While in the course of classic customer acquisition and customer retention, one often approached (potential) customers quite aggressively with more or less superficial advertising messages and not infrequently a prompt approach by telephone, today it is necessary to proceed in a much more differentiated manner for outstanding success. Modern economic and ultimately maximally effective online marketing reaches the respective target group with the utmost precision, generates suitable leads and provides them with real added value.
Inbound marketing and content marketing offer a variety of approaches to create exactly that. Among these, interactive content and the resulting customer interactivity play a special role. Corresponding processes can actually lead to a significant increase in the conversion rate and an extremely sustainable customer loyalty.
What is inbound marketing and how does it relate to content marketing as well as interactive content?
Inbound marketing is the modern counterpart to classic marketing or outbound marketing. The latter focuses on actively addressing (possible) customers. In times of generally steadily increasing (advertising) impressions - both within the digital and the real world - such an approach is, however, often perceived as annoying. It's not for nothing that people stick "Please no advertising" on their mailboxes or use adblockers and other tools to be able to move around the web as undisturbed as possible.
Inbound marketing takes these conditions into account and aims to reach (potential) customers exactly when they (probably) really need the services of the marketing company. The key to success lies in content marketing. In the course of this - to put it simply - maximum target group-specific, highly value-added content is provided , which fully addresses the challenges or needs of the respective target group.
Interactive content, in turn, refers to content that forces active user participation. Common formats aresurveys, quizzes, multiple choice tests and checklists.
Why is interactive content important or why does
customer interactivity often make the difference?
In principle, interactive content targeted at specific audiences has a highly positive effect (conversion), as such content is usually particularly unique and turns recipients into more active users. It is a fact that increased activity in dealing with web content - as well as in any other context - tends to significantly improve the understanding of relevant issues. They also lead to an increased willingness to take initiative and have a more lasting presence than more or less passively absorbed content. Consequently, interactive content (at best) not only remains in the memory longer, but also more positively than other types of content. Corresponding impressions and influences are then ideally transferred to the entire brand or to the behavior of (potential) customers towards it, which can of course be extremely beneficial for the business.
If a company is conspicuous among other things through interactive content in one or more of the aforementioned contexts, the other (online) marketing factors are also correct and, in addition, there is actually a convincing product quality, the probability is very high that the conversion of prospects will convert to buyers. Moreover, if the customer's requirements are taken into account in an appropriately comprehensive manner (even beyond the conclusion of the deal), they will almost certainly reach for the company's services again and again. Eventually, they may even move from customer to advocate status, and in turn carry the merits of the brand in question further. Such genuine customer opinions undoubtedly have the greatest persuasive power today. Against this backdrop, interactive content offers the best chances for a significant increase in the conversion rate.
If a call-to-action is perfectly placed in the context of a customer interaction, the prospective customer is very likely to accept it, since he has previously actively and thus comparatively intensively dealt with the relevant facts. If interactive content is also combined with other marketing strategies - for example, the granting of a price discount or the provision of exclusive information - the potential for generating corresponding leads and optimizing the conversion rate is even greater.
The analysis of the Leads or the exact understanding of one's own target group as well as a continuous monitoring and resulting further developments for the constant optimization of the conversion are central premises for a long-term competitiveness. Compared to classic media such as print, TV and radio, the web in general has the great advantage that the behaviour of recipients can be observed and analysed with unprecedented accuracy. This can undoubtedly be done in a particularly differentiated way in the course of interactive inbound marketing. This is because it is possible to precisely align corresponding measures, such as surveys or quizzes, in such a way that the answers - directly or indirectly - convey precisely the information that is particularly relevant for optimizing one's own web offerings. In general, active users with a high conversion rate offer a broader target for data collection than those who "only" read a text. Among other things, motivations, preferences as well as other potentials that contribute to making marketing more and more purposeful can be recorded in more detail with greater activity and used accordingly for optimization.
How can interactive inbound marketing work in practice - and what fundamental challenges does it bring?
The biggest challenge in the use of interactive content lies in its creation. The latter is usually comparatively time-consuming and usually more expensive than in the context of static content. In addition, of course, interactive content must never be placed only as an end in itself. So the first thing to do is to find out which forms are particularly beneficial in the context of your own company and for your own target group - and even that can be very time-consuming. Because it is highly relevant for success that interactive content clearly stands out from the standard due to its characteristics, but at the same time fits as organically as possible into the overall picture and of course transports a real added value.
Such interactive content is relatively simple, but serves its purpose when targeted appropriately. However, companies can stand out much more from the crowd with more complex, but also more expensive and less widely usable content types. For example, interactive whitepapers/e-books, (offer) calculators/calculators or interactive live webinars offer immense unique selling proposition potential and (potential) customers outstanding added value if implemented correctly.
The adoption of Virtual Reality and here for example so-called Augmented Reality (AR) tools currently forms the top class of interactive content. Among other things, AR tools make it possible to view products, such as space-consuming machines, digitally via smartphone or tablet in their (possible) future environment even before delivery. If such an option is available, there is of course an immensely increased likelihood of purchase, and not just because of the interactivity itself.
Our support around the topic of content marketing:
- Together with you, we develop a custom-fitcontent marketing strategy. Everything revolves around your specific target group.
- We are also happy to take on thecreation of relevant and target group-compliant content along the entire costumer journey of your target group.
- Oursearch engine-compliant refinement ofthe content improves your ranking and thus your visibility among potential customers.
- If desired, we also take over theContent refinementin various content management systems and web applications such as apps or third-party platforms.
For holistic and successful online marketing, we are also happy to take care of the following topics:
Oliver Parrizas will be happy to answer any questions you may have on the subject. 
+49-800-911-91-91
