(2024) #1 What Is Interactive Content

What is interactive content… and how can I get my company to adopt it?

Computer mouse click cursor gray arrow icons set. Vector illustration.

Why? Because interactive content sees over 50% more engagement than static content, as reported by Mediafly. Here, we’re going to explore what interactive content is, why it makes sense for many companies, and how to implement it in your own organization. Now, to be clear: we’re not saying that taking your company interactive is, or should be, an easy decision. To do it right requires some planning and commitment. Bringing it in-house and then maximizing the benefits of what you create requires some effort, and you’ll need help from other departments at your company. A case will have to be prepared. Costs will need to be anticipated. Assurances will need to be made. So let’s explore together, starting at the very beginning.

What is interactive content, anyway?

You know it when you see it, but let’s define it anyway just so we’re clear: Interactive content is material that requires active engagement from its audience. An individual who comes across interactive content is more than just a passive viewer; they are part of a dynamic, two-way experience. In practice, interactive content can take an unlimited number of forms. But some of the most common forms are infographics, case studies, landing pages, quizzes, presentations, product demos, and games, to name a few. This content either follows a number of separate, specific steps (like an eBook), or a choose-your-own-adventure type of experience (like a flowchart). But no matter what, all those different use cases have one quality necessary for content to be interactive. And that’s active participation— clicking, hovering, or engaging in the experience. Interactive content is made possible by snippets of code that allow for enhanced web functionality. You can write that code directly to yield interactive content experiences—what your dev team might call “custom coding”—but that can be expensive and time-consuming. And you know what it's like asking the dev team for favors, right? Luckily, custom coding isn't the only way to produce interactive content, but we'll get to that later.

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Infographic

Landing page

Product demos

Case studies

Quizzes

Games

The impact of interactive content

At this point, you might have a sense of why interactive content is so effective, but is it right for you and your organization? Do you really need it to create awesome digital content? The short answer is probably, yeah; the long answer is below. Let's dive straight into the heart of the matter – the business impact. Interactive content is not just about engaging viewers; it’s about driving measurable business growth by effectively aligning sales and marketing efforts. A strong majority of marketers, 93% to be exact, believe that interactive content plays an effective role in educating potential buyers. And here's another interesting tidbit – blending personalization into interactive content can supercharge its impact. According to HubSpot's 2024 State of Marketing report, a whopping 94% of marketers say personalization cranks up sales.

The best stuff on the internet almost always includes interactive content.

of marketers believe interactive content plays an effective role in educating potential buyers.

of marketers say personalization increases sales.

Source: MarketSplash

Stefan Riches, the director of content marketing at Canadian architecture firm Stantec, says that he creates interactive content because of the impact it has on his engagement metrics. Stantec’s interactive experiences, he says, “outperform our blog posts by two-to-one, on average. And with some items it’s five-to-10 times what an average blog post would do." This paints a flattering picture of the organizations behind its creation. The web has matured since it first hit the scene, and digital content can go further now than ever before. In fact, readers are demanding that it go farther. Interactive content functions at a higher level than static content, and it is more satisfying for audiences to consume. With an interactive content platform (the aforementioned alternative to custom coding), graphic designers have more creative freedom to build something fresh and unique. That leads to collateral that’s not only unquestionably yours—that nobody else could have created—but also reflects positively on the tech-savviness of your brand. And who doesn’t want that for their audience?

" There’s a certain way that we talk about ourselves as a future-thinking architecture firm and our content sure as hell better look like that when somebody lands on our site."

Tory Parks, Ceros user

Consider this story from HDR, an architecture firm headquartered in Nebraska. HDR prides itself on being on the cutting edge. (In fact, pushing the boundaries is one of HDR’s five core values). Troy Parks, a senior communications specialist at the company, says that he uses an interactive content platform because those engaging experiences mesh so well with the way the brand positions itself. "There’s a certain way that we talk about ourselves as a future-thinking architecture firm,” Parks said, “and (our content) sure as hell better look like that when somebody lands on our site.” Interactivity is also an increasingly crucial tool for marketing departments, which rely heavily on exceptional content to accomplish goals up and down the funnel. Need more qualified leads? Interactive’s got you covered on the demand gen front. Want to create something special for your newsletter subscribers? You’d be hard-pressed to find more interesting digital content. Promote an upcoming event? Tell the history of your brand? Deliver a knockout pitch to a potential client? Check, check, and check.

How do I implement interactive content?

So, we've defined interactive content and underscored its value. However, we know that purchasing decisions involve more steps than "see a valuable thing" and "buy this valuable thing." That's why we're diving into the nitty-gritty of what it takes for a company to start successfully creating interactive content. This series features our in-house knowledge and exclusive insights from a select group of Ceros clients. So, if you're interested in bringing interactive content to your company, here's a sneak peek at the journey ahead:

Get interactive: the complete series

This five step guide gives you everything you need to introduce interactive content to your organization.

What is interactive content?

part 1

Build a team of allies

part 2

Anticipate your design needs

part 3

Make a business case for better content

part 4

Build, track and scale interactive content

part 5

See example

Admit it. You're ready to get interactive. Click now to access the full guide.

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Request a demo

Start making interactive content. Click now to find out how Ceros can help.

That personality quiz you took the other night? Interactive content. The New York Times COVID case charts? Yep, interactive. Super-slick invite to a big industry conference? That’s right, interactive. It’s all interactive.

You know that personality quiz you took the other night? That's interactive content. That webinar Q&A form you filled out? Yep, interactive. And your super-slick invite to the next big industry conference? You guessed it. That's interactive too!

Source: Hubspot's 2024 State of Marketing report

Source: MarketSplash