In 2016, 56% of B2C marketers rated the creation of engaging content as their biggest challenge.

This isn’t really a surprise though – with so much content now available online, people are more selective about the content they consume. This has led to the rise in the popularity of interactive content.

The Growth of Dynamic Content

Static content like blog posts, ebooks and infographics have their place, but many readers are craving more. They want to be more involved in the content they’re consuming.

According to SmartInsights, 93% of marketers agree that interactive content is effective in educating buyers and 70% say that it’s effective at converting site visitors. To add to your content strategy, here are seven of the most effective forms of interactive content to try:

  1. Polls

As well as being great for collecting audience insights, polls are quick to read and hard to ignore.

The career website The Muse used Twitter Polls to ask users what would make their workday better. Most people chose the “better boss” option and the company used the results to inspire a subsequent blog post.

Try this: Easypolls is a simple tool for creating polls that you can customize and embed on your website.

  1. Quizzes

More and more companies are using fun Q&As in their marketing, whether it’s asking users what type of animal they are or which city they should be living in.

Art equipment suppliers Aaron Brothers created a color quiz asking users “What’s your color?” It generated around 500 leads that they could hopefully convert into customers at a later stage.

Try this: Qzzr makes it easy to create great-looking, customized quizzes that you can embed on your website or share on social media. It also gives you stats on user engagement.

  1. Assessments

Assessments give users more personalized recommendations or results based on how users respond to a series of questions. They’re also a great way of collecting data from potential buyers.

Dell EMC, a global leader in the data storage industry, created an assessment featuring seven questions for potential clients about their current situation and future requirements. The results page highlighted which products would be the best fit for their business.

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Try this: SnapApp is a powerful online tool for creating assessments, personality tests and much more.

  1. Brackets

Brackets pit users against each other in a series of rounds until a winner is announced. Users cast votes on anything from their “favorite superhero” to “the best Beatles song.” The competitive element also encourages users to revisit the content.

Tech news site BostInno received over 100,000 votes for their startup-themed bracket, encouraging Bostonians to vote for which tech company they thought would have the greatest impact in five years’ time.

Try this: Brackify helps you create your own voting brackets which you can then embed on your site. You’re in control of the voting theme and deadlines; Brackify takes care of the rest.

Contests

Many readers enjoy entering contests, especially if there’s a valuable prize. They’re a great way to encourage user-generated content and increase brand engagement. You can also collect email addresses because you need to inform the winner, right?

Online supermarket Ocado created an essay contest, asking customers to write about their fantasy restaurant, offering a Michelin-starred dinner party as a prize. The contest was promoted on social media and their blog.

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Try this: Woobox helps you create sleek contests, coupons, deals and more, via social media and landing pages.

  1. Interactive White Papers

White papers tend to be information-heavy, which can turn off some readers. Thankfully, you can now convert longer content into interactive experiences with animations, hidden hover effects and more.

Athenahealth, which provides cloud-based services for health care professionals, created an interactive white paper entitled “Five Elements of a Successful Patient Engagement Strategy” with a magazine-style front page, scrolling stats, animations and tips for health professionals.

Try this: Ion Interactive helps marketers quickly create powerful interactive content, from landing pages to white papers. You can also access useful lead data from the built-in analytics.

  1. Interactive Videos

There’s now software available enabling marketers to produce videos that users can interact with.

Maybelline created an interactive tutorial video for Big Eyes Mascara, which allowed viewers to choose their own personal style by clicking on different choices throughout the video.

 

Try this: Eko Studio lets you create non-linear stories by linking several videos so that the user can decide the path of the story, the direction of the instruction or the features of a product.

Get Interactive

As content marketing gets more competitive, marketers have to use innovative strategies to get noticed. Interactive content could be the solution if you’re struggling to connect with your audience.

From quizzes to videos, interactive content can help you create more engaging, personalized content for your audience while also giving you valuable lead data. If you’re not already creating this type of content, it’s time to consider it!