Interactive videos allow viewers to actively interact with the video content through various multimedia experiences. Because they need the end user to be very engaged with what they are watching, they are perfect for both learning/educational and marketing/e-commerce reasons.
Usually, interactive films have hotspots or other clickable components. These could be spots or things that viewers can click to access links or expose more details.
Benefits of making interactive videos
Interactive video offers a compelling and immersive experience for your viewers, regardless of whether you are producing instructional video lessons or videos as part of your marketing plan. Videos that are interactive keep viewers engaged and interested, which increases engagement and lengthens viewing sessions.
Education, training, and learning
Because it promotes “active learning,” interactivity in films may be an effective tool for education and training. Viewers are more likely to retain knowledge and have a deeper grasp of the subject if they actively participate in the learning process.
Your videos may also include quizzes, tests, or knowledge checks in addition to the embedded information in the tags. While watching the movie, viewers can respond to questions or perform tasks to engage in interactive learning or assess their knowledge of the subject.
For marketing
Sales and conversions may be boosted with the use of interactive video marketing. Viewers may explore and learn more about items or services by incorporating interactive components like product demos, clickable links, or interactive hotspots. This interactive strategy improves the viewer’s shopping experience, increasing conversion rates and revenue. This method might potentially be used to produce a shoppable film that includes links to goods or services.
Due to their engaging quality, interactive videos frequently have a better possibility of being shared on social media sites. An interactive video’s reach is increased when viewers find it entertaining and share it with their friends, colleagues, or followers.
Data Collection and Analytics
Additionally, interactive films might offer insightful data. You may learn more about the choices and preferences of your audience by looking at where they clicked, what they selected, or how long they spent interacting with each aspect. You may use this information to optimize the content of the next videos by better understanding the preferences of your viewers or students.
What Can I Use Interactive Videos For?
Now that you have been persuaded of the advantages of employing interactive video, you are eager to give it a try. But how should you go about doing this for your company? How can you use your interactive video in a way that will maximize your investment?
- Boost your online sales
- Product demos
- Education & Training
- Recruitment
- Customer feedback
- Social Media
Boost Your Online Sales
Do you want visitors to your website to purchase more of your goods? Most individuals continue to use the traditional method of showcasing their items solely through text and photographs. In most cases, simple films showing your items being shown or utilized in combination with interactive elements may result in a large increase in sales. Don’t give up.
Interactive Sales Video Tips
- Use sticky hotspots instead of static ones
- Tell a story instead of merely displaying your goods and giving them the opportunity to buy it. Instead, use a narrative to help the audience see why your product is ideal for them. Sales will significantly change from before.
- Create an emotional response in your audience by using bold, attention-grabbing films rather than dull, factual ones. If in doubt, err on the side of being bolder and making your video stand out as opposed to attempting to be cautious.
- Do not wait to prompt your audience to make a purchase; you do not want them to watch your interactive movie and then leave. While they are watching your interactive video, you want to do everything in your power to encourage them to make a purchase. So provide them reasons to buy from you right away by including incentives. You may accomplish this in two ways: by providing a limited-time discount offer or by emphasizing how few of the goods are still in stock.
- Utilize overlays to manage objections; identify the major deterrents to your viewers buying your goods and try to address them in the interactive video itself. This is crucial to prevent your visitors from clicking away from your video in search of solutions to their complaints. The overlays that display in your video and the actual video’s content are two excellent methods to do this.
- Obtain leads – Regrettably, not every viewer of your video will go on to make the crucial purchase. Therefore, be careful to record their data. After they have seen your video, you may go on to the sales process in this fashion.
Interactive Demo Videos
It goes without saying that when compared to traditional linear videos, interactive videos are a much more engaging approach to showcasing your goods.
The following are some helpful pointers to bear in mind while creating an interactive demo video:
- Prioritize Interactivity. A common mistake people make when producing their interactive demo videos is to ramble on too much. Instead, make your script succinct and engaging while attempting to engage the spectator as much as possible with your offering. The more a viewer engages with your goods, the more likely it is that they will make a purchase!
- Add Feature-Based Situations. The ability to build a variety of situations is a huge benefit of interactive video. If you sell mountain bikes, for instance, you might make a branching trail in your film that displays your bike in front of a lovely, uncluttered background. Clicking on various locations on the bike would then provide information about that specific feature. Adding “feature-based branches” will significantly increase sales from feature-focused prospects.
- Add scenarios based on benefits, which are sometimes overlooked but are as crucial. Makeup situations that highlight the advantages of your product. For the mountain bike example, you may design a scenario in which the bike is being ridden across unforgiving terrain. Asking the spectator to pick the route through the landscape, such as through mud, strenuous hills, rain, etc., where they can then observe how the bike performs, might immerse the viewer.
- Create Emotion. In order to increase sales, you must win your clients’ hearts and minds. So be sure to take your audience on an emotional trip with your interactive video. Create scenarios that incorporate surprise, humor, cuteness, etc. with interactive videos. So benefit from this.
Interactive Educational Videos
The use of interactive movies in the classroom is expanding quickly due to its many advantages over traditional linear videos.
- Interactive videos proactively engage their viewers compared to linear videos that involve passively watching content. This implies that the information you are trying to convey will be retained more effectively.
- Your audience will be able to evaluate their understanding of your information as they watch it by taking the tests and challenges you provide in your interactive video.
