Truth be told, humans love new and shiny things, whether that’s your best friend’s new convertible car or a to-die-for dress. 😍

The same goes for product ads. 

While traditional marketing strategies, like billboards and door-to-door sales might have once made a splash, today’s digital marketing demands more. 

In today’s fast-paced world, even contemporary digital marketing strategies are changing all the time, as fashion trends do. 

So, to help you stay fashionable, we want to bring you up to date on the latest trends in digital marketing. This guide covers the different types of interactive marketing campaigns, the benefits of using them, and five great examples. 

Let’s begin!

What is interactive marketing?

Interactive marketing is a strategy that actively involves the audience in the marketing process, meaning it creates a dynamic exchange between the consumer and the brand rather than a boring interaction. 

It pulls out all the stops to make sure the customer is engaged. Everything from social media to videos, visuals, and other interactive elements is fair game as long as it connects the consumers with brands. 

Think of that interactive poll sticker you saw in an Instagram story.

Basically, a question and two possible answers added to a story allows followers to click on their preferred response, a.k.a ✨interaction.✨

Well, this is completely different from those vintage marketing strategies you may be accustomed to; those monologue-like strategies held in front of consumers. 

In fact, interactive marketing strategies have created a two-way dialogue. It allows for personalized messaging based on user preferences and behavior, which helps brands cultivate a more deeper relationship with their active audience. 

Now, consumers become active participants in your campaigns, which is very new and exciting for them.

It’s out with the old and in with the new. 

But what do you get out of it? Is it more increased engagement? Or better conversion rates?

Why not both? 

Let’s find out!

The benefits of interactive marketing campaigns 

Interactive marketing campaigns give customer experience a complete makeover, boosting engagement and making people interested in your products and services.

But that’s not all: 

1. Boosts engagement. One of the main interactive content benefits is that it grabs the audience’s attention and allows you to engage multiple consumer senses simultaneously.

According to a 2022 Statista survey, 83% of marketing leaders worldwide stated they used interactive content as an effective consumer engagement tactic.

2. Increases lead generation and conversion rates. Using fresh, targeted, and personalized interactive content, you can easily attract new leads and convert them into customers.

For instance, something as basic as including a clickable call-to-action button in your video content allows users to buy your product in real-time and can boost conversion rates.

3. Enhance reach and brand awareness. Since users can easily share your interactive content on social media platforms, all their followers will quickly learn about your brand.

Plus, if you decide to partner up with influencers to create authentic user-generated content for your brand, you’ll open up your brand to an even wider audience. 

Influencers give a touch of authenticity to your content since people view them as peers rather than celebrities. As a result, when an influencer recommends your product, your target demographic will be more likely to buy it since it comes from a trustworthy source. 

By creating a dialogue between the brand and potential clients, it leads to increased brand awareness. 

4. Build customer loyalty. Using fun interactive tools, like live polls or quizzes, you can get instant customer feedback and improve where needed.

This shows your customers how much you value their opinions and strengthens your relationship.

Similarly, according to LinkedIn, by creating contests and rewarding users with giveaways (a.k.a. Gamification – more on this later), you give them a sense of gratification that will keep them coming back for more.

It’s clear that creating successful interactive marketing campaigns is super beneficial for brands, able to boost conversion rates and engagement. 

But what do you need to create this new and stylish marketing campaign look?

Keep reading to learn more…

Different types of interactive marketing content for your campaigns

If you want to add the wow factor to your interactive marketing campaigns, you should mix and match interactive elements. 

Here’s what we’ll cover in the following sections: 

• Quizzes, polls, and surveys
• Interactive videos and GIFs
• User-generated content (UGC)
• Interactive infographics
• Calculators
• Interactive storytelling
• Gamification
• Social media hashtags

And the best part? 

Ceros, a no-code design platform that takes experiential marketing to the next level and helps you create a unique user experience, can help you craft these interactive content. 

Find the details below:

Quizzes, polls, and surveys

Quizzes, polls, and surveys create fun interactive experiences that users enjoy engaging with.

What’s more, they like to share these unique experiences on social media platforms, which enhances brand reach and lead generation.

And you can also use them to get instant customer feedback for your products and campaigns.

How to make these: Determine your message and come up with fun and engaging questions. 

Then, design your quiz, poll, or survey using Ceros. 

1. Start by defining what you want to achieve with your quiz, poll, or survey. Are you looking to increase engagement, gather data, or perhaps a bit of both?

2. Determine the central message of your interactive content and draft questions that are not only relevant but also engaging and fun. Questions should be easy to understand yet stimulating enough to keep users interested.

Tip for engagement: Consider using a mix of question types, such as multiple-choice, true/false, or sliding scales. Adding images or short videos to questions can also enhance interactivity and keep users engaged.

