Interactive Elements Take Center Stage in the New Engagement Landscape

Interactive content is said to be the future of digital marketing and there is plenty of data to prove its rise in popularity. Users engaged more frequently with interactive content by over 50% compared to static content, according to a study by MediaFly. A report from Content Marketing Institute stated that quizzes generate 78% more leads than traditional forms. 

Any type of media that viewers engage with, ranging from email, surveys, video, quizzes, etc., where two-way communication is present, is considered interactive content. This model offers an opportunity to grab the attention of the user and can help your brand stand out from the competition. 

This tutorial from Rock Content covers the basics of including games, video, quizzes and more. Don’t think that all of these methods must be utilized for success, they are merely suggestions. Start with email, a quiz or survey, and maybe a short video.

If adding interactive content seems like a daunting task, start small, incorporating the most simple, yet effective strategies into your tool kit. Don’t forget to consider your goals and audience before diving in. Ask yourself, is your goal to increase brand awareness among new users? Consider embedding a quiz into your email campaign. Perhaps your goal is to collect data and insights about your audience; an interactive survey may be just the answer. Considering that over 244 million people in the U.S. consume video content, the addition of a short video should be in your repertoire. 

Interactive Email 

If you are not sure where to start with email, try using a template from Canva or Adobe Express, and keep it simple. Or, try Mailchimp or Litmus as both are easy to use email marketing platforms that can get you started with a free trial. By adding no more than one element to an email campaign such as a GIF, quiz, or animation, your viewer won’t be overwhelmed. 

A GIF is a great starting point as it will load faster than a video and according to HubSpot, have a higher clickthrough rate than those without. Perhaps you want to highlight a new product or service with an animation or short embedded video. There are many possibilities for incorporating interactive content into email. Remember to consider accessibility in the form of subtitles and captions so as not to exclude your audience.  

Surveys and quizzes 

There are many possibilities when it comes to surveys and quizzes such as a personality quiz, decision, or knowledge quiz, to name a few. These are only limited by your imagination. Or, go the easy way out and utilize a platform such as Slide Lizard which offers 10 free designs. 

Both surveys and quizzes offer valuable insights and can entertain your audience. Adding this kind of interactive content has the power to increase click-through rates by 73%, according to Campaign Monitor. Consider using Survey Monkey or Typeform to craft the perfect questions. 

Short Interactive Video

While a traditional video allows for passive viewing, an interactive one actually allows the viewer to engage with the video while they are viewing. This might be in the form of a hotspot, or clickable link, overlays, which could be images, maps or prompts, or branching, which lets the viewer decide their own path allowing for a more personalized experience. If the thought of incorporating interactive video into your content sounds expensive, time consuming and intimidating, take advantage of these tips from Vimeo. 

Whether embedding an interactive video in an email, your website, or as a social media post, the benefit of higher conversion rates and increased social sharing are just two reasons to include this method in your marketing toolkit. 

There really is no reason to ignore the hype about interactive content. With just a little tweaking and a few additions, your website, social media, or email campaign is sure to benefit with higher user engagement, personalization, and an increase in leads.