With every part of the internet struggling for attention, having recurring web traffic is a luxury.
Of those who enjoy a high number of daily website visitors, fewer see them actually converting into sales. You can bore someone once, only to never see them again.
And the content, being the first point of contact, should not be boring. It has to be interesting and informative!
Interactive content presents information in a very palpable way. This engages the reader much more than the good old text.
It is nothing less than an art disguised as an article. In short, it paves the way for a strong connection between the consumer and the author/brand.
This is usually done by implementing images, quizzes, calculators, infographics, videos, polls, etc., to help a blog break out of a monologue.
What is interactive (and engaging) content?
First, how do you feel?
I could have explained in simple words what Sony is doing in the interactive content space. Would that have been enough? No.
So, in addition to giving you a taste of the interactive posts, I've included that video to refresh you and keep you coming back to read on.
There it is the main goal of any web content, Engagement.
So is Sony using those giant screens just to light up your workspace? Certainly not promoting your products should be high on your agenda.
In a nutshell, using interactive tools is a smart way to engage an audience to drive conversion.
So how is this different from a traditional blog post?
Normal vs Interactive Blog Post
While a regular blog post can be informative and well-written, sometimes it becomes more of a rant. Most blogs scroll down without proper reading.
It feels like a digital version of a newspaper that only makes our eyes miserable.
So ultimately, to give the reader more than just eyestrain, content marketers invented interactive content.
Content with interactive elements looks more alive, delivers more information in less, and provides a needed break from plain text.
It helps bring the reader into the loop and engages them in two-way communication.
And most importantly, it is the need of the moment. Content marketers are already jumping left and right.
So you better know it inside out and don't get left behind in making your content rewarding.
Calculators
Calculators are a smart way to get your customers into your sales funnel.
Numerous brands offer these kinds of interactive calculation tools backed by their product to convert their leads.
Surveys and Polls
Feedback is important. No brand can take its customers for granted.
Surveys and polls are simple tools to gauge public opinion before or after a product launch. Brands also use it to receive feedback on their services.
Previously, surveys included decades-old techniques like a telephone survey or postal survey. But due to the non-intrusive nature of an online survey, it is currently the go-to method for capturing consumer insights.
Interactive Ebooks
An interactive ebook is long form content presented with many interactive elements like audio, video, links, infographics all rolled into one.
Interactive ebooks can boost your marketing campaigns. They can inform their customers about products and services in detail.
This type of creative interactive content is a norm in the online education industry. There are various tools for creating interactive eBooks to broaden a user base such as Teachable, Thinkific, etc.
Interactive Videos
Videos are way ahead of text and images when it comes to capturing attention.
But interactive videos go one step further.
Click here to see "the other side". Simply press and hold R or left-click while the video is playing to switch between images and the entire story.
While this was just an introductory interactive video, this technique may have more serious use cases than simply playing an alternate story.
For example, interactive videos have clickable parts that help with user engagement and conversion. This, in turn, prevents distractions and ensures that the video is seen until the end.
A similar strategy used by Cinema8 for NBC Universal linked video content directly to the shopping cart. This saw a 30% higher conversion rate than the industry average.
