08 May 4 Ways to Engage Your Audience with Interactive Marketing

Consumer engagement is becoming more important than ever as we face busier lives, shorter attention spans, and saturated markets.

The longer you can hold a conversation, the better. Marketers say that interactive content is effective at engaging with consumers, versus static content which is only 70% effective.

If you want to get ahead of the crowd, you need to interact with your audience. Here are a few easy ways to incorporate interactive marketing in your social media strategy:

Poll/Quizzes

This is a common and simple way to engage with your audience. By presenting them with a list of questions or requesting them to submit their own questions, you create a quick way for natural interaction.

You can pose your questions to brand-specific requests (What do you like most about our product? What would you like to see more of?) or you can ask questions that are broader but still relevant to your brand (a grocery chain might ask what your favorite flavor of ice cream is, or an outdoor retailer might ask about your favorite season).

Polls give you a chance to create content that your audiences want to see. Plus, promoting their input makes them feel closer to your brand, which can increase consumer loyalty. Don’t forget to get creative!

Live Video

Video content has been a proven and effective tool for marketing on social media. From ephemeral content like Instagram Stories to Social TV channels like IGTV and Youtube, it’s important that you harness the world of online video marketing.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, and more, allow users and brands to set up channels and go live in front of their audiences. These streams allow users to like, comment, and contribute to the videos as they are rolling, with the possibility of direct responses from the streamers.

From a consumer standpoint, this is an exciting way to interact with brands or people that you admire and a way to have your voice heard by big companies. On the brand side, this information can provide great insights into what your viewers want to see and how they feel about your content, which in turn helps you create more robust marketing strategies.

Experiential Marketing

Also referred to as engagement marketing, experiential marketing allows brands to interact physically with their audiences. These immersive and exciting installations can range from conference booths to mesmerizing virtual reality experiences.

In a world that is dominated by digital media, experiential marketing can be a great way to change the pace of your tactics. Consumers are excited to see brands reach beyond the digital sphere and get creative in the real world. Experiential campaigns can leave lasting impressions on consumers that lead to long-term brand loyalty. Here’s a great example of an experiential campaign by Refinery29.

UGC

User-generated content is any content that is created by people, not by brands. Sharing this content through your brand’s social accounts is a great way of inviting interaction with your viewers and it creates organic traffic.

Marketing is all about getting-the-word out about your product. These days, word-of-mouth is a concept that has expanded into the digital world. Sure, people might mention your product to their a couple of friends or talk about it at the dinner table, but if they share it to a social channel, where their audience is in the hundreds if not thousands, then this is a significant increase in reach.

User-generated content is authentic and creates a personalized experience for your viewers. It can help humanize your brand and create a community around your products or services, which ultimately increases trust and brand loyalty.

With the introduction of eCommerce to social platforms like Instagram, UGC can also help drive sales. If you see an influencer or someone you trust using a product, you have more incentive to purchase.

Ready to choose interactive marketing?

 Interactive marketing gives brands a chance to connect personally with their audiences, which in turn increases brand loyalty. By creating regular engagement with consumers, brands can increase SEO, drive conversions, and create stronger digital strategies through collected data.

The days of delivering content and waiting for conversions are over. If you want to compete in today’s digital world, it’s time to start engaging your audience.