Interactive Video Marketing [A Complete Guide]

June 10, 2022
By
Jomel Alos

What is Interactive Video Marketing?

Interactive Video Marketing is the use of digital videos that support user interaction to promote or educate consumers about a product or service through digital media. It’s a powerful marketing format that helps boost engagement and allows brands to reach their target audience in a unique way. 

It’s a huge step forward from how linear videos in digital marketing play out, where viewers can only pause, play, speed up, and skip to a different point in the video or wait for the entire thing to pan out. 

In interactive video marketing, digital videos are made in a conversational, actionable, and measurable way. Interactions with the video, as a result, lead viewers to find or customize the product or service that best meets their needs. This way, consumers feel more connected and interested in a brand, making the lead conversion much more straightforward than it would have been without.

6 Benefits of Interactive Video Marketing

Digital marketing is undergoing a sea change due to the rise of interactive video marketing. And you're missing out on a lot for your brand's promotions if you're not using it right now. Here are 6 benefits of interactive video marketing that you should know:

Increases Audience Engagement 

64% of people said they preferred viewing interactive video content about a product than reading about it in static marketing materials. At the same time, other statistics have shown that interactivity results in 3 to 4 times greater viewer engagement than the usual linear video

64% of people said they preferred viewing interactive video content about a product than reading about it

True enough, having something to click or do can keep one’s attention—interactive video marketing is dynamic, entertaining. It allows the viewer to interact with the content itself, providing a unique user experience.

While the standard linear video may do for this purpose, an interactive video will heighten user engagement, even more, turning passive viewers into active ones.

Provides a Positive Impactful Experience

One of the best attributes of interactive video marketing is that it places a high value on user experience. In a recent report by Marketing Charts, 43% of consumers said they preferred interactive video marketing because it allows them to choose what information they want to see and when they want to see it.

It’s common for viewers to jump through to specific points in a video until they find something relevant to them. Keeping them in charge allows you to better target their interests and convey brand messaging. In fact, Forrester reported that interactive videos have a 36% higher viewing completion rate than linear video.

Delivers Targeted Messaging

68.2% of people noted a drop in unnecessary customer service calls following the launch of their interactive video, while the click-through rate is 10x higher than a traditional video. You see, a well-delivered message compels viewers to take action and drive conversions.

Interactive content is like having a one-on-one chat with your audience, allowing you to learn more about them and craft a message centered around their needs. This way, you’re able to establish a connection with your audience and customers, and brand messaging is more targeted and impactful.

Provides Rich Data Collection

95.4% of people who made an interactive video for their business were happy with the results and thought it was a good business move. It provides more data and better stat monitoring than traditional videos. For example, you may review a video’s impact by tracking how many people click on hotspots or by looking at the varied routes people take.

Each interaction gives you information about the user's preferences and intentions, which helps you better understand your audience profile. By using this information, you will be able to design more successful marketing funnels, advertisements, content, and more.

Boosts Conversion Rates

According to a study by Brightcove, 35% of marketers reported a 25% boost in revenue as a direct result of implementing interactive video marketing in their strategy. Additionally, it’s reported that interactive video has substantially greater conversion rates than many other forms of digital video ads, such as Google display ads, banner video ads, and YouTube annotations, which all have conversion rates below 1%.

35% of marketers reported a 25% boost in revenue as a direct result of implementing interactive video marketing in their strategy

Interactive videos are ideal for optimizing any brand’s performance—it’s clever, dynamic, and personalized. It also breaks away from the traditional placing of CTAs towards the end by strategically incorporating interactive CTAs throughout the video.

Leaves a Lasting Impression

Interactive videos are 32% more memorable than linear video ads. As it turns out, users are more likely to remember your brand if they can interact with the content in an interactive video.

This gives your brand a competitive edge in a crowded digital market. Even more, interactive video marketing may result in improved ROI, since 83% of customers said they viewed a product better after engaging with an interactive video on it. 

83% of customers said they viewed a product better after engaging with an interactive video on it

Interactive Video Marketing Formats and Examples

We already know that interactive video marketing has the capacity to turn passive viewers into leads, paying customers, and even brand loyalists. The next logical question is: What are the ideal formats for interactive content? Read them below! Plus, a few examples from each of them.

Virtual Tours

VRDirect Virtual Tour
Source: VRDirect

Interactive video tours allow you to bring your product or service to life and show off its best features in an exciting way. There are two options to create these interactive virtual tours: Virtual reality (VR) or Drone video. While incorporating interactive elements all depends on your objectives and the purpose of your Interactive Virtual Tour.

Some interactive virtual tour ideas include campus tours, marketing real estate, and promoting hotels and attractions. Check out this sample from VRDirect.

Hotspots

Hapyak hotspots
Source: Hapyak


Hotspots are clickable points in the video, which may be incorporated more than once as links, buttons, or callouts. Clicking on these may either reveal more content or information within the video or re-direct viewers to another webpage, external video, pdf file, etc. 

Hotspot videos allow learners to interact with content without breaking its flow, making it an ideal interactive video format to help capture learners’ attention and retain engagement. These hotspots may appear statically on the screen in a fixed area or attached to an object on the screen. 

Click here to see how HP incorporated this interactive video format for their new product.

