We may have discussed the importance of evergreen content, but why bother writing informative content if users won’t bother to read it? This is why it is crucial for your content to be engaging as well as insightful.
You can, in fact, get the best of both worlds. The solution? Interactive content.
In fact, 93% of marketers stated that interactive content is effective for educating clients, while only 70% said the same thing about static content.
That being said, even if you produce quality content, it may not get the attention you hoped for due to the ubiquity of written content. So, if you want to gain an edge over the competition and sustain the audience’s attention, you need to do something different: create dynamic content.
Are you eager to switch your content marketing strategy up? Then, keep reading to find out more about interactive content!
What Is Interactive Content?
Think about it, most content is static content as the audience consumes it by watching or reading.
On the other hand, interactive content requires the audience’s engagement. For example, instead of passively consuming content, when encountering a quiz or a poll, the users have to engage. This element of engagement is what differentiates interactive content from other types of content.
Let’s take quizzes as an example. From social media to websites, they are everywhere. In fact, 96% of users who start BuzzFeed quizzes finish them.
We think it’s time to ask yourself if passive content receives the same attention and audience engagement.
This type of quizzes won’t be suitable for every website. But, one thing is sure, your website will benefit if you integrate some types of interactive content in your content marketing strategy.
What are The Benefits of Interactive Content?
Did you know that 88% of marketers believe that interactive content gives them an edge over the competition?
As a content marketer, you need to figure out how to remain relevant amid the attention economy. So, interactive content marketing may be the solution you have been searching for
As highlighted in a report by Ion Interactive and Content Marketing Institute, at one point or another all online businesses will be using interactive content.
Want to find out more about the benefits of engaging content? Then, keep reading!
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Increase Engagement Rate
Naturally, interactive content will receive more engagement than passive content. After all, the dynamic nature of this type of content requires active participation.
In fact, did you know that interactive content gets two times more engagement than static content?
From blog posts to simple infographics, no matter how good your content is, it’s pretty difficult to keep your audience engaged.
For example, not only is interactive content easier to consume, but it is also compelling because it is novel.
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Boost Brand Loyalty
This one goes hand in hand with user engagement. Think about it, engaged users are more likely to return to your website and become loyal customers.
Besides, surveys, polls, and quizzes are a great way to collect data about your target audience. Thanks to these interactive elements, you can gather the necessary data to segment your audience based on what you discover about your website visitors. This way, it will be easier to create interactive content that your audience loves.
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Optimize The Lead Generation Process
Did you know that 75% of marketers admit that interactive content provides site visitors with “a sample of the brand” thereby resulting in more effective lead nurturing?
Your users’ attention span is limited, so you don’t have a lot of time to convince them that your products or services are worth it. Therefore, wouldn’t interactive content perform better, as it makes captivating users’ attention easier?
The longer you manage to retain your website visitors’ attention, the higher the chances are to generate leads.
Types of Interactive Content
Dynamic content will necessitate more resources than static one. So, naturally, you need to think twice about how to leverage interactive content.
Think about it, content that works well for a B2C audience, will likely not have the same effect on a B2B one.
Besides, different types of interactive content will work for each buyer’s journey stage. According to research conducted by Content Marketing Institute, it’s smarter to create content like quizzes or games for the early stage of the buyer’s journey, and, then build up to more educational content for the middle stage. So, the middle or consideration stage would usually consist of interactive e-books or whitepapers. Then, for the final stage of the buyer’s journey, you need to provide prospects with configurators that will showcase how your business can help them.
Photo source: Content Marketing Institute Research
So, now that you’ve found out more about how you should use interactive content, it’s time to dive into different types of interactive experiences.
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Interactive Infographics
What better way to present information than by creating an interactive infographic that permits visitors to structure the content according to what they think is most interesting.
An interactive experience like infographics will boost user engagement, as users actively participate when they choose which elements of the interactive infographic to engage with.
Not only are animated infographics visually appealing, but they can educate users in a fun and engaging manner.
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Quizzes
How many minutes have you spent finding out what type of cheese or salad dressing you are?
There’s a reason why you find yourself clicking away through quizzes instead of doing work-this type of content actively involves visitors and offers instant results.
In fact, interactive quizzes are probably the easiest way to get into this type of content, as there are websites that can help you create them.
This type of content is effective because it is compelling and fun as well as highly shareable. It’s no wonder quizzes are all over social media feeds.
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Interactive Film & Interactive Video
With interactive video and film, you can upgrade your audience’s experience from passive consumption to active engagement.
While these are not the most budget-friendly content formats, they can help if you want to create interactive content that will stand out.
Interactive video or film enables the viewer to choose the next directions and scenes as the narrative is driven by the viewer’s choices.
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Interactive Map
While maps have always been a popular content form, static maps limited users from visualizing different things. However, the interactive map changed this, offering immersive experiences.
With an interactive map, you are allowing users to see and consume content the way they want to. So, by making maps interactive, you are offering your users a more flexible and easy to consume option than static maps.
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Calculators
While long-form, educational content is certainly a cornerstone of content marketing, users sometimes just want content that they can consume fast. Interactive calculators are designed to solve specific problems by offering visitors immediate feedback.
This is why calculators are perfect for lead generation. After all, they demand little effort and offer accurate results in exchange. More specifically, an interactive calculator may just offer the insight a prospect needs to make a decision.
Upgrade Your Content Marketing Game with Interactive Content
While you should not drop static content altogether, it’s time to start diversifying your content. Creating interactive content may mean going that extra mile, but it will definitely be worth it. Not only will you create a more engaged audience and generate more leads, but you will also gain an edge over the competition.
After all, 87%of marketers admit that dynamic content is more effective than static one when it comes to grabbing the reader’s attention.
So, are you ready to take your content to the next level? With its customer-centric approach and white-hat SEO practices, CadenceSEO can help you navigate the latest trends!
