sensory stimulation, emotional gratification or mental satisfaction. That’s one of the highest ways to interact with your audiences and send out the right messages.
- Boosting Brand Loyalty
If fact-based written content is like attending school, then interactive content is equivalent to an exciting field trip. Your customer still learns but there’s so much to do, they don’t mind being taught. Pack in adequate amounts of interactive content, and you have them hooked for life. Their mind will react positively each time they see your brand and logo. They will expect wonderful things and it’s your job to continue to deliver.
Building brand loyalty features at the very beginning of the customer-brand relationship. It then progresses gradually into the evaluation stage (more about this as you read on) in which your customer is weighing the options and trying out various other brands or products. During both these phases, quizzes, polls, personal assessments work wonders. To urge evaluation in your direction, interactive white papers is a reliable tool.
- Attracting Website traffic
Make them come to you by enticing, fascinating, and then satisfying. Whether you utilize interactive social media posts or Google ads, offer a teaser that makes them want to click through to your website. Offer a memorable user experience that encourage audiences to bookmark and return. Webinars, 360 videos, games and calculators make a deep impact on buyers enough to make them share on social media or talk about it with others.
You can even consider which interactive content works best according to where your customers are in the sales funnel. One reason why interactive content is so popular is because it works brilliantly at every stage.
a) Awareness/Top Of Sales Funnel
This is where you an make a big splash with high impact, fun quizzes and polls. They can be designed to creatively extract data about your target consumer. This will help you improve on your product or service or even the kind of content they prefer.
The Data collection and Test Marketing mentioned above occur during this stage and are vital to your marketing plans.
b) Evaluation/Middle of Sales Funnel
At this stage, you are being considered as a possible suitor by your buyers. This is when your competitive edge needs to shine through. You are expected to offer better, newer and faster than the others and this applies to your content as well.
Offer value addition in the form of Free Recipes or Free Makeovers and make them interactive. Turn them into contests. Give 10 minute awareness talks or 5 step renovation tips. It all pays off when they choose you over your competitor.
c) Decision/Bottom of Sales Funnel
Your customer is ready to make the purchase and you need to be there to offer it. Now, you begin to offer the experience of your product or service to the consumer even before he or she actually buys it. Augmented realities, interactive maps, 360 degree tours, guides and even tutorials on using the product or service. Make them feel special about being your customer, with interactive media.
The reason for the popularity of interactive content is plain to see. It’s engaging, high impact and results in high ROI. It’s the next phase in Digital marketing and is as fun to create than it is to experience.
So, if you feel the need to take your Digital Marketing on the interactive highway, contact us today to discuss your needs.
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