For an association, being seen as an original and valuable source of information and thought leadership is a top priority, not to mention a perpetual challenge when it comes to actually producing resources internally. Finding a way to plan and publish all of the information your association has and delivering it in insightful ways to your members can quickly become a problem.
And with changing times, the typical content strategy can get stale. You have to make sure to stay on top of content trends if you want to get that attention from your audience.
This is where interactive content comes in.
Interactive content takes the best parts of the content and makes them- well, interactive. It requires an advanced engagement from audiences and pays them in a much better content experience. It’s much more than the typical video or blog post.
Forms of interactive content
It’s clear at this point that interactive content should be in any association’s content marketing strategy.
But, what types of interactive content are out there and what kind works best for associations?
Believe it or not, your association might already be using some forms of interactive content. If you’ve created surveys or assessments for your members, you’ve provided them with some interactive content.
There are many other forms you can give to your members. Here are just a few:
- Polls
- Online Learning & Knowledge tests
- White Papers
- Infographics
- Videos
But what makes these forms of content interactive? There are a few factors to consider.
Let’s take a look at an interactive white paper. How does it differ? Well, you can make a white paper interactive by taking static content and turning it into an experience for the reader. Use questions, animations, and other properties to turn a white paper into an interactive guide that audiences will love.
Another great form is an interactive video. Allow your members to take part in a video by adding in questions, statistics, quizzes, and other activities.
Here are some tips for incorporating interactive content into your association’s content marketing efforts.
Market your interactive content on all platforms.
Marketing interactive content is almost identical to marketing traditional content. It can be spread across all marketing channels your association already uses.
Events are a great platform to introduce interactive content to your members. If your association is hosting an event, send out a quiz before the event in order to generate excitement among attendees.
Once the event is over, a survey would be effective to find out how members enjoyed their time. Allow them to voice their opinions and suggestions. Giving members an active part in your events through content helps them know they’re valued.
Make Your Interactive Content Social Media Friendly
Advance your association’s social media use by adding more than just pictures to your posts. Include a helpful video in a tweet to intrigue Twitter users looking at your content. You can even use interactive content on your association’s LinkedIn.
Once you start to produce interactive content on social media platforms, or any platform in general, it’s time to see how it measures up to traditional content.
Integrating interactive content into your association’s content marketing plan takes a thoughtful and driven strategy. However, if you approach interactive content with this knowledge in mind, your association can take charge and engage audiences in a brand new way.
MVP
Megan Van Petten
CEO & President
Van Petten Group, Inc.