As we’ve discussed in several of our previous blog posts, creating and promoting original content is the future of marketing. Whether you’re blogging, creating video content or just maintaining your social media platforms, putting out consistent, engaging content is critical. Today, we wanted to discuss an emerging type of marketing that’s beginning to catch the eye of CMOs and consumers alike: interactive content. This can mean anything from a quiz to a live webinar to a calculator—anything that directly involves the consumer interacting with your brand.
Digital content marketing has only been widespread in the last few years or so, but already people are looking for new ways to innovate, which really puts into perspective how quickly the competition moves within the marketing arena. According to a study by Demand Metrics, interactive content such as apps, quizzes, assessments, and calculators generate conversions moderately or very well 70 percent of the time, compared to only 36 percent for passive material. Furthermore, this study revealed that 58 percent of participants felt that the content didn’t provide enough opportunity for interaction and engagement.
Think about it; it’s fun to feel like a brand is catering specifically to you. Let’s say you’re looking to buy a new car and one site offers you a simple, free quiz on their landing page asking what size you’re looking for, efficiency, price, luxury, primary purpose, etc. and from that quiz, they generate five cars they think might match your needs. Then you visit a competing site, and it offers you no sense of personalization or customer care; which of the companies do you think you’re more likely to return to and remember? Not only does the former user experience increase brand loyalty and awareness, but it also helps you educate the buyer at the onset of their shopping process.
Now, this is all not to say that static content is not valuable. Of course it is, and always will be. However, in the ever-evolving tech world we live in, we have to be constantly ready to find new ways to attract consumers. Take The New York Times, for example, arguably one of the most trusted news outlets in the world, but in 2013, their most popular story was a dialect quiz released in December. The Times is a world-renowned news publication, yet because people had fun taking that quiz, they shared it and it went viral.
Before diving in headfirst to the interactive marketing space, think about what will be most beneficial to your audience and in turn, generate more conversions. Send out an email campaign that includes a survey and see how many responses you get. Encourage followers to use a creative hashtag when posting about your product or service, and respond to them. Invite your audience to be a part of the conversation by encouraging them to share their comments and thoughts with you. It’s little steps like this that will help give you insight into what your audience wants as you develop your strategy for maximizing the advantages of interactive content.
To learn more about creating and developing a marketing plan for your business or brand, explore our website and services to see how we can help; and please, leave a comment letting us know your thoughts on this topic!
