Content marketing is a tried-and-true mainstay for B2B marketers. It serves as a gateway to inform audiences on a variety of components, including solutions and services, emerging trends, product instructions, industry highlights, and more. As more content plagues channels, attention spans shorten and the need for instant information grows, marketers face the challenge of maintaining and improving engagement with content. Getting audiences to engage and act, given the content they consume, is not as easy as it once was. But we have a few creative content tactics for your team to consider that focus on boosting engagement and conversions.

Interactive Content

Interactive content helps maintain higher engagement levels, almost 2-3 times higher levels than static content. And, 62% of people say they prefer interactive content when comparing it to other types. The stats don’t lie, and to make an impact on audiences and build a connection, catering to what audiences want can help. One thing we’ve tested out at Launch Marketing is a “talkable eBook.” You can talk directly to the guideby asking questions through your computer or phone’s microphone. You can get instant summaries for sections, instead of skimming through. Plus, you can personalize your learning based on your goals. Looking for specific information from the guide? Skip to that section to gain maximum value from the content.

While this is just one example of interactive content, any starting point can help you understand what interactive content types are generating the most desired business and marketing results and moving the needle on lead generation. Other content includes clickable infographics, where sections expand as you click and interact, and immersive videos that put you directly into whatever topic or product you are trying to learn more about.

Content That Tells You What You Need

This type of creative content is a specific type of interactive content, and the biggest focal point of this content is that it tells you what you need, whether it is from a strategy or tactical standpoint. It gives you actionable tasks on how to move forward to improve something about your business. Here are a few examples.

• Quizzes: Taking a quiz is a great way to get a better understanding of where you are at. Whether it is the sophistication of your content marketing strategy or where you should focus your marketing efforts moving forward, a self-serve quiz that gives you a score or a ranking can be a way to keep audiences engaged while providing valuable information. Take this marketing assessment to get a better idea of what a quiz can look like.
• Interactive Videos: Videos that you can control, select buttons on the video, or even talk to, can be very engaging. Think of it as a choose-your-own adventure! With videos being more popular than ever, adding an interactive component can boost engagement even more. Then, at the end of the video, depending on what the user chooses throughout their video journey, you can provide strategy tips or a recommendation on what specific product or solution they should be looking to purchase, given their pain points.

Videos

In content marketing, video is a frequently used tactic, with 89% of businesses using it and 93% of organizations reporting a positive ROI. It is a versatile type of content where you can share just about any information you want to. Want to explain a complex product? Create a video that breaks it down. Want to showcase happy customers and their results? Create a video where customers talk about what they enjoy most about your brand. Want to showcase a new product launch? Create a video announcing it. We could go on about the number of ways video can be used to share information and give your audiences a more visual look into things. Here are specific video types to consider to elevate engagement.

• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Audiences love to see what happens behind the scenes. It gives context and shows what normally wouldn’t be seen. People like it so much that 87% of them will watch a video if it includes behind-the-scenes content. This can be behind-the-scenes content on a new product being built, or how your team puts together a video; there are many options that will keep users engaged.
• Explainer Videos: Sometimes things can be complicated. Whether it’s a complex problem or product, breaking things down into bite-sized pieces where it is easier to understand can yield many benefits. 88% of people were convinced to buy a product after watching an explainer video. Plus, for B2B buyers, where the buying cycle can be long, an explainer video that gets straight to the point can help provide information up front.
• Customers in Action: Customers are your golden ticket. They have experience using your product and see the benefits. Use that to your advantage! Create a video with customers using your product in action. Create a video where customers sit down and talk about what they’ve seen in ROI since implementing your product. These can be useful to use later in the funnel, around the consideration and decision-making stages, to further strengthen the argument for a prospect to choose your solution.

Content Sharing

Employee advocacy, while a simple concept, is a way to amplify the content your organization creates. Content shared by employees can receive up to 8 times more engagement than what is posted on the brand’s account. So, if your post gets 500 impressions on the company account, an employee sharing it could generate up to 4000 impressions! Plus, 78% of buyers say employee advocacy influences purchasing decisions. If there is minimal activity from your employees, your bottom line could be impacted.

It’s Time to Get Creative

Sticking to the familiar can seem like an easy route. From knowing what results to expect to understanding the resources involved in producing, it sits in the comfort zone for organizations. But exploring new avenues can uncover new ways to engage audiences and generate more revenue. Try out one of the options above to see if you can unlock a new channel for boosted engagement! Great marketing adapts and grows along with audience needs and pain points. Now is the time to push content marketing efforts forward and get creative.

If you are looking to ramp up your creative content efforts for your organization, contact Launch Marketing today! Or schedule a meeting directly with our CEO, Chris Leger.