What is Interactive Video?

Interactive video has been around for a while. But, it's only recently that businesses have begun to harness its potential fully. This article will take you through everything you need to know about this fantastic video marketing tool.

The short-form video has been the main topic for a couple of years. Of course, we're referring to Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts, Video Banner Ads, and a variety of other formats we see daily.

However, interactive video deserves attention as well. 

As a form of video, it's highly engaging media that your company can use to fulfill various goals. From educating and entertaining your audience, all the way to marketing and sales - interactive videos add greater value to your business strategy.

Read on to discover what interactive video is and how to use it effectively.

What is an interactive video?

An interactive video allows viewers to interact actively with the content. 

Let's define it further through comparison with its predecessor - linear video.

Linear video is the format that you're most familiar with. It's a standard video with "play", "pause", "speed up", and "skip" options. And that's pretty much the maximum scope of your interactions. 

Interactive videos take things a step (or, better said, steps) further. They encourage viewers to engage directly with the content.

With an interactive video, you can design numerous paths users can take through video or add links to product web pages. In other words, your audience becomes a co-creator of the video's storyline!

What can contribute to video interactivity?

Several techniques allow interactive videos to engage viewers actively.

• Branching. Allows users to actively participate in the plot by opting for specific actions. In branching scenarios, you combine multiple storylines, branches, to make an interactive experience for viewers and give them a choice to take the video in a specific direction. 
• Hotstops. Direct the viewer to a particular content or action. Hotspots are clickable elements in an interactive video that allow users to watch related content, take action, or learn more about a specific object discussed in the video.
• Time triggers. Specify points in the video when particular actions happen. Contrary to hotspots, time triggers enable actions that don't require the viewer's click. A common example is the opening of overlays at a specific time. These are presentation layers that display over the video and can include text, graphics, CTAs, and various other features.
• Surveys. Create a survey to engage users and gather customer data. You may use a variety of features, like polls and quizzes, to make interactive video surveys more interesting. Additionally, you can combine branching and hotspots to construct a survey that generates a personalized result for each viewer.

Types of interactive videos

Let's look at the different types of interactive videos to help you decide which is the best for your business plan.

1. Shoppable interactive video

Shoppable video promotes your products or services.

Customers can discover more about your offer by clicking on the images linked in the video. And, with the vast majority of people (a whopping 96%!)  indicating that they watch videos to learn more about a product - it's a tactic you should implement.

With this interactive video, you can develop compelling product presentations that engage viewers. They'll be able to customize their experience by clicking on specific hotspots and altering the video's storyline.

2. Personalized interactive video

Personalization and interactivity are a match made in heaven!

Video personalization provides unique content for each viewer. It features tailored content with the user's personal details, such as name and job position. It also offers products and services most suitable for a specific person's interests. 

As we mentioned above, video interactivity is about encouraging the audience to perform specific actions and adjust their customer experience journey.

Combine these technologies, and you get a personalized interactive video - a powerful tool that uses real-time data to provide tailored and engaging content.

Take MCT (HONDA & VOLVO), which utilized Blings personalized videos to increase dealership appointments by over 400%. Each car owner received a personalized video that included their name, car model, and the period since their last maintenance checkup. The video's interactive button invited viewers to click on and sign up for the annual car assessment.

This and numerous other examples demonstrate how well personalization and interactivity work together in videos.

3. Learning interactive video

People recall information they learned via video 83% easier than what they learned via text. So, it's not surprising that interactive videos find application in learning processes.

Whether for academic activities, in-house training, or lead nurturing, interactive videos present content in a learner-friendly manner that leads to better engagement and results. These videos encourage users to participate more actively in their education and create a unique learning environment.

You can also use learning interactive video to educate your audience about your offer or brand. It performs perfectly for tutorials as well.

4. Interactive video quiz

An interactive video quiz is a fantastic way to keep viewers glued to the video. As you might have guessed from the name, these videos contain a quiz.

For instance, you can incorporate multiple-choice questions into a learning video. This is especially useful for long videos since you can use time triggers to automatically pause the video and ask viewers to answer questions to continue watching.

This type can also serve as an interactive video ad. You can turn your product video into a thrilling adventure in which prospects answer interesting questions about your offer or a specific challenge your product or service solves. 

Including quizzes at critical moments in your videos help viewers to retain more information and stay focused on the content. 

5. 360-degree interactive videos

360-degree interactive videos immerse your audience in virtual reality! They give viewers complete control over the angle from which they watch the video.

The goal is to design a user interface so interactive that your audience feels as if they are inside the video. They can choose the direction from which they see the object by navigating the cursor or selecting different areas on touch screens.

Additionally, these videos allow viewers to select hotspots within the video, encouraging engagement and collecting valuable customer data.

Benefits of using interactive videos

It's time to consider why interactive videos can be a perfect fit for your business strategy. 

Here are some of the main benefits.

Increase engagement

People pay more attention when they have some degree of control over what happens. When content is interactive, viewers are more interested in it and more likely to take a desired action after watching. More precisely, research shows that shoppable interactive videos are twice as likely to generate engagement than their linear counterparts.

Boost conversions

In today's crowded marketplace, consumers are overwhelmed with information. In order to generate conversions, your videos must be unforgettable - and interactive video is the perfect way to achieve this. Compared to linear video ads, interactive versions are 32% more memorable. Also, interactive videos are just more interesting. And ultimately, that attracts customers and encourages sales.

Collect data

Interactive videos are an excellent method to collect customer data. By providing viewers with options to perform certain actions, you gather data that you can use to personalize and improve your future content. You can also monitor clicks within a video, examine various branching possibilities, discover what your audience interacts with most, etc.

How to create an interactive video?

Here are a few steps you should follow when creating interactive videos.

Define goals

Before you start creating interactive video, you should first define your goals. Are you aiming to raise brand awareness? Do you want to include it on a landing page?

Your answers will determine what your video will be about. Goals will also serve as your compass throughout creating interactive video, so consider them carefully.

In this step, you should also specify the target audience. Make sure to understand your buyer persona's challenges and address them in your interactive videos.

Plan storyline

With clear objectives, you're ready to select an interactive video type and draft the storyline. The suggestion is to write the plan from beginning to end, keeping your goals and target audience's needs in mind.

Decide on images, animations, music, and any other video element you will use, as well as what narrative you'll follow. Here, it's crucial to ensure that the message's tone relates to the audience you are addressing. 

Also, plan which interactive techniques you want to include, such as branching and hotspots.

Choose platform

The hard truth is that interactive videos are only as good as the technology they employ. That's why it's crucial to develop videos on a high-standard platform like Blings.

Blings is an interactive video platform that utilizes cutting-edge software and enables you to embed numerous interactive elements into your solutions. It also provides detailed insights into the customer journey, ensuring you entirely understand your interactive videos' performances.

If you want to engage your audience on a professional, efficient level - Blings is a choice you won't regret making.

Track results

After your interactive video has gone live, you should track its performance and results. This will allow you to identify areas for improvement and implement those changes in your future interactive videos. 

With Blings, you can split-test interactive video even after it has been live. This allows you to modify and improve your content over time, increasing your chances of success.

Speaking of success, specify the KPIs you will monitor so you know what results to deem successful for your interactive videos. 

Level up your video marketing approach

The best-performing interactive videos have well-planned interactivity. They are designed to engage and prompt your audience to take action towards your business.

If you plan to level up your marketing approach and start using interactive videos - the Blings team is here for you.

We develop compelling interactive videos and provide powerful interactive video technology that hundreds of our clients successfully utilize.

Schedule a consultation with Blings' interactive video expert to start reaching your video marketing goals.