Interactive Content: A solution for low engagement

Content marketing is king, but if it is unilateral, it is more a monologue than a conversation. 

Often, we emphasize that we should build relationships with our customers. Still, these posts, blogs, or any other creation often allow customers to write comments, which, while still an interaction, is not fruitful.

But what if that content encourages people to interact?

We often need interaction and engagement in both search engines and social media to be more visible by algorithms; that's why many brands are making more interactive content to get people into their brand's community.

According to DemandGen, 62% of B2B marketers are already using interactive content, and these posts generate two times more engagement than static content.

When you create interactive content, the invitation is more apparent for customers to engage. Even so, while we will talk about how this strategy can increase your engagement, there are other benefits. So, if you want to learn its definition, uses, types, and how to apply it to your brand, keep scrolling through this article.

What is interactive content?

Interactive content is the one that needs people to act so they can receive the complete message. You are inviting them to be active in your business experience.

Meanwhile, traditional, or better explained, "static" content gives valuable information but still doesn't allow audiences to interact with it completely.

Symbolically, static content can be a wall between the user and the brand. Still, it is not a "terrible wall" like Berlin's; it is just one that doesn't allow one to hear what they have to say entirely.

When you offer interactive content, you make your brand learning experience more memorable since it allows them to choose how to consume, ultimately personalizing their experience.

When you let the user be the one to decide what to say, you gain exciting data that you can use to tailor better marketing strategies based on what they want. 

The benefits of Interactive Content

Why do interactive content and engagement go hand in hand?

Easy: Because it is an attention grabber.

Brands compete with an absurd series of stimuli throughout the media to capture even 15 seconds of people's time.

Between endless posts, which, although they provide valuable information, do not invite them to interact, part of that valuable engagement for your brand is lost.

So, let's analyze the benefits of this type of content in more depth.

Increase engagement

Of course, we had to start with the topic of our title, although this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So, pretty basic, when you invite people to interact so they can understand what's going on, you increase engagement with your content. Suppose you are creative enough with these posts. In that case, you can even boost the opportunity for them to repeat the experience or, even better, if you ask the right questions, you can get the best customer data, which is the ultimate asset to creating successful campaigns. 

Optimize lead generation and conversion rates.

Because interactive content makes your brand experience more enjoyable and exciting, it's no wonder how it can increase your leads, sales, and conversions.

You can also take advantage of this content to achieve goals like:

• Building brand awareness
• Educating customers through the sales funnel
• Differentiate your customer experience

As users become more engaged with your content, your chances for leads to convert into buyers are higher. One study from Demand Metrics found that interactive content converts buyers a whopping 70% of the time – nearly twice more than static content. The reason is that the more engaged they are, the more likely they are to convert.

It gives you more insights into customer data.

CRM software and other insights from Google or social networks are significant indicators to interpret how your audience is behaving. If you analyze it well, you get a clear outline of what they want and how they react to your content.

However, suppose you know how to use your interactive content well to elicit valuable responses from your audience. In that case, you will get an even more precise indicator of what they want and how you can solve it. It's a more organic way to get reviews without asking for them.

In the same way, with this type of content, you can see how they react to it and what style works best with them.

The benefits of Interactive Content

Why do interactive content and engagement go hand in hand?

Easy: Because it is an attention grabber.

Brands compete with an absurd series of stimuli throughout the media to capture even 15 seconds of people's time.

Between endless posts, which, although they provide valuable information, do not invite them to interact, part of that valuable engagement for your brand is lost.

So, let's analyze the benefits of this type of content in more depth.

Increase engagement

Of course, we had to start with the topic of our title, although this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So, pretty basic, when you invite people to interact so they can understand what's going on, you increase engagement with your content. Suppose you are creative enough with these posts. In that case, you can even boost the opportunity for them to repeat the experience or, even better, if you ask the right questions, you can get the best customer data, which is the ultimate asset to creating successful campaigns. 

Optimize lead generation and conversion rates.

Because interactive content makes your brand experience more enjoyable and exciting, it's no wonder how it can increase your leads, sales, and conversions.

You can also take advantage of this content to achieve goals like:

• Building brand awareness
• Educating customers through the sales funnel
• Differentiate your customer experience

As users become more engaged with your content, your chances for leads to convert into buyers are higher. One study from Demand Metrics found that interactive content converts buyers a whopping 70% of the time – nearly twice more than static content. The reason is that the more engaged they are, the more likely they are to convert.

With interactive content, you make your experience more fun. Suppose you grab an ebook with many words; of course, they say super valuable and exciting things, but you devise a way to make it interactive.

Boom! The experience of learning about your brand, its benefits, and other things doesn't become so complicated. It doesn't feel like marketing or a boring lesson; it's entertaining.

In this way, when the client is entertained, he lowers his defenses against a possible sale or persuasion, and once in this mood, it is much easier for him to move on.

It gives you more insights into customer data.

CRM software and other insights from Google or social networks are significant indicators to interpret how your audience is behaving. If you analyze it well, you get a clear outline of what they want and how they react to your content.

However, suppose you know how to use your interactive content well to elicit valuable responses from your audience. In that case, you will get an even more precise indicator of what they want and how you can solve it. It's a more organic way to get reviews without asking for them.