- Your audience will have far more freedom to choose the material they want to view and interact with when you use interactive video. This is due to the fact that interactive videos may more readily be “branched” into chapters and topics. Meaning that compared to a conventional video, an interactive video is more likely to keep your audience’s attention.
Interactive Educational Video Tips
- Create distinct chapters to make it easier for your audience to explore your information and see how their learning is developing.
- Use quizzes. Effective strategies include placing your quiz at the conclusion of each chapter or as ‘challenges’ that are encountered throughout the narrative of your movie.
- Reward Success. This works because incentives offer us a pleasant dopamine surge that entices us to return for more. Gaining points on your score sheet can serve as your video’s reward, which can be as basic as doing so. Unlocking exclusive content that is only available once you reach a specific goal might be a wonderful tactic if you want to get more creative.
Gathering Customer Feedback
If you want your business to flourish, gathering client feedback and doing consumer research is more crucial than ever. One of the greatest methods to gather this input is through interactive videos since they are simple, entertaining, and far less boring than traditional surveys.
Consider ingenious strategies for creating narratives for your product that resemble those in video games and naturally incorporate client input. To determine their interests so that you may concentrate on those areas in the future, for instance, let them select where they wish to concentrate their attention. But there are countless options!
Customer Feedback Video Tips
- Obtain consumer information first; try asking the viewer a few questions at the beginning of the video, such as their gender and age range. You will be able to analyze your findings in light of their demography as a consequence.
- Interactive movies are a terrific method to remind your customer of their interaction with you. Take the user back through their whole consumer journey. Take customers on a tour of their buying process, from the initial attraction to your goods through the point of sale and beyond. As they go, ask them to rate each stage. They will recall all the aspects of the encounter that they enjoyed (or disliked) as they proceed.
- Engage as many senses as you can. An interactive video is an ideal technique to try out your ideas on your target audience if you’re conducting market research and would want to test out a new product, product name, or branding. Use sound, movement, and captivating graphics to completely express your idea and make the most of the medium by engrossing the viewer and grabbing their attention.
- Avoid providing the user with too many alternatives (but also avoid providing them with too few): You want to give them enough choices to get a sense of their opinions, but not so many that they feel overwhelmed. The ideal number of questions is usually seven, with three to five options for each question.
Interactive Recruitment Videos
Interactive films as a recruitment technique may save a lot of time, effort, and stress. You might, for instance, play out a first-person “day in the life” of a person holding the post that is being advertised. Potential employees would have an opportunity to observe what part of the work would entail and get a sense of the workplace culture as a result.
Additionally, you might utilize your movie as a technique to elicit some general pre-interview questions. This could make it easier for you to decide which applications to invite for an interview.
With the correct video, you and the applicant may feel certain that they would be a strong prospective match for your company before you ever sit down for the interview.
Interactive Recruitment Video Tips
- Utilize the first chance you have to get to know the candidate by asking the user questions. Base your inquiries on what you will require from the individual who will be performing the task. Avoid asking them ‘yes/no’ questions on the essential criteria listed in the post since you can infer everything you need to know about them from their CV. Be creative and don’t be frightened of it!
- Use your actual office and coworkers in the movie if at all feasible. Take into account shooting there and nearby. The candidate will then know what to anticipate!
- Information about the business. Throughout the film, use interactive components that provide details about the business or team. Not only will it be helpful to the candidate, but you will also be able to confirm that they were paying attention by asking them about them!
- Funnel it out! Make it distinctive because this is not your standard recruiting tool. The candidate should feel drawn to join your company after having a nice and helpful experience.
Social Media
An excellent medium for interactive videos is social media. Websites like Twitter and YouTube are ideal locations to display your advertisements, regardless of your
- Spark a conversation
- Gain more followers
- Boost brand awareness
- Create something fun and new for your users
Social Media Video Tips
- Take the user on a journey. Just as in all the instances above, the goal, in this case, is to arouse the user’s emotions. They will be more interested in the virtual adventure you are taking them on if they feel like they have a role in the direction your movie takes. This will make your supporters feel more connected to you.
- Inquire about their preferences. If you often utilize social media, an interactive video is a terrific method to learn what type of material your consumers want to see next.
- Use humor. Using humor and defying expectations is a terrific approach to make your video stand out.
- Don’t forget the “social” aspect of social media; your video will undoubtedly elicit some comments. Be sure to participate in the discussion!
When to use Interactive Videos
Engaging and involving your audience in your message is easy with interactive videos. Here are some scenarios in which using an interactive video could be appropriate:
- Interactive videos can be used to supplement and enhance conventional eLearning courses. As part of eLearning or instructional films. They may be used to teach new ideas, offer chances for practice, and gauge comprehension.
- When you wish to encourage audience participation. Interactive videos are the best option for encouraging audience participation. You can promote a two-way dialogue that makes everyone feel included by allowing viewers to remark and express their own opinions.
- When you want to add an element of fun. Let’s face it, sometimes watching a video can be pretty boring. But if you include an interactive component, it may be made immediately more enjoyable and interesting.
Conclusion
Interactive videos have become a powerful tool for both marketing and education because they keep viewers interested through a variety of multimedia experiences. Interactive films provide chances for data collecting, enabling a deeper understanding of audience preferences and content optimization. Interactive videos show to be a flexible and effective medium to convey messages, evoke emotions, and foster meaningful interactions. This is true whether they are used to increase online sales, conduct interactive demos, improve educational experiences, gather customer feedback, streamline recruitment processes, or engage on social media.