Operating within a new definition of the word “essential”, marketing strategies have quickly learned to adapt to the new normal. As we continue to dive into the changes transforming creative marketing, we cannot overlook the well-earned hype behind one of the most successful strategies to date: Interactive Marketing.
No, it’s not an overstatement. Interactive marketing has shown to be 93% more effective than static content, leading customers to be 7 times more likely to choose your brand over non-engaging messaging.
It bears repeating: Customers don’t choose only your product – they choose your brand.
Whereas static content can accurately display a products’ details, interactive content allows your brand’s voice and mission to visibly speak and engage with customers while recording better insights into your clients’ preferences in a non-creepy way.
So, what gives interactive content that WOW factor? Below are five common qualities we’ve seen in successful interactive marketing campaigns. No matter the platform, content must be:
- Relevant – As with any marketing campaign, content relevance is key to drawing in the audience within the first eight seconds. (Check out our previous blog post for some ideas to create relevant content during the COVID-19 outbreak).
- Visible through multiple channels – In the digital age, your brand should be speaking through at least one social media platform in addition to your website and emails. Studies indicate that 63% of customers expect brands to extend customer service via social media channels. That means most customers already expect some form of interaction digitally from your brand.
- Amusing/Thought-provoking – While interactive content can certainly drive leads and sales, it also personifies your brand to maximize loyalty and proximity. That means content should be easy to understand and fun to engage in.
- Incorporate customer service – Digitized voices can go so far. Successful campaigns should include a human aspect either in the middle or at the end of the communication chain.
- Professionally structured – Because interactive content can seem informal at a glance, professional design helps establish credibility while minimizing confusion on the backend/administration side of your campaign.
An additional piece to consider when creating any of these examples is email and digital marketing. While interactive content draws in prospects, email increases your messages’ outreach while giving clients a way back to refer to your content at a later date.
7 Examples of Interactive Content
Amidst the hardships brought on by this year, 2020 still offered the opportunity to create new interactive initiatives to make up for the gap between digital and physical experiences. Here are seven interactive trends worth noting –and possibly replicating:
- Interactive videos such as 360o tours or clickable stories allow viewers to literally become immersed in your brand while seeing themselves as part of your story.
- Branded backgrounds for tradeshows and virtual meetings elevate your presentation by preserving the professional elegance of a physical tradeshow online. Moreover, backdrops can be altered to feature your business’ logo and colors.
- Interactive hotspots have gained traction within virtual tradeshows and demonstrations. Furthermore, businesses can link more crucial information onto a clickable hotspot without overloading a page with too much text. 3D models can further assist in creating a near-real experience through the computer screen by providing a scalable replica of your product that can be shared digitally.
- Reveal-based marketing empowers the audience to execute a physical response while seeing digital results. For example, gamification (games), scratch-offs, and contests maximize interaction time by giving the audience a clear goal.
- Quizzes and polling are one of the best ways to invite customers to directly state their preferences and goals, giving you a closer perspective into your audience while respecting privacy.
- Live chats have become increasingly popular due to their near-instant response. As a matter of fact, live chats have reported a 92% satisfaction rate as it delivers a personal service with an informal space.
- Calculators allow customers to evaluate, compare, and assess their goals in real-time. For example, ROI calculators can create excitement as customers independently project possible savings before making decisions.
Your brand is more than your product. Interactive content merely gives you brand a chance to speak and grow into a likable and trustworthy identity. So, what’s your brand’s WOW factor?