In a world where there seems to be an infinite amount of content, video is a medium that will never cease to engage audiences from all ages and backgrounds. However, the way we interact with video have changed, and will continue to develop based on how people want to interact and what type of content that engages.
One way video has evolved has been through becoming more interactive. Making video a medium where the audience is engaged and participates in the unfolding story. Interactive videos invite the audience to create instead of simply watch.
In this article we'll cover:
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What are interactive videos?
You already know that video is the most engaging type of content out there. Using video in your marketing strategy, for example, is a smart way of engaging your audience and telling your story in a more dynamic way. In 2022, the State of Video Marketing survey showed that 73% of people would prefer to learn more about a service or products through watching short videos.
But what is all this talk about interactive videos? Well, since consumer behavior changes all the time, companies need to adapt. Consumers today are used to swiping their screen every third second and might not want to sit passively to watch a 10 min informational video.
That’s why interactive videos were created, and have amassed such popularity in such a short time.
Interactive videos are videos where the viewer can interact with the video through buttons, quizzes, clickable menus, switching perspectives or choosing what content plays out in the video. This creates a unique and personalized experience which leads to higher retention and a higher chance of the viewer remembering the video, and the company behind it.
See how interactive video can transform your business.
Why are companies using interactive videos?
Interactive videos are a powerful tool for many different industries, like education, shopping or marketing for instance. Marketing in particular, is a place where we see massive potential and can already see companies using interactive videos in their sales presentations and recruitment processes.
In a study by Spiel Creative, 87.7% of people noted an increase in online sales after using interactive videos in their sales strategy.
Working with sales and marketing, the revenue number is of course the most important KPI. But to reach that golden number, several tools and tactics need to be perfected in your strategy. And that’s why Interactive videos are such a smart idea to focus on.
These are the benefits of using interactive video to grow your company:
A personalized experience – Two viewers might engage with the video in different ways. This creates a unique experience every time, based on the viewers choices, allowing a more personalized viewing.
Increased engagement – By participating in the story through interaction, the viewer becomes more engaged in the video and won’t be distracted from the message.
Increased retention – Since the viewer is actively interacting with the video, their retention increases and they’ll remember more compared to simply watching a video passively.
Data collection – Using a normal video, the data you receive is limited. With interactive videos, you’ll learn more about your viewer through their behavior and choices, allowing you to understand them on a deeper level.
Different ways of using Interactive Videos
Interactive videos haven’t been around very long compared to the lifetime of video overall. However, companies have already tried, failed and succeeded, using interactive videos in innovative ways.
Throughout this journey, companies have seen what works and what doesn’t. They’ve learned how far innovation can be stretched, and how audiences want to interact with video in today’s media landscape.
Here are some of the ways you can use interactive videos to create engaging content:
Quizzes – You can ask the viewer questions to test their retention, or to learn about their needs and goals which you can later use in your marketing and sales.
Gamified content – Make learning more fun, or turn shopping into a more immersive experience by gamifying your video. Make your viewer score points and gain levels and they’ll be more immersed and engaged.
Clickable menus – By immersing clickable menus into the video, you can enhance the user experience. Depending on what information your viewer wants, you should make it as easy as possible for them to get hold of it.
Interactive storylines – Create interactive storylines where the viewer can impact how the story unfolds. This way, you can showcase different stories that fits different personas, handing the controls over to the viewer to watch a story that suits them.
To create these immersive experiences, you can use different functionalities where you also collect data about your viewer.
- Create clickable areas in the video and redirect the viewer to a separate page, or to showcase new information, like pricing, color options for example.
- Use several camera angles views where the viewer can pick and choose what perspective to watch from.
- Create several paths in your storytelling where the user can shift the story with a click of a button.
Are you feeling creative yet? Creating interactive videos is supposed to be fun, and the fun you’ll have while creating it will definitely spread to the viewer!
What you need to know before using interactive videos
Before you start your interactive endeavor, there are a few questions you need to ask to make sure you get the best results.
What is the purpose?
Make sure there is a final purpose to your interactive video, and that the purpose connects to your overall business goals. For example sales, lead generation or brand awareness.
How does this fit into our video strategy?
Look over your overarching marketing strategy and see how interactive videos fit into it. It shouldn’t be something you try to force, but rather something that naturally allows you to reach your overall goals.
What tools and support do we need?
Creating interactive video is not as easy as regular video. You need specific tools from a platform that suits all your needs.
With Qbrick, you can choose to get access to our powerful video editing platform, where you can do it all yourself. Or we can have our experts help you out with the creation process. Choose your toolkit according to your needs.
How will we impact our audience?
Do interactive videos help your audience solve their problem? It’s important that you map out what the videos should do for your viewers and how it will help you create a more engaged audience in the long run.
See how interactive video can transform your business.
Conclusion
Interactive videos are a great way of engaging your audience and increase retention, innovation and sales. We promise that if you jump aboard the interactive train, you will amaze and delight your target audience for the upcoming future.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact our team experts and we will answer your questions as fast as we can.