Shoppable Video

Wirewax mango shoppable video
Source: WireWax


Shoppable video is a form of interactive video marketing that supports product purchasing straight from the video itself. It employs "sticky hotspots" that appear to be tied to a certain item on the screen.

These hotspots allow viewers to discover more about a product and click on CTAs to quickly do things like add it to their shopping cart, purchase it, join up for a mailing list, or schedule a test drive. Sticky hotspots have been reported to generate up to 9x higher viewer activity compared to static hotspots. Check out how WireWax did this interactive video format for Mango—click here.

Video Quiz 

Video quiz games iagency
Source: The Games Agency

Interactive quiz videos provide users with an active viewing experience. Instead of addressing the audience with a voiceover or static texts, you engage them in a conversation by posing questions and responding to their answers.

Such interactivity encourages your viewers to focus on your video material. This enhances message retention and memory, and it works well when you want your audience to learn something about your product or service. Check out how The Games Agency used the “Jeopardy” theme for this educational video from Cyber Security.

360 Videos

360 Video Immersive studio
Source: Immersive Studios

An interactive 360-degree video allows viewers to get a firsthand look at a product without actually visiting the store or location to test it out. It digitally immerses the viewer in the video, giving a multi-dimensional perspective to the viewer as if they were actually there.

It appears like any other video when uploaded, but viewers have the option to drag, click, or scroll to see more of the video. These 360 videos can come as explorable videos on YouTube, Facebook, e-commerce, and more. Click here to see a sample from IKEA.

Branching

Branching life Saver
Source: Life Saver UK

Branching is an interactive video marketing format that engages the audience through storytelling, but the user gets to define the outcome of the content. By adding clickable decision points in your video, you allow the users to craft a viewing experience that’s most relevant to them.

It’s original, entertaining, and something that will make your brand memorable to viewers. As a bonus, it's one of the simplest methods for increasing audience engagement and receiving direct insight into their choices and preferences. Check out this interactive film by Martin Percey for Life Saver UK.

Data Inputs


Interactive data inputs include both multiple-choice options and an input area for the user to fill out. It may ask for the user’s name, age, etc. to make sure the information is tailored to fit the viewer.

Not only does this increase consumer interest and engagement with the brand, but also provides marketers with useful information. It’s exactly what Vyond and Storyline created for The Lift Factor Interactive Insurance—check it out here.

Live Video Commerce

walmart Live Video Commerce
Source: Twitter user @Mohenesh

96% of people said they’ve watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. This interactive video format thatbe done with the help of live stream shopping platforms like Flux Panda features a clickable sidebar that appears alongside the stream to help brands connect with their customers live.

During the live video shopping broadcast, viewers may browse pre-uploaded product links in real-time, or they can add items to their shopping cart and make a purchase right away. Check out this livestream event hosted by Walmart on TikTok. 

Best Practices for Interactive Video Marketing

Interactive video marketing isn’t just about the format you choose, there are best practices that will help you create an impactful interactive video. Below are some of them.

Define your Goals

Before you begin developing your video’s concept, make a list of all of your objectives to ensure that your creative vision is centered around achieving them. It includes your creative goals, desired business outcomes such as sales, and the devices that will be able to view your video. Planning these out will help you select the right interactive video format or interaction.

Plan Interaction Points 

It’s great to hook your audience right from the start, but it’s important to note that well-thought-out interactive elements in your video lead to more positive engagements. 

Always consider your target audience’s needs and motivations to design an order or flow that makes sense for them.

Plus, make every frame appealing to the eyes—limit distractions and feature a limited number of products at a time.

Make It Entertaining 

One of the most important factors in making your brand memorable in a competitive world of digital marketing is “how entertaining” your content is. If it has that effect on your viewers, your interactive video becomes more appealing and engaging.

Plan out your strategies, and don't hesitate to experiment with new ideas. The combination of storylines and interaction creates a whole experience for the user; just check out Honda’s The Other Side campaign.

Iterate Based On Data Collected

Monitoring your video statistics will help you optimize your project. Use these data and metrics to derive valuable audience insights and create more effective marketing funnels, ads, content, among others.

If you do not see the results you want, rearranging your hotspots or changing the language on the buttons may be all it takes to prompt more engagements.

Make It Shareable

Social sharing buttons should be included at some of the few key decision-making points in your video. If your interactive video satisfies your audience’s need for entertainment and information, they are more likely to spread the word about it. Don’t forget to embed social sharing at the end, as well.

Create a Compelling CTA

The timing, design, and copy of a compelling call-to-action are all critical to directing viewers to their next move. If you want to move customers swiftly through your sales funnel, personalizing your CTA content may be a good option. Personalized CTAs convert visitors into leads by 42% more than conventional CTAs. 

Is Interactive Video Marketing Worth Using?

is interactive bideo marketing worth using


A new age of video content marketing is on the rise, and interactive video marketing is only the beginning. Today, it's making a huge difference for brands in terms of marketing strategies and profit. Think about it, a creative advertising video with a strong emotional hook can become viral, reaching millions of people in just a few short days.
So, the simple answer is: Yes, interactive video marketing is worth using for your brand. It is incredibly convenient, versatile, and provides your brand with real miracles of advertising at a minimal cost.

Want to learn more? Contact us at sales@fluxpanda.com

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