Use Interactive Video to Boost Engagement
There is no denying that video has solidified its presence in marketing. Video has become the most engaging type of media on the web with enormous potential for driving engagement and conversions. One of the greatest benefits of video is that it enables marketers to tell a visually compelling story. With users around the world consuming massive amounts of video, it’s no surprise that 80% of all internet traffic by consumers will be video in the next two years. Why is video so irresistible for consumers? 90% of consumers prefer media that is visual and interactive rather than static, text-based content that was the standard in the past. Today’s consumers are looking to interact and engage with brands and interactive video is the perfect media to drive interaction and engagement.
What is interactive video?
Interactive video is video content that drives engagement by overlaying the existing video with additional content like questions, hot spots, lead generation, and more. Whereas normal video only allows viewers to watch, interactive video encourages the audience to engage. The amount of time spent on an interactive video increases by 47% compared to traditional, non-interactive media. The option to interact with the content also makes the ad 32% more memorable.
Interactive video is incredibly versatile and can be powerfully used in how-to and explainer videos. It can be integrated throughout the sales funnel but may have the biggest impact in the middle and bottom where video can directly address issues, questions, and product demonstrations.
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Know Your Audience
The Millennial population makes up a huge portion of today’s consumers and they prioritize authenticity and experiences. They want to be active and engaged when making purchases, and interactive video delivers. Interactivity can make or break a video campaign and can be the difference between attracting or losing Millennial and Gen-Z consumers.
81% of marketers polled in 2016 agreed that interactive content outperforms static content in terms of capturing attention. If you want to attract customers and drive conversions, knowing what your audience wants is key—and for a sizable portion of today’s consumers, that’s interactive video.
Use the Right Interactive Elements
In addition to increasing the amount of time your audience spends viewing your content, interactive videos can provide valuable data on your audience which can in turn inform future content. There are several different elements you can integrate into your videos (live and recorded) to make them more interactive. However, you don’t want to overload your video with interactive content. The video should still be front and center. Be careful not to overwhelm the viewer or take attention away from the main message or story.
You can include quizzes where you pause and ask the audience to assess where they are. Use Q&A to capture data and source future content. Use hotspots to provide ways for your viewers to easily access additional information. You can include links to products, so the audience can shop without exiting the video. Include text annotations to emphasize important points or use visual CTAs to prompt your audience on the next steps. By testing different interactive elements, you can see which drive the most engagement with your target audience and use that data on future videos.
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Place Elements to Maximize Efficacy
Interactive video offers exciting opportunities for marketers, especially since the content can generate major returns beyond the initial viewing. One of the huge benefits of interactive video is the ability to customize the content.
Q&A: Use questions strategically—keep them brief and simple. Pause after salient moments to ask the viewer a relevant question. Include a text overlay so the viewers can see and hear the question. If you don’t want to pause or you don’t want to cover the action on screen, have the question appear outside the frame. You can source the same information and prompt engagement without taking away from the video content.
Link Outs: Highlight items and include link outs to relevant content that your audience will want to watch. This is a great way to introduce potential customers to your various products or to provide further information on a product. Link-outs are an excellent way to lead your consumer through a series of videos and keep their attention.
CTAs: With standard videos, the call to action placement is usually limited to the very beginning or very end of the video. This is extremely limiting since a potential customer may not have all the information they need at the beginning and may drop off before the end. One company found that placing a CTA in the middle of a video resulted in conversions 17% beyond the average.
Video is a powerful medium for marketers. It allows them to tell stories, educate customers, drive engagement, and convert leads. With the constantly changing technology landscape, it’s important for marketers to stay abreast of current trends and techniques. Consumers today, especially those in the Millennial and Gen-Z brackets, want to be active participants and not simply passive viewers. Interactive video is a powerful way to maximize the ROI of your marketing videos. By recognizing what your audience wants, choosing the right interactive elements, and implementing the elements throughout the video, marketers can leverage the possibilities of interactive video to boost engagement.
Comment below and let us know if you think Interactive video is the future?
