It’s no secret that videos are an important and powerful marketing tool. They grab people’s attention, are quick and easy to digest, and easy to share and distribute.

But will we stay in the movie?

We must do more to improve our participation. Especially with millions of videos available online, something has to set us apart.

The good news is that video is more about engagement.

Interactive video is the next step in your marketing campaign. Dive in to find out what it is and why it’s the next evolution in video marketing.

What is interactive video?

The type of video we are most used to is cartoon video. Hit the play button and wait for everything to work. Whatever you do, the ending and middle don’t change unless you watch a different movie. However, there are options such as pause, fast forward and fast rewind.

Interactive post video is a form of media that requires audience participation. This can be clicking, dragging, moving, or any other form of engagement.

This is a video in the format below and companies are currently taking the right approach to make it effective. Marketers these days add interactive elements after creating a video.

Companies today create movies with interaction in mind. You create movies based on interactive elements.

The result is a more effective interactive video.

Interactive video example

TV shows also try, but have many marketing purposes.

That’s when I think of Cinema8 from Netflix. The decision will lead to a specific outcome so you can see how it will evolve based on your choice.

Therefore, the endings that viewers get may differ.

This is just an example and the interactive video doesn’t have to be that complicated.

Hot spot

Hotspots are clickable areas in the video. You can post more content in your video or redirect users to another website.

Data input

The video may also contain fields for users to enter information. Depending on the purpose of use, the user’s name and surname, age, etc. may be requested.

They encourage viewers to engage actively with the brand. It also provides marketers with valuable data.

360 degree video

Immersive videos were recorded using 360-degree video technology. Once uploaded it looks like a regular video, but you can drag, click or rewind it to see the video details. You should be able to see in every direction.

This provides a completely immersive experience. Users can feel the landscape as if they are there and travel to another world with one click.

Branch

Branches are different paths in the movie. Users can choose the way they want to customize. Cinema8 is an example.

Reasons to Use Interactive Videos

Interactive post marketing has many benefits for both audiences and brands. Below you will find important benefits.

User engagement

The main reason for using interactive video is to get user engagement. Video alone is sufficient for this purpose, but interactive video can provide even more engagement.

This is an important consideration when competing with millions of content. But getting the audience’s attention is only part of the battle. You still need to get their attention; it’s just as hard to win.

This helps users not only watch everything, but also participate. The passive observer becomes the active observer. Your attention will stay on the content as you will not be distracted.

Anything you click or do will grab their attention. Most of the times it’s fun and makes you feel invested in your content.

And because you’ve already invested in a video, they’re more likely to watch it to the end.

User control

The great thing about interactive post videos is that user experience is a priority. They take control of the audience and give them meaning.

As you know, jumping to a certain point in a movie is not a strange behavior for the audience. They do this to get to the part about themselves and ignore all the other parts.