Increasing Engagement and Leads with Interactive Content
Content Marketing Institute reports the rapid rise of content marketing with a whopping 93% of B2B marketers use this marketing strategy (*). This signifies that we do not only place value on the quality of a product or service, but equally consider how it is promoted to reach the proper audience.
(* click here for a google search that will allow you to download their PDF)
We all know by now that content is king when it comes to grabbing attention for your product or service. We have seen how blog posts have worked to improve a product’s standing among its competition. Indeed, 58% of marketers considering “original written content” as the most important type of content.
The same can be said for images used in marketing. Marketers leverage video and multimedia content to appeal to an individual’s audio and visual perception. This allows the subject to stand out from the rest.
The Power of Interaction
At present, we are looking at an emerging generation of content types that will generate more engagement and leads. With this in mind, let me introduce you to an increasingly popular trend in content marketing–interactive content. This type of content changes depending on a user’s actions.
According to Margarett Stevens, Content Editor at UK.BestEssays, the success of content marketers become more evident when the audience gets entertained by the content, enjoys and engages with it.
“What interactive content brings to the arena of content marketing against other content types is dynamism that reflects the audience’s or buyer’s persona. The exchange of action and response between the interactive content and its user provides data on how the customer thinks, decides, and acts. This gives the business an insight on their customers’ needs and behavior, which might be helpful in developing their products and services,”
Here are some examples of popular interactive content and how you can leverage them depending on the stage of the buyer’s journey.
Stage 1: Awareness
In this phase, the customer becomes aware that there is a need that has to be fulfilled. Your goal now is to get into the consciousness of the buyer so that you will become familiar with your brand. The best types of interactive content to use at this stage are:
- Polls and surveys
- Quizzes
- Educational Webinars
- Infographics
- ‘How to’ Videos
- Checklists
- Tip Sheets
- Assessments
- Knowledge tests
- Brackets (they resemble a tournament-like competition which encourages the user to stay engaged until the very end)
Stage 2: Consideration
In this phase, the customer starts evaluating possible solutions for the identified need. Hence, your goal is to make the customer consider your product or service to fill this need. The interactive content types to use at this phase are:
- Benchmark assessments
- Product webinars
- Persona assessments
- Demo videos
- Interactive e-books and whitepapers
Stage 3: Purchase
This is the phase where the consumer finally makes the decision to buy a product or sign up for a service. Thus, the goal in this stage is to persuade the customer that your product is the best among all the other alternatives in the market. You need to allay their reservations and the best type of interactive content for this are:
- Interactive galleries and look books
- Calculators (enables you to calculate the cost of the service or a package you want to purchase)
- Configurators (when putting together a new custom PC)
- Testimonials
Quizzes: The Queen of Interactive Content
Buzzfeed and New York Times are two of the more popular sites that use quizzes for interactive content.
Quizzes and assessments are fun. Plus, they are easy to navigate, making them instantly appealing to the audience. Moreover, it has an appeal that makes you want to click the ‘share’ button right away. It’s no wonder that quizzes are the top ranked interactive content currently being produced. In fact, this interactive content type was among the most shared content in 2015.
The interaction between the content and user is best illustrated through quizzes. Beneath the casual and uncomplicated user interface of this type of content is a goldmine of data for marketers and businesses. For each choice that the user selects, a marketer can gain an insight to the buyer persona – gathered in a way that isn’t too intrusive.
So, how do we create a quiz that is interesting enough to capture your reader’s enthusiasm?
Here are three tips you can consider:
1. Relevance is key
One of the main reasons why quizzes work and are the most shared content form, is that users find it relatable.
When creating quizzes, you need to keep in mind the context of your quiz.
- What is it for?
- Who will take it?
- Where will it be posted or published?
Once you’ve identified this, it will be much easier to make your quiz relevant to the audience.
When it comes to the topic, keep the quiz focused on your product or service. For instance, if you are selling skin care products, you can develop a quiz on the possible skin care products users can bring with them to the beach.
2. Make your title catchy
Titles are a major consideration because it’s the first thing that will grab your readers’ attention. It must be interesting and compelling so that your readers will take time to go through your quiz.
Qzzr offers a variety of formulas for creating quiz titles that are perfect for either graded or outcome quizzes. See the list below for some ideas:
- Are you a/an ______ expert? (Example: Are you a grammar expert?)
- Can you pass the ______ test? (Example: Can you pass this World War II trivia test?)
- The world’s hardest ______ quiz (Example: The world’s hardest optical illusion quiz)
- Do you really/actually know the ______ to ______? (Example: Do you ACTUALLY know the lines from the movie “The Breakfast Club”?)
- What ______ are you? (Example: What Kind of Introvert Are You?)
- What ______ do you actually belong in? (Example: What fashion era do you belong to?)
- What kind of ______ are you? (Example: What kind of classmate are you?)
3. Make the results shareable
Now, don’t forget about the last portion of any quiz–the results!
Make sure that results would hit home with respondents so that they will want to share them to their social media platforms.
Keep in mind that results must be positive to motivate your readers to share their results. They must reinforce a positive feeling without being pretentious. Results must be honest to resonate with your readers.
4. Add great photos to make your quiz more interesting
Anything that’s eye-catching will ensure higher probability of being shared over and over. Be careful though, and make sure that you own the copyright to publish these images. Alternatively, you can use royalty-free photos from sites like Pixabay, Pexels, or Unsplash.
5. Don’t forget calls-to-action
This is the best opportunity to create conversions. You can include a link to your website, or a list of recommended products and services.
Distribution: Where You Publish is as Important as What You Publish
Once you have ideas on the type of interactive content you want to develop, your next decision is with regard to the best channel for it. Don’t waste your great interactive content by publishing it on a dead platform or one that your intended audience doesn’t frequent.
No matter how engaging it might be, if you chose the wrong platform for distribution, you won’t get results. You can post your content in your blog or social media platforms, go with paid media placements, or distribute it via e-mail marketing. Determine which platform will give you wider audience reach and engagements. And use metrics to do a better job next time around.
The Takeaway: Creative Interactivity is the Key
In a world where numerous ads are competing for the people’s attention, it is important to have a dialogue with your audience. Leveraging interactive content is a good way to gain competitive advantage for your brand.
Your Turn
Do you use interactive content? What did you do and were you encouraged by your uptake? Is this an area you are curious to learn more about? Please share your thoughts or experiences, below.
Images: Copyright: ‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_art3d‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
https://pixabay.com/en/question-quiz-think-thinking-2004314/
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Joan Selby
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