If you’re looking for new ways to improve your business strategy (and who isn’t?), take our advice: It’s time to ditch static content (or at least reduce it). Oftentimes, static content isn’t doing your company any favors, and there are many better ways to capture the attention of your target audience.
In a world where users spend 5.59 seconds scanning your written content, it’s important to make a great impression—as quickly as possible. But what is static content exactly? And what should you be replacing it with?
Check out our guide to learn the basics of static vs. interactive content—and why interactive content is so important to today’s successful businesses.
What Is Static Vs. Interactive Content?
Both static and interactive content can exist anywhere online, from your website to your customized software to your live webinar.
Static content is any type of content that doesn’t require the viewer to generate or process any information—it just exists. No matter how many times customers visit the site, they know they’ll see the same images and text, and they won’t have to do anything on their end to view the content.
And what is interactive content? This type of content requires the viewer to engage or participate in some way in order to fully experience the content. This might include clicking a button to win a coupon code, filling out a survey, or watching a video.
Why Does Interactive Content Matter?
Interactive content is the best way to capture the attention of your audience, develop a stronger relationship, and keep those consumers around for the long haul. Here are just a few reasons why interactive content matters.
Once your audience starts engaging with you, they’re more likely to engage in other ways, too. They’ve already filled out a survey or clicked a button to learn more about your brand. This commitment encourages them to move onto the next action, such as checking out their shopping cart or signing up for a free trial.
Interactive content requires effort and participation on the part of the viewer, which subtly increases their positive feelings about your brand. They’ll be more likely to come back to you when they make their next purchase. They may even tell their friends and family about your brand.
Interactive content such as comment sections, discussion boards, and review sections on your website help to build social proof. How? When viewers see how many people are engaging with and having positive experiences with your brand, they’ll see you as a more reputable business.
Customer feedback is invaluable to any business, and interactive content is one of the best ways to get it. Build a customer survey or quiz into your website or software to collect better data at a faster rate.
Want to boost your SEO rankings? Interactive content can help you do just that. Google and other search engines prefer interactive content over static content, so you’re likely to notice a bump in your rankings when you add interactive content to your website and other platforms.
When Should You Use Static Content?
Though interactive content has a slew of advantages, we’re not claiming that there’s never a place for static content. There will certainly be times when you rely on the consistency of static content. While interactive content is more engaging and attention-grabbing, static content is practical and useful in many situations.
Social media and banner ads are typically static (although some social platforms are introducing more interactive ways to advertise). Press releases should also fit a standard format, which rules out interactivity in favor of professionalism.
Webinars could be static or interactive, depending on the situation. At times, you may choose to have a one-way webinar (static), while other times you may choose to have a two-way webinar or a webinar with a live comment section (interactive). Other times, you may need to deliver information quickly and don’t want viewers to have to work to get the info they need (like your address or customer support email.)
When Is Interactive Content Better?
There is still a time and a place for static content—but interactive content is more important than ever before. If you’re looking to beat out the competition and grab the attention of your target audience, interactive content will help you do so.
Choose interactive content when you want to increase brand awareness, get more shares out of your content, or build greater loyalty with existing customers.
Here are a few ways to use interactive content:
How to Make Interactive Content with Tiled
So how do you make interactive content? Tiled makes it easier than ever to build your own unique, interactive content using the power and convenience of microapps. Simply add beautiful, intuitive “tiles” to your imported screens to create interactive experiences that exponentially outperform static content.
With Tiled, you can quickly add interactive hotspots, images, galleries, videos, scroll features, and embedded content. Design for desktop, tablet, or mobile to engage your audience and share content in-person, online, or over email or text.
Skullcandy is a company that constantly innovates, and their customers are always looking for the cool, new design. Those customers only learn about the newest products if the sales team is familiar with them, however, which can be challenging in a fast-paced environment. With Tiled, Skullcandy was able to make immersive, interactive content that engages with their sales teams and teaches them what’s new.
College sports is a big deal with a lot of money at stake, but the University of Utah sports recruiters can’t possibly maintain a strong connection with every promising young athlete who would fit in well with the Utes. With Tiled microapps, recruiters can keep the conversation going, even offering virtual campus tours.
See how SkullCandy, the University of Utah, and other organizations are using Tiled.
Start Building Interactive Content Today
It’s time to build more loyal and engaged customers. Catch the attention of your target audience and get ahead of the competition by building interactive content today. Tiled can help you get started now. Request a free demo to learn more.
