As more and more people are using the internet for shopping, finding different businesses and products, and for generally interacting with various brands through their websites and social media, online marketing is becoming more refined by the day. Improved marketing software, better algorithms, data collection – everything is growing more mature as businesses and brands try to attract new customers and keep the old ones. In order to do so, they need to devise new, effective strategies. And that’s when the benefits of interactive content marketing become apparent.
What Is Interactive Content Marketing?
Basically, interactive content marketing is a type of marketing that entails a real-time reaction to the actions of the consumer. Thus, more personal experience is made possible for the customer. In a way, this type of marketing bears a resemblance to the kind of marketing that’s done live, when a customer visits a store. Even though users are not interacting with another human being, this type of marketing provides them with a somewhat similar, almost tactile experience.
Some of the more popular examples of interactive content marketing include:
• Polls, surveys, and quizzes. Not only will they provide you with useful information, but they can also be used to prevent the customers from becoming bored.
• Contests. People are usually competitive and they love getting things for free. Through contests, they’ll become more interested in your brand and there’s a good chance that they’ll want to see what it’s all about.
• Messenger bots. Thanks to these bots, your customers become more engaged. Messenger bots provide the user with a conversational experience, without you actually having to train a human customer service representative.
• Interactive Infographics. Adding some moving graphics and animations, activated by one press of the button, will make most buyers more focused.
• E-mail marketing and videos. These are great for answering questions and helping your customers understand just what the buying process entails.
Alt text: A messenger bot appearing next to someone’s phone, on which a chat window is open.
The Benefits of Interactive Content Marketing
So, what are the exact benefits of interactive content marketing? Actually, there are quite a few of them.
#01 Customers Become Actively Engaged
First of all, when this type of marketing is used, users generally become more engaged with your brand. By this, we mean that the customers are actively engaging with your content, rather than just minimally participating by reading or watching a video. Active engagement, in fact, is actually more important than the number of visits your site has received or the time someone has spent on it.
By actively interacting, customers form a deeper relationship with your brand. And that, in turn, not only leads them to buy your products or hiring your services, but they are also more likely to stay loyal to your brand. What’s more, interactive content marketing also makes your brand stand out, as most businesses are not employing these marketing techniques. And this further deepens the relationship that customers have with your brand.
#02 Data Collection Is Made Easier
Interactive content marketing also helps with data collection. Obviously, data is very important to marketers, as it allows them to more accurately assess what their customers need. People today have grown accustomed to receiving personalized marketing, which seems tailor-made just for them.
By using tools such as surveys and quizzes, one can collect data in a way that is engaging for the customers. This data will later be essential in improving your services and products so that they are a better fit for your customers. If you use interactive marketing, there’s a greater chance that your customers will bother to provide you with important feedback, that you’ll be able to see it in real-time and change your marketing strategy more quickly and efficiently.
#03 Search Engine Optimization Is Improved
This type of marketing also improves your SEO. Interactive content will have a better chance of being shared and a better chance of attracting more links. And more shares and links mean a better SEO ranking. Interactive content can also be embedded on other websites. High-quality content in the form of an interactive infographic, contest, or quiz, is likely to be embedded somewhere, earning you plenty of SEO points.
Alt text: Someone looking at their online marketing plans, including SEO.
As we said, interactive content marketing makes customers more engaged, meaning that they’re likely to spend more time on your website than if you’ve only used static content. And the more time the users spend on your website, the better will your search engine visibility be.
#04 You Can Effectively Educate the Potential Customers
Before buying your products or choosing your services, most consumers like to get educated first. They’re looking to learn something before making a purchase. Sometimes, they’re just looking for information that will help them decide whether they really need your product and whether it will be the best choice for them.
So, when your content seems more like a pitch, rather than an honest explanation on what your customers can expect, they are likely not to be satisfied.
That’s when interactive content comes in! Infographics and interactive videos can be especially useful in educating the potential customers, rather than straight up pitching them your products and/or services. Consumers usually love to conduct research before buying, and allowing them to do that easily can only be beneficial for your business.
Alt text: A man conducting research online.
#05 Interactive Content Helps You Find Qualified Leads
Interactive content will allow you to more easily find qualified leads. By using carefully created quizzes and questionnaires, you’ll be able to more easily discern whether a user is a low-quality prospect or if there’s a significant chance of converting him or her to becoming your new customer. The key is in asking for small snippets of data that will allow you to determine if a user is serious enough or not.
In comparison to static content, interactive content marketing does a much better job of keeping the users’ interest while they’re answering your questions. Instead of giving up as the questions begin to pile up, they are more likely to stay with your questionnaire until the end and provide you with all the important information you need.
