Have you ever found yourself stuck solving BuzzFeed quizzes for several hours? You just can’t stop the urge to find out which Disney princess you are.
This is the power of interactive content summarized. Interactive content gives you a chance to go through a unique experience. Besides, this content has a great marketing potential – interactive content’s unique value can be a great brand awareness booster.
Yet, marketers say that only 13% of their content is interactive. Most brands are still testing the waters when it comes to including this content type in their marketing strategies.
Meanwhile, more courageous companies and organizations are already using interactive content to its full capacity to attract necessary audiences. Let’s take a look at how they’re doing it.
Table of Contents
1. CSSE Interactive Map Updates Public on COVID-19 Cases
You might remember that, at the beginning of the pandemic, there was an inflow of disinformation. Due to a lack of accurate data, the authorities could hardly control the media that covered stories from unverified resources. The result? It’s hard to forget the grocery store panic followed by the food shortage.
John Hopkins University, one of the establishments researching the COVID-19 virus, had to step in and organize all the data to inform people of the actual number of cases.
The university had a challenging task ahead – its target audience included all people around the globe. Also, the COVID data is updated in real-life, so the institute had to choose the type of content that could easily be refreshed every day. Besides, it should be easily scannable for the target audience.
That’s how John Hopkins’ interactive map came to be:
John Hopkins Institute COVID-19 Map
As you can see, this is a dashboard with the general list of cases per country, the global number of cases that occurred so far, the data on deaths and recoveries. The dashboard includes an interactive map: if you zoom in to a particular country, you’ll be able to check the current number of COVID cases for every city and town.
This is an excellent example of how you can use interactive content to keep your audience informed. John Hopkins’ interactive map has a great value proposition – it offers only relevant data to the public while also reducing misinformation and preventing panic.
2. Placement Test Helps Preply Students Start the Right Course
If you’ve ever learned a foreign language, you know that you have to pass the test to evaluate your level of fluency before starting a course (unless you’re a complete beginner).
In the foreign language learning circles, this evaluation is called a placement test, and it also helps a teacher tailor the program to your individual needs. Students usually take this test during their first class.
But what if people study foreign languages online? Then an interactive placement test is the only solution.
Let’s take a look at Preply’s example. Its primary audience is students who learn foreign languages remotely. Those at the start of their journey first have to pass a placement test to pick up where they left off.
For instance, here’s Preply’s placement test to determine English proficiency:
Preply English Placement Test
The test is interactive – you first pick the category – Vocabulary, Reading, or Grammar, and proceed with doing exercises and filling in the blanks. The dashboard automatically calculates your score. Then, based on your result, you can start the course the fits your level.
Quizzes are in the same interactive content category as tests. However, quizzes are more common and can be tailored to any audience and industry.
A quiz can be a great solution in e-commerce. For instance, Clinique’s Foundation Finder uses a quiz to help its customers find the perfect foundation:
Clinique Foundation Finder Quiz
This interactive quiz is created for Clinique’s target buyers who prefer to shop online but have a hard time finding the right product to match their skin color. A quiz solves this problem – at the end, you get the foundation that fits your needs.
3. Generator Helps Hello Fresh Customers Find the Right Recipe
In most cases, interactive generators are just for fun and entertainment. But sometimes, businesses find a practical use for them and launch generators to help a customer choose the right product.
Let’s consider Hello Fresh as an example. The brand’s audience is people who prefer to cook meals at home but don’t want to go grocery shopping. Thus, Hello Fresh delivers subscription meal kits right to their doors with all the pre-measured products.
At the same time, Hello Fresh offers a wide variety of meals. And we know – the more choices we have, the more challenging it is to make a final decision. Hello Fresh saw that coming and creating a Flavor Generator:
Hello Fresh Flavor Generator
The generator asks you to pick the cuisine you like – Indian, Mexican, British, Italian, or Middle Eastern. Then you need to choose the flavor –spicy, tangy, sweet, herby, or something you’ve never tried. Just two steps – and you have a selection of recipes that fit your flavor profile.
Much like quizzes, interactive generators can also be quite useful for e-commerce businesses. If you have a wide selection of product offers, like Hello Fresh, a generator can help your customers not get lost in the sea of choices. Plus, a generator can be a great engagement booster.
Include Interactive Content in Your Marketing Strategy
We’re not going to lie – interactive content is hard to handle. Besides, depending on the size of your business, interactive content can come out quite expensive. For instance, you would need to hire a graphic designer and a programmer to handle a generator.
But, with all its hurdles, producing interactive content is quite rewarding since you can tailor it to the needs of almost any audience.
From our examples, you’ve seen how interactive maps can stop the spread of misinformation and help keep people informed. And tests, quizzes, and generators help customers choose the product that fits their interests and needs.
The most important part – interactive content will help your brand stand out. There are not many businesses that invest in interactive quizzes or generators. So, interactive content is the chance to bring your brand forward.