In the same way, with this type of content, you can see how they react to it and what style works best with them.

Types of Interactive Content

Since we are talking about content, it is fair to say that there are as many types as you can imagine; nonetheless, you didn't come here to let your imagination fly. 

In the end, the idea with this content is that users must engage to understand what's going on around that content. It isn't something they see and swip up to don't interact once again.

Let's see what you can do to make them engage.

Quizzes

People like to feel challenged occasionally; it gives them that adrenaline to show what they are made of or how much they know about a topic. That's why you can take advantage of quizzes to make them become fans of your content.

Sites like Buzzfeed show how much people love quizzes, and if you know how to build them well, you can use them to help people learn more about your industry. In the end, you take the opportunity to ask them for their email information so you can keep in touch with them.

Ebooks

Many users still enjoy a good read no frills, no pictures, just lots of words with valuable information. And although this is an excellent habit for those who want to learn more in their professional area, we can also tell you that there is nothing wrong with making the experience "more digestible", making it interactive.

For this, ebooks allow you to combine a series of formats - video, image, infographic - in a single large book where you can obtain all that valuable information more stimulatingly. Then, if they wish to keep with the content, ask them to sign or leave their content information.

Infographics

Proverbs are wise, so when it is said, "A picture is worth a thousand words, we believe it.

Infographics are a more aesthetic option to compress valuable information in a more attractive diagram, allowing users to understand part of the entire context quickly and effectively.

Calculators

Don't be fooled by the name; these calculators have more uses than doing math.

Interactive online calculator tools require visitors to insert data into a form to get an instant calculated answer. All this information is taken directly from the formulas you define. Including one in your content arsenal allows users to get faster solutions to their problems. Although it works pretty well for B2C, these are also essential for B2B since these clients usually have a hectic schedule, so they look for the service that gives them valid answers faster.

Games

This is perhaps the most fun of all the interactive content. The only problem is that it is pretty expensive.

Let's see, in this case, the team's creativity and quality come into play to achieve a game that, in addition to being entertaining, can fit into the narrative or the customer journey. You don't need your game to be the new "Zelda" or "God of War" to be a hit with the audience; you need something fun and somewhat educational. Examples of simple games that have managed to be super profitable are found in Flappy Bird or perhaps Among Us, which, as we see, have basic gameplay, but even so, people love them and replay them countless times.

This is where you get constant engagement by creating content that helps you sell or obtain information and makes people like to repeat it.

Live video and Q&As

According to MarketingCharts, 43% of people prefer interactive video, among others, because it lets them choose what they want to view.

Although we do not frame videos separately, it is good to mention that platforms like YouTube have editing options that allow you to add interactive options so that the video continues. Even so, on platforms like this, it looks like people are not as open to a "choose your own adventure" style video, which could be the reason we don't see this type of format going so viral.

However, live videos are options that have driven the growth of super famous platforms like Twitch, and even other social networks like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram also have their lives option so that people can interact directly with a personality or brand.

This format definitely breaks down the wall between the brand and the user since it allows them to speak almost directly with them, which was almost a dream before the internet.

Influencers and other celebrities use this format much more; however, brands can also manage to do fruitful live sessions with the audience.

Going to the B2B sector, another great option is to offer live webinars that allow you to interact directly with your audience. You can take advantage of this to talk about valuable topics around your niche and be able to have real feedback on what your audience asks or thinks about it.

Giveaways

This type of content guarantees success for many brands. It is perhaps a very used and fundamental trick, but it can still generate much profit for your company.

By investing in a good prize, you can invite people to interact by asking them to comment, tag, and share more people on your post. As a result, you can bring your brand to a larger circle and increase your content's visibility on networks.

Maps

Physical businesses can take real advantage of creating digital versions of their maps so people can interact better with the attractions. Imagine going to a historical place and finding valuable information through an app while looking at all the monuments or historical sites. This content makes the experience more accessible to go through while also adding more interest for people to learn about the location.

Social media stories and interactive tools

Social media stories or posts bring several interactive options for your audience to respond or comment on any topic. The most notable is Instagram, whose stories come with options such as polls, surveys, and questionnaires, among others. Stories are another sector in which it is important to upload content almost daily, so using one of these formats is a great idea to obtain valuable information from the audience.

On the other hand, X and Facebook also have survey options to create interactive content.

How do you measure Interactive Content?

Most of the time, standard metrics will let you know how most of your posts performed; in essence, there are two metrics you should check on:

Social Media Metrics

• Comments.
• Saves.
• Shares.
• Direct messages.
• Likes.
• Traffic to links.

Web Page Metrics

• Session time.
• Sign-ups & leads.
• Conversion rate.
• Backlinks.

Final thoughts

When we say that content is king, it is perhaps because of the absurd versatility it has to present it in countless formats.

Although quality and engagement do not always go hand in hand, interactive content is an ace up your sleeve that you can have to somehow more subtly persuade your consumers to stay connected to what you are doing. If you create interesting posts, you can be sure that they will continue to take steps towards conversion.

If you need more help with your advice, take advantage of the fact that you are on the right blog to get the answers to all your answers about digital marketing, and contact our team of professionals to help you with this.

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

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