Exploring the Power of Interactive Content

Without engagement, the urge to invest your attention quickly dissipates, and time spent on the Internet is no exception. Interactive content hooks people into websites and apps and encourages them to remain engaged for longer periods.

While non-interactive online content is a source of information, it doesn’t have the same alluring edge as its interactive counterpart. With interactive content, consumers feel like they’re active participants, which generally produces a positive perception about a brand. Today, interactive content is quickly becoming the go-to digital tool for attracting more viewers to websites and keeping them there, especially in the e-commerce sector.

Marketers around the globe are using interactive content to effectively build their brands and attract audiences. It’s an excellent strategy for gaining the attention of potential customers, as it engages them as soon as they reach your site, app, or social media page.

The need for interactive content

Your current marketing strategy, social pages, and website content might be working for the time being, but in the competitive, ever-changing digital sphere, will it be enough six months from now? How about in one or two years?

In the Internet age, attention spans aren’t what they used to be. Effectively holding someone’s attention on the Internet — whether it’s through video, audio, photos, or the written word — has become a herculean task.

Interactive branded content sharpens your message and pulls in your audience. As a result, viewers will think twice before leaving your site or continuing to scroll through social media.

Interactive content is a vital component of:

• Lead generation
• Customer engagement
• Social media optimization
• Sales generation
• Remarketing and upselling

Engaging content sparks the attention of your target audience, some of who will become potential customers. Often, these leads turn into conversions, and eventually loyal buyers. With ongoing interactive content, you can remarket your existing customers and upsell them with additional products or services.

Types of interactive content

There are several types of interactive content, all of which can be implemented to reach more customers and drive conversions.

Quizzes
Quizzes can be created to help your audience choose which of your products or services are best for them — or they can be strictly for entertainment. Internet quizzes are enticing, fun, and often provide a welcome distraction during a busy day. Not only that, but they encourage people to think before making a selection and eager to see their quiz results, which keeps them glued to the content.

Calculators
Interactive calculators help customers estimate or calculate specific values that may be useful for them. In turn, you can collect vital consumer information based on what they enter into the calculator.

Contests
For many, Internet contests are very hard to resist, especially if there are prizes involved. For the price of creating an online competition and funding a prize, you can collect a substantial amount of valuable data from those who enter. Contests also have the potential to go viral, which can expand your brand’s reach.

Polls and surveys
Polls and surveys provide you with data about your audience’s likes, dislikes, choices, habits, and spending patterns, as well as how they feel about your products or services.

Galleries
Interactive image galleries help brands grab consumers’ attention. Aside from exhibiting your products or services, galleries can feature your portfolio of work, an event calendar, or user-generated content, such as Instagram posts with your branded hashtag.

Games
Interactive games can be designed to inform your audience about your product offerings. They also entertain your customers, which will keep them on your site for longer. Even if they don’t sign up or purchase a product, the more time people spend on your site, the better your search-engine ranking will be.