How to Personalize the Customer Experience with Interactive Content

This article was originally written by Erin McCoy, and published by our partner, Killer Infographics, a world-class visual communication agency.

Interactive content is incredibly powerful. It can help us solve problems, make complex calculations, and learn more about ourselves. And because interactive content personalizes the customer’s interaction with your brand, it’s also uniquely positioned to boost engagement.

Marketers already know just how effective this type of content can be. In June 2017, the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) reported that 79% of marketers were planning to increase their use of interactive content in the next year.

In that same report, marketers said that engagement was the #1 reason they were using interactive content.

Let’s take a look at ways you can use interactive content to improve the customer experience.

1. TEACH THEM SOMETHING ABOUT THEMSELVES

BuzzFeed is one of the web’s most successful sites, and interactive quizzes are their bread and butter. In fact, one BuzzFeed quiz alone — “What State Do You Actually Belong In?” — has earned more than 40 million views, according to Digiday. What’s more, 96% of all quizzes on the BuzzFeed website are actually completed. That’s a stunning engagement rate.

Why do we love quizzes? Just like the quiz about what state you should live in, they offer to analyze the information we share about ourselves and provide calculated, personalized output. In short, they make us feel we’re actually learning something new about ourselves.

Businesses can harness the power of such tools in a number of ways. If you’re in the lifestyle and health industry, for example, you can provide interactive calculators that help people determine key information about their own bodies and their health. Apps like Fitbit and MyFitnessPal already offer strong examples of interactive graphs and charts that update with the latest data to offer us insights about ourselves.

2. OFFER USEFUL, ACTIONABLE INFORMATION

Because interactive quizzes, calculators, and assessments collect information that is unique to the consumer, they can also produce valuable, personalized data.

In the financial and real estate industries, sites like Mint and Zillow are helping us assess our financial health and what types of homes we can afford. Credit unions such as BECU are sharing calculators that can help you determine what type of retirement fund is right for you.

Google’s algorithm rewards useful, high-quality content, and these types of interactive widgets are as useful as it gets. Offer these kinds of resources and people will come back to your site again and again. They’ll also recommend it to others.

3. MAKE INTERACTING WITH YOUR BRAND FUN

In 2016, 81% of marketers told the CMI that interactive content is better at grabbing consumers’ attention than static content. While personalized information and insights is a big part of what keeps them engaged, interactive content can also just be incredibly fun.

In fact, the CMI reports that games are the most effective type of interactive content at the earliest stages of the buyer’s journey. These can include contests like Starbucks’ annual holiday-season game, which allows players to spin a virtual slot machine–style wheel for the chance to win Starbucks for life and other prizes. Games can also offer rewards for engagement with your brand on social media or on your company’s website. The possibilities are endless.

Remember, customers today are looking for personalized experiences. They want to feel that your brand knows and cares about them, and is speaking directly to them. Interactive content offers up unique and effective ways to create a more meaningful connection with your audience.