Why You Should Leverage Interactive Videos [Data from 500+ Marketers]

By mbretous@hubspot.com (Martina Bretous)

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A 2021 Wyzowl report found that the use of video content from brands has increased roughly 25% over the past six years.

Lately, the conversation has been focused on short-form video lately, but interactive video is one we should be talking more about.

Learn what interactive video is, how to create one, and examples from some top brands.

You can use interactive videos for a number of purposes, including increasing engagement, fostering two-way communication, and boosting conversions.

In Q1 2022, we surveyed over 500 global video marketers to ask about their video strategy. Roughly a quarter of marketers surveyed (28%) said they currently leverage interactive content in their videos.

Of those who do leverage it, 8% plan to invest in it more than any other video type.

There are multiple types of interactive videos:

Branched stories – This allows viewers to choose their own path when watching a video and decide what they will watch.
Hotspots – These are clickable areas within a video that allow viewers to discover something new in the video.
Polls and quizzes – You can engage your audience with questions related to the content in your video.
360-degree view – This allows viewers to immerse themselves in the video and get an augmented reality experience.

Interactive video is still relatively new to many marketers with 27% leveraging it for the first time this year. Considering leveraging it? Let’s go over the benefits of this strategy.

Benefits of Interactive Videos

The biggest reason to leverage interactive videos is the high return on investment.

Our video marketing report revealed that interactive video offers the fifth-highest ROI, behind product-related, funny and trendy, and behind-the-scenes videos.

In addition, 47% of marketers surveyed say interactive content is one of the most effective lead generators.

When it comes to engagement, interactive video is also one of the best performers. In fact, 47% of marketers surveyed say interactive content is one of the top three video types that get the most engagement.

This video type can also leave a deeper impression on its viewers. With so many brands fighting for our attention, one way to keep them engaged longer is through interaction.

Doing so can help your brand awareness and recognition, helping you stand out from the competition. In fact, 7% of marketers say interactive video is most likely to go viral.

Lastly, you can gain more insight into your audience through interactive content. Say you include a quiz in your video, not only do you get insights from the video itself (views, time watched, etc) but you also learn more about them through quiz results.

So, you end up getting more data through a single piece of data.