How many online quizzes have you taken in the last week? Or how many cute Instagram photos have prompted you to swipe the heart-eyed emoji meter all the way to the max? Does your phone have a mobile app that helps count up or down to a significant event? All these questions focus on different types of interactive content.
This form of content is so integrated into digital platforms and social media sites that we barely notice it. Its ubiquitous nature makes interactive content an ideal avenue for boosting brand awareness and gathering helpful information while providing the entertainment and engagement many consumers have come to expect. Let’s talk about how your brand can utilize this thriving trend to avoid being left behind.
The Birth of Interactive Content
The concept of user engagement was around long before interactive content made its first popular appearance through Buzzfeed quizzes back in 2014. Traditional types of interactive content marketing included methods like cold calls, couponing, door-to-door sales, and even magazine inserts. As marketing moved from a brick-and-mortar focus to the digital ecommerce space, marketers and businesses faced the novel challenge of gathering information from new sources, namely likes, clicks, and shares.
Types of Interactive Content
The information-gathering power of interactive content has prompted an evolution far beyond coupon books and cereal tabs. Today, interactive content is so popular it’s taken over digital content and social media in a variety of forms.
Calculators
Calculators are found on websites hosted by banks, budgeting tools, and other finance-focused content. They’re a great option for offering instant value to a consumer who may be looking for personalized information. Utilizing calculators can also help you gather valuable data about your potential customers.
Contests
One of the earliest forms of interactive content, contests and giveaways evolved to their current digital state to help attract users and promote social engagement through likes, shares, and comments. Contests are an effective marketing tactic because they offer a tangible reward for something as simple as sharing a post or inviting a friend to like a brand’s account.
Ebooks
Allowing a reader to dive deeper into content than a typical ebook might allow, interactive ebooks tend to focus on graphics and images that can create a more comprehensive experience for the reader. Especially useful for mobile users, ebooks often offer subscription options or clickable links.
Infographics
Consumers can easily overlook simple numbers or percentages. Plugging these into interactive infographics, however, offers consumers many clickable paths that can highlight various services or offerings and convey other relevant information in an engaging way.
Polls and Quizzes
Both surveys and quizzes can work in several formats and can be designed to meet the needs of consumers and businesses alike. Offering users a glimpse into your business or area of expertise, both options are relatively straightforward and can generate high amounts of engagement. For example, if you survey your audience over Instagram with a few short questions, you could find out what products they most want to see developed.
3 Ways to Avoid Interactive Content Mistakes
Utilizing interactive content allows you to transform your consumers from passive observers to loyal customers who are actively engaged in furthering your brand’s success. The key is to deliver this content in the right way, to the right audience, and at the right time. To encourage consumer interaction with your content, make sure to avoid some of the most common interactive content marketing mistakes.
Keep It Interesting
Every good quiz or infographic needs an engaging title, interesting headings, and attractive images. If these things fail to capture interest, your content won’t be effective or gain the clicks you hope to achieve. Aim to pique the curiosity of your consumer base without alienating potential searchers that might fall outside of your target demographic. When writing and designing your interactive content, think, “Is this content I would click on as a consumer?” If not, it’s time to spice up your content.
Make It Short
How many times have you clicked into a quiz designed to determine your ideal vacation, only to click out of it thirty questions later without your answer? The attention span of the average internet user is only 8 seconds. Meaning, the longer your quiz, the more detailed your infographic, or the more complicated your calculator, the more likely it is that you’ll lose the consumer before they make it through your content. Not only does this keep you from gathering valuable user data, but it also deters users from returning to your content in the future.
Design Something Mobile-Friendly
Although a majority of today’s websites have responsive designs that adapt for mobile users, interactive content—especially cache-heavy content—doesn’t always translate well to alternative devices. If your content fails to work correctly on tablets or smartphones, you’ll be limiting the reach of these assets and frustrating users who might otherwise convert.
Make the Most of Your Interactive Content with Snap
Utilizing interactive content offers your brand an opportunity to stand out and engage with your consumer base in ways your competitors aren’t. To make the most of this type of content, connect with Snap. From our advanced knowledge of social media and consumer engagement to our successful track record of implementing niche marketing strategies, we have the skills needed to maximize your content marketing and boost your engagement.