How to use interactive content to boost your lead generation

Digital transformation has put companies on the spot: they adapt according to the interests and desires of consumers or are doomed to be forgotten.

Thus, it is necessary to find innovative strategies to attract more leads to your business. One of the main bets in the current market is the use of interactive content.

According to a Semrush survey, 77% of marketers use Content Marketing in their companies.

Within this dispute for the attention of users, it is necessary to make sure that you are offering a competitive advantage, such as generating leads with interactive content.

So why don’t we go a little deeper into this subject, which can be so important for the success of your Digital Marketing planning? 

We have prepared this complete article on the subject, in which we will address the following topics:

 

What is interactive content?

As the name implies, interactive content covers infographics, quizzes, videos, for example, that require user interaction for any action to take place.

The idea is precisely to attract those who access a certain page to interact and thus increase their engagement, ensuring their attention in a more entertaining way.

While infographics, images, and videos can already be used to create relevant materials for consumers — exactly what the Content Marketing strategy is based on —, the high competition in the market demands more from companies. 

Therefore, it is also necessary to innovate when it comes to fighting for the attention of those you want to get close to.

The ultimate goal of this type of material is precisely to offer something even more attractive so that the client develops a greater interest in a problem, strategy, or solution and, consequently, finds out that you can help him with your services and/or products.

Ultimately, the idea is to provide a richer and more interesting experience for that user to become interested in what you have to say.

From the reaction of those accessing your page, you can open a contact window that did not exist before, bringing your company even closer to different potential consumers.

What’s the importance of working on lead generation?

As we’ve seen above, generating leads is a common goal among companies that decide to invest in different Digital Marketing strategies.

After all, who doesn’t want to create a qualified network of contacts that can facilitate, for example, the work of your sales team to increase the conversion rate of your business in the future?

But being able to attract these users is not easy since the contents, materials, and information available on the internet are extremely diverse. Therefore, you need to differentiate yourself from the competition.

How can this be done? By creating content that is relevant to your buyer persona, thus increasing the chances of attraction and, consequently, conversion.

But why is lead generation so important? 

Since the consumer’s buying journey — and their level of demand — has changed, the companies’ posture also had to undergo adaptations.

Therefore, nurturing these leads will bring your business closer to conversion, creating a closer and more trusting relationship between the parties.

What are the advantages of generating leads through interactive content?

According to a study released by Microsoft, human beings’ attention span is, on average, less than that of a goldfish in an aquarium.

That is, the time you have to convince a user that your product and/or service can be useful is extremely short, and you are always competing for it with other content and materials.

In this scenario, it is necessary to find ways to facilitate the process of getting closer to the consumer.

Generating this engagement with leads, however, is no simple task.

Thus, it is necessary to search for innovative actions that captivate users’ attention in different ways.

It’s no surprise, then, that the use of interactive content in companies’ marketing plans has grown in recent years, and, according to a study by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), 46% of companies use these resources.

For you to get an idea of ​​how this strategy is becoming more relevant, 79% of respondents had increased the use of interactive content in their Marketing and communication campaigns and actions.

The main reason for betting on this type of content? For 66% of the companies, it was the goal of achieving greater engagement with users.

But what are the actual, practical benefits of generating leads through interactive content?

According to the CMI survey, 87% of Content Marketing professionals that were interviewed agree that the retention of users’ attention is higher in interactive features than in traditional and static ones. Not bad, right?

Another benefit of adopting interactive content in the search for leads is the strengthening of your company’s branding.

Besides, 77% of these same professionals point out that these resources increase constant visits by the users, who end up returning more often and facilitate loyalty work, for example — another very common objective in the segment.

The CMI report also details the level of satisfaction of professionals with the use of interactive content and the success of this strategy in the pursuit of the goals outlined in their marketing plans.

44% of them say that these resources are effective, while only 1% believe that they did not affect the pursuit of results.

What are the most efficient examples of interactive content?

Now that you already know how generating leads through interactive content can be important for the success of your Digital Marketing strategy, how about seeing some examples of strategies that can be applied to your business?

