8 Engaging Examples of Interactive Storytelling in Content Marketing

As an inbound marketer, content plays an important role in attracting attention and building trust among potential customers. Our content can be in many different formats, and the format we choose can speak volumes about the research results and ideas it contains.

Interactive content is becoming increasingly popular as brands try to reduce noise and keep potential customers’ attention long enough to deliver a message.

The advantage is a higher probability of using the audience always less Attention span by publishing stories with interactive elements so that they play an active role in the consumption of information. By dazzling the audience with an unexpected experience, you can increase engagement, stay time, and social participation rates.

In theory everyone can Kind of content can contain interactive elements. Interactive marketing requires ingenuity and innovation, and here are some of the ways interactive content is currently displayed on the web:

quiz

Quizzes are interactive by nature because the audience needs inputs in exchange for valuable personalized content.

Interactive infographics

Unlike static infographics, interactive infographics encourage the audience to take their own journey through the information presented.

Interactive video

Watching videos is often a passive activity, but interactive videos can improve engagement and the experience. 360 views, audience controls or embedded content and interactivity are added.

Surveys and surveys

If the audience wants macro data on a particular topic, they can be incentivized to take a survey. Then both the survey (the input) and its results (your output) become consumable content.

calculator

In many cases, information itself may not be useful to your audience, but rather how that information can be applied to the individual situation.

Gamified content

One of the best ways to turn content into an experience is to make it a game. Examples include playable game displays or interactive worlds.

You are not limited to these buckets either. Interactive content is limited only by your imagination.

Examples of interactive content from real brands

Each industry presents its own obstacles and unique features, but has one common denominator: Interactive content works for all topics and target groups.

1. HubSpots Website grader

This personalized web experience enables users to enter their website and get a detailed analysis based on various criteria. By identifying specific weak points and providing actionable tips, the content becomes a lead generator that starts the conversation between HubSpot and potential users.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? Personalization is the key to building relationships with your audience. The interactive demonstration of opportunities for improvement and growth increases the trust of your readers that your brand is an expert on this topic and this branch, which is easily possible through interactivity. Think: “Show, don’t tell.

2nd The Wall Street Journal

Providing a large amount of information is a challenge for content creators. This example from the Wall Street Journal This is done using searchable visual statistics. The facts are organized in several ways, including a recorded timeline in which readers can click “Play” and simply watch.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? The search is an interactive action in itself and can easily be integrated into your content. Using search provides readers with the task of keeping them busy while presenting a healthy amount of information in a positive way. Adding search options depends heavily on the content you create, but on tools like FlippingBook and Viostream Even make PDF and video content searchable.

3rd National Geographic

Some of the most inspiring forms of interactive content fit the topics they deal with. This example allows readers to follow the ancient cave paintings as if they were visiting a prehistoric cave, with color-coded themes to provide insight.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? Bringing history to life can be a difficult task. Don’t be afraid of numbers and important facts, but don’t save on pictures and commitment either. Leave the canvas free for creative pictures and videos, while the text surrounds the graphics but does not interfere.

4th Information is beautiful

Viewers love knowing about their favorite films, and this is a visually appealing way to serve them to them. The division of the film into certain scenes makes it clear which parts are based on a real event, while the color coding offers readers a broader overview.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? Enable readers to have a more holistic reading experience, switching between the small details and the big picture.

5. CNBC

Adapting lists to the age of videos can be done by splitting a long clip into video snapshots. Each snapshot can be edited from a different video and is given a custom title and color. After viewing, readers can share the snap (or, in this case, the part-time job) that they enjoyed the most on their social channels or throughout the article.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? Instead of including full length videos, get to the point (literally) and add only the parts that really matter to your message. Gone are the days when the video content was changed to 1:32 to display it.

6. The solution project

This interactive map shows data when you move the mouse over certain states and, after clicking, plunges into the statistics. This makes information much more accessible and gives readers the opportunity to discover more if they so choose.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? Create an interactive map to represent a geographic distribution of data to make it easier for readers to visualize the topic. Check out free tools like Mapme and MapMaker Interactive to create your own. The use of symbols and uplifting design elements makes complicated topics seem easier to digest.

7. Crown Courtroom

This interactive animation aims (and is successful) to educate readers about a potentially intimidating experience in a friendly, playful, and understandable manner. Viewers can select a character to represent them in a replica courtroom and learn about various judicial situations.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? Simplify complex topics for readers with a combination of gamification and snacks. Animate a relevant scenario and personalize the content by allowing the reader to customize their own “character”.

8th. Robbi Leonardi

What better way to demonstrate interactive design skills than to create a brilliantly designed, interactive resume? Designer Robby Leonardi made a few noises with his pioneering approach to job hunting and created an animated “game” in which his skills and experience are the main components.

How can you integrate this into your content marketing? If you’re looking for your next adventure, Leonardi should inspire you to be creative and daring. If not, note the clever use of animation and the consistent narrative that connects images and text. Try these free tools to add animation to your content: PowToon and Animaker.

Get started with interactive storytelling

If you’re new to creating digital content, start small with a simple quiz or interactive infographic. These assets perform well at the top of the funnel, as they motivate the user to share and see how their peers assert themselves against their own experiences.

When it’s time to create something more sophisticated, consider working with a developer to find out how to create the user experience and interactive elements you want.

Experiment with new formats, topics, and the stage of the buyer’s journey that your content serves. This means that you publish early and frequently so that you can regularly collect feedback and repeat your interactive content.