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Using Interactive Content to Stand Out

Date published: August 21, 2014
Last updated: August 21, 2014

While Mark Schaefer’s idea of “content shock” has been discredited, marketers still need to do all we can to stand out in the overwhelming crowd of marketing efforts. AT SXSW Interactive 2014, Schaefer’s advice to overcoming saturation was to adopt the newest technology and strategies since those who do are often the ones who come out on top.

One of those new strategies for delivering content is the interactive infographic. The idea of interactive content is boasting engagement above and beyond that of static content.

In fact, the research report “Enhancing the Buyer’s Journey” produced by the analyst firm Demand Metric looked at results of passive versus interactive content. Here is what we learned:

  • Interactive content does a much better job of educating the buying audience, as 93% of study participants reported interactive content as somewhat or very effective in this role. In contrast, only 70% of passive content users reported the same level of effectiveness.
  • Nearly nine in 10 (88 percent) of the interactive group reported their content was somewhat or very effective in differentiating against competitors, while just 55 percent for the passive group reported the same effectiveness.
  • Interactive content converted buyers moderately or very well 70 percent of the time compared to 36 percent for passive content.
  • Interactive content was said to be shared frequently or very frequently by 38 percent or respondents versus only 17 percent of passive content.

So we know getting your audience engaged with your content works, but where do we go from here? There are plenty of ways to engage users with content: quizzes, calculators, games, contests and assessments. But these are not new strategies.

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However, a new interactive take on infographics is. Readers are encouraged to scroll through the imagery and information, often being told a story with powerful insights and outcomes. The act of taking action to learn more gives marketers the ability to engage readers and measure their activity with the content.

Check out these examples to get your creative juices flowing and your experimentation wheels turning.

 “The Run to Conversion: How Content Scoring Measures the True Impact of Your Content” by Kapost

Content marketing scoring and ROI isn’t often considered a riveting or get-your-heart-pumping type of topic. But with the creativity put forth by the content marketing technology company, the topic becomes intriguing, sending buyers racing toward the brand’s solution.

“Your Daily Dose of Water” by GOOD Magazine

Did you know you probably use about 2,000 gallons of water per day? But it isn’t necessarily because you enjoyed your shower for a couple extra minutes or are an avid hand washer. In this infographic created in partnership with Levi’s, GOOD Magazine shows us how our bathroom habits, food intake and errand running add up to an unsettling amount of water usage over a single day. The interactive content allows you to pick and choose your activities and preferences to see how much water you are currently using, and maybe consider potential ways to cut down and, you know, save the world.

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“Make Your Money Matter: See the Difference Joining Credit Union Can Make” by Public Service Credit Union

This infographic shows exactly where your money goes when you deposit at a large corporation versus at a local credit union. It gets the message across using real-life scenarios personalized to the user, imagery and common language rather than generic financial terms hardly anyone understands.

If you have a technical topic, a hard-to-explain comparison or benefits that are difficult to articulate, interactive infographics may be a great new strategy to try. But they can be costly; CopyPress recently quoted a ballpark figure of $4,000 to $10,000 during its sales process. So be sure you’ve got your buyer personas defined and your message streamlined to reap the most benefits of interactive content.

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