Ever heard of “brochureware?" It’s an old internet marketing term used to describe a website that is basically static – a site with no interactivity.
Brochureware hit its peak of usage around 2005 and has pretty much fallen off the map. The idea behind it is having a resurgence, especially in content marketing.
It’s called interactive content.
I doubt you need a definition, it is just what it sounds like. Here are a couple of examples:
- Quizzes
- Calculators
- Polls
- Assessments
- Interactive infographics
- Interactive white papers
So why is interactive content becoming so popular? Well, it works. According to new research from The Content Marketing Institute , 81% of the marketers they surveyed say “interactive content grabs attention more effectively than static content.”
Interactive content has high engagement rates
Grabbing attention and getting engagement has become one of the core goals of content marketing. That’s because engagement rates with content are falling – almost exactly at the pace marketers publish more.
Interactive content is the perfect solution to this decline in engagement rates. Engagement is literally interactive DNA.
Interactive content also solves another problem content marketers have – trying to keep up with the exhausting pace of publishing enough. To avoid that hamster wheel, smarter marketers have been “reformatting” or “repurposing” their content. For example, making a blog post into an infographic, a video, and a SlideShare. That content could also be made into a quiz, an interactive infographic, or an online assessment.
Interactive content also boosts lead generation
Interactive content allows users to have a customized experience. This adds a lot of value for them, often enough to make them willing to share their email address to get the information.
Caption: A slide from Ion Interactive’s SlideShare, “Deliver Peak Experiences with Interactive Content."
It also works for link building and increasing site traffic
Interactive tools and resources can be fantastic for link building. Actually, online tools were some of the original “link bait”.
How to create your own interactive content
Worried you’ll need a team of developers to create any interactive content? No reason to, you just need a few new tools and some ideas for how to use them.
- Let’s start really simple: Try out a few
Twitter orFacebook polls. You can reuse the results for email newsletter content, or you might be able to weave them into a blog post or two.
Caption: Twitter polls, like this one from Bounty, are a great way to boost audience engagement – and a way to learn more about your followers.
- Try a poll at the close of your blog posts to see how people feel about the topics and issues you just discussed.
Having trouble getting people to leave comments on your blog? Make it easier for them. A really simple yes/no poll lets people contribute, but it keeps their replies anonymous and doesn’t require them to write anything. Plugins like CodeCanyon’s TotalPoll Pro let you set this sort of poll up easily.
Caption: Not getting many comments on your blog? Try asking people to vote in a poll instead.
- Create a calculator that lets people get specifics about what products they need, or what their project might cost.
Kick this idea up a notch by offering a basic calculator for everyone and then offer additional information and customization in exchange for an email address.
Caption: This remodeling calculator from RemodelingCalculator.org offers extra customized results if you give it your zip code.
A tool like SnapApp can let you do this without coding skills. The problem is… it’s expensive. SnapApp starts at $1,650 a month. Similar tools, like Ceros, are about the same price.
For a less expensive option, look into the WordPress plugin Calculated Fields Form. Not on WordPress? Try Calculoid, JSCalc.io or LeadDoubler.
- Convert some static images and videos into interactive versions.
Tools like ThingLink let you do this - no technical skills are required. It costs $20 a month to start.
Caption: This ThingLink from StateFarm Insurance is educational, useful, and shareable.
These work on several levels. First, they give your visitors customized recommendations and let them see how they compare to others. You can also use the results of each assessment to send customized follow-up information.
- Create an online assessment.
Caption: The content curation company Scoop.it used their assessment tool, The Content Marketing Grader to generate leads, send customized content, and publish a report on industry best practices.
Conclusion
If you want to stand out in the noisy world of content marketing, interactive content should be at the top of your to-do list. You will need to think a little differently to do it right, but there are plenty of tools available to help.
