The content is good. So good, in fact, that social networks are saturated with it. To give you an idea, every minute, we have 694,000 videos created on TikTok, 350,000 tweets posted on Twitter, and 510,000 comments posted on Facebook (source).
Surfing in this ocean of publications, therefore, supposes setting up a solid social media strategy and producing content capable of attracting the (highly sought-after) attention of Internet users.
If you are looking for a solution to increase your notoriety and generate engagement with your social publications, we have a recommendation for you: use interactive content.
Top digital marketing trends in 2022
More dynamic than “passive” content, highly prized by Internet users, it is also more impactful and has strong viral potential. So many good reasons to promote interactivity, don't you think?
In this article, you'll find everything you need to create interactive social media content based on your goals and the messages you're looking to get across.
What is interactive content and why is it important for your social media strategy?
What is interactive content?
In its simplest form, content is “interactive” when it requires user engagement. Rather than remaining passive, the user is prompted to take an action: click on a link, answer a question, share content, take part in a game, interact with other users, make a donation - you have entered the 'idea.
Any type of content can be interactive as soon as it calls for action by the Internet user. Simply posting an image and asking users to comment on it meets this definition. However, some formats are more conducive to interactivity than others:
- The image carousel (which requires clicking to scroll),
- The survey (which the Internet user must answer),
- The competition (which involves, for example, posting content),
- The quiz (with a choice to be made among several possibilities),
- Interactive infographic (which presents data dynamically),
- Live shopping (which encourages the subscriber to buy a product),
- Interactive video (in which the user can take part, in particular via a chat)
Social media always promote interactivity
Perhaps social media is interactive that engagement is written in their DNA. Basically, they are used to publishing content, interacting with other subscribers, and communicating with loved ones.
The fact is that this interactive dimension is gaining momentum among professionals. Social platforms are developing features that always promote interactivity between companies and users (who are also their prospects or customers).
Through these features, brands are encouraged to create interactive content for social networks.
A simple change as a link illustrates this development: Instagram recently put an end to the famous “swipe up” in its stories (to access external content) in favor of a “link” sticker.
This label has the same aim (“push” users to a site outside the network) but with a major advantage for brands: the link is clearly identifiable and the Internet user now knows exactly what to expect when clicking on it. One way to boost interactivity is by enhancing the transparency of content.
This is even more interesting as the sticker is accessible to all accounts, and not just to those with over 10,000 subscribers.
Beyond the functionalities, it is the very nature of some platforms that are developing to move towards more interactivity.
The Twitch network, originally dedicated to video games, is gradually becoming a live event platform where you can stream, present your works, even offer political content (like the interview by former President François Hollande in March 2021) or educational (the “Science and Technology” category added in 2018). With, always, the possibility given to users to take part in life events via instant messaging.
Why create interactive content for social networks?
These developments meet additional needs: on the one hand, Internet users are always more fond of interactivity with companies.
The democratization of the mobile has a lot to do with it because the smartphone remains the preferred channel for connecting to the web (for 51% of users according to the joint survey by AREP and the CSA relayed here).
However, on a touch screen, it is much more tempting to interact with content than to consult it passively.
Brands and organizations are looking to reinvent themselves on social media to achieve their goals: attract attention, generate engagement, differentiate themselves from the competition, increase their conversion rate, facilitate access. To their products or services.
This is even truer in a complicated health context, which is forcing private and public players to go digital to adapt to new digital habits.
Finally, the viral potential of interactive content should not be overlooked. Remember the story of the “egg” on Instagram: in 2019, an account called @world_record_egg was created specifically to post the image of an egg and generate as many interactions as possible. To date, this post has accumulated 55 million likes!
Interactive content, what for?
It is therefore essential to integrate the increasing interactivity of social platforms into your content strategy. But first, you must ask yourself the question of "why". What goal are you looking to achieve by choosing to create interactive content for social media?
We can indeed distinguish three main "goals" for the creation of interactivity on the networks: sale, dissemination of information, and social engagement.
Interactive content for commercial
Interactive media help boost sales. Many brands are showing this with posts that, while pushing Internet users to take part, allow them to draw attention to their products.
This is what Interflora does regularly, relying on calendar events to launch contests (such as on Grandfathers' Day), or Sarenza by offering Internet users the choice between two types of clothing ("skirt or shorts for the summer?”) by clicking on links that lead to the category pages of the brand's site.
Live shopping is another example of how social media is becoming more interactive. This “teleshopping” web version is indeed gaining momentum.
Sephora's “Facebook Live Fridays” is a good representation of this: the beauty products brand is showing its cosmetics live by offering Internet users the opportunity to buy them online.
Informative and educational content
Creating interactive content for social networks can also aim to disseminate information, facilitate access to knowledge or draw attention to causes (ecological, social, health) for example, in ethical marketing.
The interactive infographics and videos are particularly suited to this process, in which many public institutions have embarked.
A good example is the Palace of Versailles, whose recent account on TikTok attracted 230,000 subscribers in six months.
The institution organizes live events there, such as conferences featuring specialists. This is a way for the Château to maintain its activity despite the difficulties linked to the health situation, but also to reach a young audience (15-35 years old) who rarely go to museums.
Charitable content
Finally, in recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of a new trend: the creation of impactful content for networks in order to support a cause and to encourage Internet users to give time or money. Money for the benefit of it. An initiative that refers to a form of social marketing.
Recently, it was the "Z Event" on Twitch that attracted attention by raising 10 million euros for the benefit of Action Against Hunger. In previous years, the event (which brings together personalities from the world of streaming) had raised funds for Amnesty International, the Pasteur Institute, or Médecins Sans Frontières (more details in this article).
How to create interactive content for social networks (and take advantage of it)?
Now that you know more about interactivity on social media, we invite you to discover how to create content that can promote interactions with Internet users. For this, it is necessary to follow several steps.
- Define your target audience in order to create interactive content for social networks that can reach them. This supposes, upstream, to know your audience thanks to a consumer insights approach.
- Identify the relevant social platforms according to your targets and the content you want to create.
- For example, we will happily focus on TikTok to reach a young audience and to launch challenges (via contests).
- Diversify the content according to the platforms used. Each social network offers its own content formats and functionalities, which must be considered generating interactivity. Thus, Twitter is more suited to contests and interactive infographics, Instagram and LinkedIn make it easier to create surveys and quizzes, etc.
- Focus on creativity. As interactive media develop, it becomes harder and harder to differentiate yourself. A good way to do this is to be creative to enhance classic formats. Some brands have specialized (so to speak) in the search for creativity, such as Zoom with its virtual background competition or the American fast-food chain Wendy's which has made a habit of "roasting" (with us, it seems to “clash” users and brands on Twitter.
- Place CTAs or links in the content. The purpose of interactive media with a commercial dimension is to refer Internet users to the brand's products. This is the role of call-to-action buttons and links (to external sites) to be placed in your publications.
- Plan your content. Any effective social media strategy requires planning to know what to post, for whom, and when. This implies setting up a proper publication schedule, for example, via an engagement platform.
Conclusion
Creating interactive content for social networks is undoubtedly an effective way to differentiate yourself from the competition, to grab the attention of (very) many users, and to achieve your goals - sell products or services, inform or educate., defend a social cause.
The evolution of social platforms is also moving toward more interactivity, not only through functionalities that aim to facilitate interactions (between brands and users, between users themselves) but also becoming increasingly interactive (like Twitch).
Following social media trends, adapting to these changes, and finding the right tools to create relevant content is, therefore, more important than ever.
Discover the solutions offered by Tech Explorist AGENCE to create impactful content and become a key player on social networks. Contact us for more information!
