An Interactive Article about Interactive Content
If you’re anything like me, it’s difficult to stay still while doing something static — like reading an article online. You might click and highlight the lines of an article as you scroll. You might push down the end of a ballpoint pen repeatedly, irking the person next to you. Or maybe you actually found a way to make “fidget spinners” useful.
It’s not a secret that attention spans are shortening with the advancement of technology, and fidgeting is the physical expression of this impatience. So what do you get when you combine short attention spans and fidgeting? — Platforms like Tiktok and Instagram Reels. The content is brief, it’s interactive, and the results are immediate. The formula works for social media, so why not online marketing?
Origins
Interactive Content is a technique that invites engagement from viewers and increases brand awareness, but it’s nothing new. You may remember the scene from “A Christmas Story,” where a little boy, Ralphie, listens to a popular radio show and waits for a secret code during the break. He writes it down, frantically runs up to the bathroom, locks the door, and pulls out his brand new “decoder ring.” As his little brother impatiently waits for his turn to use the restroom, Ralphie excitedly decodes the message: “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring. It was a cheeky move by Ovaltine, but they worked with what they had — a one-way radio.
Although it was the film director’s adaptation of the concept, secret decoder pins existed during the great depression. And the only way to get it was by consuming the product.
As technology advances, so do the opportunities to create new types of interactive content. The above meme with audio is just the tip of the iceberg. I created a meme from a movie scene, but interactive memes can be used by brands as well. Give the viewer an option to hear a short snippet, and their curiosity may get the better of them.
What do you want to see next? Choose your path:
(1) Interactive Picture — (2) Poll — (3) Interactive Video — (4) Augmented Reality — (5) Interactive Infographic — (6) 360° Photo
Interactive Pictures
Interactive images are another great way to display information. Instead of a static picture, viewers are able to click on certain “buttons” in the picture to learn more.
Learn about the Potala Palace below by hovering over the purple icons if you’re on a computer or click the top-right if you’re on mobile:
Social media websites are also taking advantage of interactive content with their paid ads. Facebook, for example, offers ads in the form of videos, pictures, and slideshows, but they also offer more interactive content services such as “carousel ads” — an ad with different pictures, headlines, and CTAs that viewers can scroll or swipe through. This format enables brands to highlight different products and be more descriptive with their features. Facebook also offers “canvas ads.” These are fullscreen images or videos complemented with text that allow for more interaction and immersion, designed specifically for mobile users.
Seriously, there are no rules. Experience the article in your own way:
(1) Interactive Picture — (2) Poll — (3) Interactive Video — (4) Augmented Reality — (5) Interactive Infographic — (6) 360° Photo
Polls
If you’ve ever been on Twitter, you’ll have noticed the “poll” feature. It’s an excellent way to invite followers to interact with your post — especially if you’re a little extra thirsty for attention. It’s also an interactive technique that organizations use to gather insights. Youtube, for example, utilizes polls by asking if an ad is relevant at the end of a video.
I hope you’re not reading this in chronological order:
(1) Interactive Picture — (2) Poll — (3) Interactive Video — (4) Augmented Reality — (5) Interactive Infographic — (6) 360° Photo
Interactive Video
Videos are ruling the internet at the moment. They are all over social media. Search engines like Google prioritize websites that have video content. And above all, they are an excellent format for educating and story-telling.
Making videos interactive provides a more engaging and personal experience to the viewer. There’s an entire movie based on this principle. It’s called “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.” It was released in 2018 and gave viewers the option to choose the direction of the movie — sort of like this article. Additionally, some companies have utilized interactive videos in their brand building. Philips created an interactive video for one of their new electric shavers. See my rendition of it below.
(1) Interactive Picture — (2) Poll — (3) Interactive Video — (4) Augmented Reality — (5) Interactive Infographic — (6) 360° Photo
Augmented Reality
You can’t talk about interactive content without mentioning virtual reality and augmented reality. While virtual reality replaces what a person sees in a VR headset, augmented reality adds to what a person sees. For example, Ikea used augmented reality to show how certain furniture would look in your living room.
With your phone, scan this QR code with the QR code app you use for covid-free restaurant menus. It’ll prompt you to download the metaverse app. If you haven’t seen Augmented Reality before, it’s worth the 1-minute download. Be sure to move your phone camera up and look around the room!
While you wait, check out some other types of Interactive Content:
(1) Interactive Picture — (2) Poll — (3) Interactive Video — (4) Augmented Reality — (5) Interactive Infographic — (6) 360° Photo
Interactive Infographic
There are many different types of interactive content in marketing and even more creative freedom with the design. They come in all shapes and sizes and are usable in any industry from a clothing brand that needs to advertise their products to an insurance company that wants to provide relevant information on their website with a calculator widget.
See more types in the infographic below, and hover over (desktop) or click (mobile) the images for more information on each.
(1) Interactive Picture — (2) Poll — (3) Interactive Video — (4) Augmented Reality — (5) Interactive Infographic — (6) 360° Photo
360° Photo
There are a lot of tools that make it easy to create the content — it’s up to you to design it. Each interactive element in this article was free to make, and the sources are provided, including how to create the interactive article. There’s no reason to delay! However, I also understand decision paralysis, so I invite you to escape the digital life and immerse yourself in the photo below.
About this article
This article has been written by a student on the Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Advanced Masters in Digital Strategy Management. As part of a content creation assignment, students are given the task of writing articles based on their digital interests and disseminate the articles online. Articles are marked but we make minimal changes to the content. Thanks for reading! James Barisic, Programme Director, MS DSM.
