A Beginner's Guide to Using Interactive Videos in Your Marketing Campaign

Video is one of the most popular forms of content. In fact, it’s watched by 85 percent of internet users each month,  

This is probably because videos are simple to consume. With 72 percent of customers preferring to learn about a product or service through video, it's no surprise that 74 percent of marketers believe video marketing is more effective at generating leads than static posts.

However, in recent years, the average person's attention span has dropped to 8 seconds, making it extremely difficult to keep viewers engaged.

So, what else can marketers and salespeople do to engage their customers?

In this post, our Florida SEO services team will delve into the world of interactive videos. We'll go over how interactive videos differ from regular ones, how they can help your business, and how you can incorporate them into your marketing strategy.

Interactive Videos vs. Regular Videos

With a regular video, you simply press the play button and then watch the video. If you need to grab something or use the restroom, simply press the pause button. You can even skip scenes, but that's all there is to it.

The introduction of interactive videos has altered the game. You can make choices in interactive videos, and your choices will determine the next scene. Your options will eventually lead to a happy or tragic ending.

Have you seen Black Mirror: Bandersnatch?

Now, that's a perfect example!

An interactive video allows your viewers to make choices. They must consider their options carefully because poor decisions can have serious consequences.

People can make mistakes in these types of videos, where choices are crucial, and simply play again. As a result, people can learn from their mistakes.

The Two Main Benefits of Using Interactive Videos

1. It encourages more audience participation.

If you've been trying to boost your video content's audience engagement, you've probably noticed that it's becoming more complex—whether you're using the videos for educational purposes, corporate training and development, customer service, or marketing.

To measure engagement, you can check your audience insights. Audience insights are the various actions that viewers take while watching a video (for example, clicks, form fields, and user paths) that can be analyzed to understand user preferences better.

2. It can provide you with deep audience insight.

Once you've gathered your audience insights, the data can serve as a solid foundation for understanding your audience and providing them with answers to their questions, solutions to their problems, or anything else that meets their needs.

This type of data applies not only to the creation of new interactive videos but also to the creation of all content.

Three Things to Consider When Creating an Interactive Video

1. Format

You can create an interactive video in one of five formats: shoppable videos, live streams, branching videos, VR videos in 360 degrees, or polls and quizzes.

Shoppable Video

This format allows you to buy products directly from the video. Shoppable videos have an interactive overlay that contains product information in the form of URLs, images, text, Product APIs, and Product Feeds.

A viewer can learn about a product by:

• clicking
• scrolling
• dragging
• spinning hotspots

Then they can click a call-to-action button in order to do any of the following:

• add the item to their basket
• buy the item immediately
• sign up for a mailing list
• schedule a test drive (for motor companies)

Live Streams

Live Stream shopping and events are excellent ways to encourage interaction with your brand. Interactivity with the video is enabled by a clickable sidebar that appears alongside the stream. Customers can browse pre-uploaded product links while simultaneously watching the host in real-time.

Livestream events frequently include chatrooms that run alongside the video, allowing viewers to interact with one another and ask the host questions. Interactive video platforms such as Smartzer can assist brands in bringing their products to life to connect with customers.

Branching Videos

Branching videos enable a customizable, choose-your-own-adventure style video format. Branching allows you to include clickable decision points in your video that can jump or loop the viewer to another timestamp in your video, allowing them to craft a viewing experience that is most relevant to them.

It's one of the simplest ways to increase viewer engagement and receive real-time feedback on their preferences and choices. Brands provide options to viewers via hotspot technology. The viewer can personalize their own experience in the ad, resulting in a unique, one-of-a-kind experience that they will remember.

VR Videos in 360 degrees

Virtual reality literally immerses the viewer in the video, as if they are in an alternate reality. These videos do not need to be viewed with a headset; they can be viewed as explorable videos on YouTube, Facebook, or even an e-commerce platform.

This format is now commonly used at tradeshows by brands to place their customers among their products.

Polls and Quizzes

Brands can embed multiple-choice quizzes, polls, and short-answer questions into their videos, which can be shared across blogging platforms, site builders, e-commerce platforms, and more. These quizzes are easily measurable and provide a clear insight into the viewer's mind. 

CTAs at the end of a quiz encourage higher conversion rates. Videos can be easily shared on social media, converting passive viewers into active participants.

2. Purpose

Interactive videos can serve a variety of functions, including but not limited to:

• Product Demonstrations: If you're about to launch a new product and want to stand out from the crowd, a step-by-step tutorial that subtly highlights your product's features is a great strategy to try. ‍
• Recruitment: If you're a recruiter looking for a way to stand out, why not create interactive videos? Set out your desired candidate characteristics in an interactive, engaging manner that encourages your audience to learn more about your company's culture. ‍
• Convert And Sell: If you have a product to sell, you can bridge the gap between advertisements and actual sales with in-video purchasing options.

3. Platform

This is the trickiest question to answer. "Which video platform should I use?" Everything is dependent on your budget and goals. There are far too many platforms to choose from.

Here are three of the best video tools recommended by our SEO services experts in Florida that cover almost all interactive actions:

• Mindstamp: Mindstamp is a straightforward tool for creating high-converting interactive videos. It enables you to create stories or product journeys by including choice-based clickable images in your clips. You can label items, tag product details, entertain people with tools and tips, and include educational content using its hotspots and CTA elements.
• VideoAsk: VideoAsk takes a unique approach to customer engagement. Instead of providing interactive marketing and sales elements to engage leads, VideoAsk gives you tools to build relationships with your potential buyers. You can use this software to send recorded video messages and start a conversation with potential clients by using clickable CTAs for responses.
• Kaltura Interactive Video Paths: Previously known as Rapt, Kaltura Interactive Video Paths is an online platform that focuses on branching, multiple-choice videos. Aside from clickable CTAs, Kaltura is mobile and laptop-compatible, and its player supports numerous networks. You can view your interactive video on any platform listed under the publishing option with the Kaltura player.

There are numerous other platforms available for creating interactive videos. Just make sure to pick one that meets both your needs and your budget.

Designing Meaningful Interactive Video Content

Plan it as an experience.

Put yourself in your audience's shoes and think carefully about their motivations. Spend time designing the components of your interactive video to determine how interactivity can make the experience more valuable.

Provide a lot of variety.

Making sure your content is entertaining should be part of your planning process. This is how you can keep your audience interested. If it has that effect on people, an interactive video can be extremely engaging. 

There are numerous approaches to making your video entertaining.Just make sure you use the ones that are appropriate for your needs.

RELATED: Interactive Video: 69 of the Best Examples

Include it in your marketing strategies.

Consider your marketing objectives. Use the features of your interactive video to take your audience further down the funnel and achieve your goals.

Start Using Interactive Videos in Your Marketing Campaigns

If you need more information on how to incorporate interactive videos into your marketing strategy, our SEO services team in Florida at Digital Resource can assist you in determining the best medium for you and your brand.

For free estimates, don't hesitate to contact us right away.