5 Types of Interactive Content and How to Create Them

Content is important and so is engaging the audience. A successful content marketing strategy involves consumption and absorption of content, apart from ensuring user satisfaction. Modern day marketers must incorporate interactive marketing into the mix, offer something unique, interesting and engaging, such as interactive videos, infographics, etc.

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Interactive content helps you understand the user better and gather data on your prospects. Here’s a look at different types of interactive content and how you can leverage them.

1. Interactive Videos: Videos have become a favorite content strategy for many marketers with 64% of consumers saying “watching a marketing video on Facebook has influenced a purchase decision.”

A Neil Patel blogpost observes that product videos can increase purchases by 144%.

It is a given that video content grabs and engages audience attention, but there is too much competition out there for simple videos. Videos which serve great content along with interactive elements are a good way to differentiate your message. These interactive videos will let the audience become a part of the process and will lead to a more engaging and satisfying experience.

To create compelling and addictive video experiences:

• Create amazing content – Follow Brian Dean’s PPP formula:
  • Preview: Tell them what the video is all about
  • Proof: Demonstrate what you have achieved backed by research and experience
  • Preview: Focus on use cases, tips and tricks that add value to your viewers
• Create Playlists: Encourage users to watch your other content by directing them to a playlist of a related theme.
• Add calls to action in every video by asking them to subscribe, share, comment or visiting your landing page.
• Use of cards and end screens can help create great experiences and hook your viewers by linking to related videos, channels, websites or polls.
• Use hotspots to direct viewers to other section of your video or website.

Also Read: What is Interactive Content Marketing and How Marketers can Leverage It

2. Interactive Infographics: They visually represent data and add interactivity allowing users to navigate across datasets, have different coordinated views, and absorb information in story form.

You can build effective interactive infographics through:

• Valuable information packed with facts that the user can click/zoom/pan at will.
• Segmenting the elements in a story form that engages the reader in a logical progression.
• Every user action (click/scroll/zoom etc.) resulting in a response from the infographic, making it engaging for the user.
• Create personalized infographics which serve data based on user input.

3. Quizzes and Assessments: Assessments are a preferred form of content marketing (54%) followed by quizzes (48%). They together are most effective when deployed in the awareness/discovery stage of the buyer journey. They are appealing to users as they provide them with an opportunity to learn more about themselves and share them with others too.

Users interact with the quizzes or assessments like ‘personality tests’ or ‘product feedback’ and provide rich information which gives marketers insights and help create targeted and personalized content based on their needs.

To design a well-executed assessment and quizzes:

• Assess users’ product knowledge and product readiness. This will help the user understand what he wants, and you to qualify leads and conversions.
• Skills assessment to test their knowledge. Prospects will understand how they measure up and you will learn how best you can serve them.
• Assessment or quiz results should give actionable recommendations to the user to aid them in the decision-making process.

Also Read: 5 Metrics to Assess your Content Marketing Effectiveness

4. Polls and Surveys: These are loved by users and marketers alike. Users can express their opinions while marketers gain an understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and why? Also, they can be used anywhere in the sales funnel.

To create effective polls and surveys:

• Keep them simple and as short as possible
• Incentivize users for participating
• Avoid leading users
• Gather feedback right after a user action has taken place
• Share results with participants

5. Calculators: These are a smart and fast way to capture leads by leveraging user data. Instead of burdening users with content, a calculator tells the user whether it is profitable to purchase your product, just at the click of a button. You can collect factual information about customers to pitch solutions based on their needs.

Interactive calculators can be designed to:

• Calculate the amount of savings, profits, ROI or expenses possible for variable investment.
• Compare results for different plans.
• Recommend relevant products or plans.

Interactive content is a win-win for both customers and marketers. It provides engaging and informative experiences to customers and helps marketers capture relevant data while also creating brand awareness and increasing brand loyalty.

Also Read: Pace vs. Performance: The Ongoing Content Marketing Battle