Upgrade Your Content For More Interactions
Creating and posting content used to be a pretty simple task to complete. But as more and more businesses are becoming savvy to content marketing, the internet is being flooded with articles, blog posts, videos, infographics, etc. Not to say that this is a bad thing, but it’s time to start thinking about what your viewers want to read. You don’t want them getting bored with your content and decide to go elsewhere.
It’s time to get a jump on the competition and find out what your users want to read from you and what you can do to make your content a bit more interactive. These days, users want participation. We all like to feel that our opinions are valid and are voices are important. Users want to be able to take action and see the results. Personalization is another biggie. Users do not like being mass marketed. They would prefer content that has been specifically directed to them.
Now the question becomes: how can I make my content more interactive? We have a few solutions that should give you some good ideas to update your content and keep it fresh and interesting.
- Embed search, report, or test functions. This will enable you to use these functions as an exercise or simply complement your content matter. For example, if you are writing an article on various types of used cars, you can include a tool that will run a vehicle history report. Or if you are promoting your products online, you can include a search function that allows the user to search for similar items.
- Offer a calculator. This is a great idea for those businesses that offer custom projects. For example, if you specialize in investment banking or mortgages, a calculator can be a great tool for users to gauge their financial situation when making important money decisions. Calculators can also be used to demonstrate a concept - using numbers and stats to drive your point home.
- Create quizzes or surveys. This is a great interaction tool to incorporate within your content or they can stand alone by themselves. If can be as simple as asking users whether they agree or disagree with your article. Quizzes can range the spectrum from healthy nutrition, how often to update your computer, all the way to how to keep your lawn green. No matter what business niche you are in, there is a quiz or survey for you. These types of marketing tools allow users to interact with you rather than just reading words on a screen.
- Use more clickable options. Clicking is a form of interaction that is fairly easy to implement within your website. The most popular is simply linking to another article for more information. Or you can have users click on a video or tutorial. Any clicks provide more interaction which equals greater user appreciation.
- Have contests. There might not be exactly a lot of meaningful content created within a contest, but they are one of the most interactive user experiences out there. Plus, contests are a fun way to draw people to your site and get them interested in your business. Not to mention it’s a great way to keep existing customers.
We’ve given you a small taste of the different kind of interactive features you can use within your website. But don’t stop here - use your imagination to think outside the box. How can you engage your users? What methods can you implement to draw new audiences to your site. Remember, more and more, it is about the user, not you. So find out their preferences and demographics and cater to their needs. Your productivity and sales will thank you for it.