We have listed some types of interactive content that will help you attract even more users to your pages. Check them out!

1. Contests and sweepstakes

Widely used in the early stages of the consumers’ buying journey, contests and sweepstakes are extremely useful practices for generating user engagement.

The strategy consists of asking people to take action and, in return, compete for a prize offered by your company.

It can be a photo contest, a contest for votes, the nomination of friends to participate. 

In short, there are several options to increase the level of engagement with the users.

In addition, this tactic can also be used to strengthen your company’s social media, which can contribute, for example, to increasing your brand awareness.

2. Calculators

Interactive calculators are considered versatile interactive content. After all, they can work with a lead at the top or bottom of the funnel.

The approach will vary depending on your campaign’s purpose and, of course, on your persona. 

By presenting numbers, the tendency is for the user to be even more interested, actually being able to visualize possible improvements.

For a company that offers technological solutions for marketing automation, for example, allowing the user to calculate the time saved using your tool can be very efficient.

Or how about showing your ROI (Return on Investment) and offering a CTA to show you how to increase that number?

3. Games

When it comes to attracting leads to present your brand to them, games are one of the most commonly used options for interactive content. 

If you are trying to get the first contact without needing to go deeper into more technical terms, games will make this approach between user and brand more fun and simple.

4. Interactive infographics

Static infographics are already very efficient when it comes to attracting and holding users’ attention. However, they become even more important for those who want more conversions when they get interactive.

This means allowing the user to configure the infographic with the subjects that most interest them or even select what will appear or not in each image; in short, encouraging greater engagement.

5. Questionnaires

An important part of generating leads to achieve conversions in the future is to know who is on the other side, right? 

And is there something better than asking questions and getting answers from the users themselves?

You can assess the level of knowledge of those who accessed your site, for example, and then offer content and materials according to the stage and level of knowledge of each user.

This method can also be used to identify the main pains, doubts, or objectives of each lead, making it easier to understand what can be offered within your portfolio to increase your conversion.

The greater the interaction level from the users, the greater your knowledge about them and, consequently, the more chances your Sales team has of closing the deal.

6. Ebooks

For many users, ebooks end up not being so attractive because they contain a greater amount of content and information, with a lot of text. 

To make this activity more enjoyable for those who are downloading your material, you can create interactive ebooks.

7. White papers

For those who want to produce materials that are really useful for those users at the bottom of the sales funnel, interactive white papers are very efficient.

After all, in addition to bringing more technical and in-depth content on a given subject, if the user can customize the information available in the material, they may become even more interested in what you have to offer.

8. Interactive video

This example is a little more complex to get off the ground. However, it is quite innovative and considerably increases the chances of you getting the user to engage.

Interactive video makes it possible for anyone on the other side of the screen to choose an angle or even the course of an explanation or story.

9. Landing pages

When you create a landing page, you’re looking to attract the user to take action, right? 

Instead of asking them to fill out a form, how about allowing them to interact with the page?

Allowing some interactive action will increase the chances of the user being interested in the subject and, consequently, downloading an ebook or sharing relevant data with you.

10. Solution finders

Best suited for those who have already advanced a little more through the buying journey and have a greater knowledge of the problems and solutions that your company offers.

Solution finders are efficient when it comes to personalization and offering a more targeted experience for each user who accesses your page.

Based on the users’ answers to some simple questions on the topic in question, you will offer the most suitable solution in your portfolio for a given problem.

For those who work with Digital Marketing, suggesting which way to go between SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or sponsored links is an example.

Wrap Up

The idea of ​​generating leads through interactive content is, therefore, extremely efficient and adaptable to your business model.

Just choose a strategy that best fits your target audience profile and start attracting even more leads to your business, getting closer to who can really become a consumer of your brand.

In addition to generating leads and attracting them to your pages, bringing your brand closer and strengthening the relevance of your brand in your segment, you also need to ensure a flow of content and materials to communicate with all your potential customers.

After learning how to generate leads using interactive content, check out our free Interactive Content Guide, and discover everything you need to know to take your content strategy to the next level!