3. Pick from a range of interactive quiz templates that can serve as a starting point for your design. These templates are fully customizable, allowing you to align them with your brand’s visual identity and specific needs.

4. Leverage Ceros’ drag-and-drop interface to add elements like images, videos, and custom animations. This not only makes your quizzes, polls, or surveys more appealing but also more memorable.

5. Add features like instant feedback or reveal answers to keep users invested throughout the experience. You can set up triggers that display messages or additional content based on user responses, providing a dynamic interaction that feels personal and responsive.

By following these steps, you can create interactive experiences that not only delight users but also provide valuable insights into their preferences and behaviors.

Image source: Ceros

Interactive videos and GIFs

According to LinkedIn, videos create a memorable multisensory experience for consumers, can use emotion to shape consumer behavior, and are easy to digest.

On top of that, if you make your video content interactive, you’ll create one of the most effective eCommerce marketing tools. 

As for GIFs, they make your content more dynamic compared to static images, attracting the audience’s attention. 

You can use them to create interactive email newsletters, social media posts, blog posts, and more.

How to make these: Use a high-quality camera or your phone to shoot short videos. 

Then, use an online video editor or video editing software to create an engaging video.

You can also try Instagram's user-friendly video editor to create a catchy reel.

And if you want to create pop-up videos for your website, you guessed it – you can use Ceros.

Here’s how:

User-generated content (UGC)

A 2022 PowerReviews analysis found that user-generated content increased conversion rates by 8.5%. 😲

UGC is so powerful because users consider it more authentic and trustworthy compared to content generated by brands.

Everything from pictures to product testimonials and video tutorials users create can increase your brand’s reach and user engagement.

How to make these: One of the easiest ways to get users involved with UGC is to launch a contest on social media and use discount codes as incentives.

Create a special hashtag for them to add to their UGC posts and let the magic happen.

Monitor all the participants to make sure they post relevant content and reward the most original UGCs with giveaways or gift vouchers.

Alternatively, you can partner with content creators or influencers who will create high-quality UGC for you.

Interactive infographics

Interactive infographics allow users to explore and interact with data in a personalized way, which makes it more engaging and easier to understand.

They can include videos, animations, and other interactive elements that help you tell an interesting story, instead of simply presenting the information.

How to make these: Collect your data and decide what you want to include in your infographic.

Then choose one of Ceros’ original infographic templates, like this cool infographic timeline, and animate it.

Image source: Ceros

Calculators

Sure, calculators might not seem very fashionable at first, but they are incredibly useful interactive tools for attracting potential customers.

They work best for service providers because users can put in their own numbers and get real-time estimates.

How to make these: The easiest way to create an interactive calculator is to pick one of Ceros’ calculator templates and customize it as you want.

Image source: Ceros

Interactive storytelling

People have short attention spans and get bored easily, which is why you should avoid long pieces of written text in newsletters, blogs, and landing pages.

Instead, draw some inspiration from children’s story books.

Simply put, find a way to offer information using storytelling techniques and break down the text using interactive elements.

How to make these: Come up with the story, then create an interactive newsletter by breaking down the text using pictures, GIFs, infographics, videos, or any other interactive content.

Gamification

Even adults love playing games, so gamification is a trendy and engaging interactive marketing strategy.

You can choose anything from trivia and puzzle games to user-generated content contests because they all work.

How to make these:  We don’t want to repeat ourselves but if you want to create a fun puzzle game, you can use a Ceros game template.

(Not our fault we have an interactive template for pretty much any design need 😏).

Image source: Ceros

Social media hashtags

The power of social media hashtags in marketing campaigns is undeniable. LinkedIn says it, not us!

These simple elements boost engagement and reach, while also helping you track the performance of your campaigns.

How to make these: Whether you use Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, keep your hashtags short and sweet and encourage your followers to use them.

Likewise, you can use trending hashtags or niche-specific hashtags to attract  your target audience’s attention.

***

Now that you’ve seen some of this year’s must-have interactive elements, let’s look at some real-life examples of successful interactive marketing campaigns.

5 interactive marketing campaign examples to inspire you

Big brands always keep up with the coolest marketing trends, which is why it’s a good idea to draw inspiration from them.

Check out five of our favorite, real-life, interactive marketing campaign examples.

1. Dove: #TurnYourBack

In a world where everyone is obsessed with appearances, Dove came up with a very empowering interactive marketing campaign. 

It started a new movement encouraging women to stop using filters and reject digital distortion, empowering them to show off their natural beauty.

Take a look:

Namely, in a fight against TikTok’s Bold Glamour beauty filter, Dove asked users to upload videos in which they literally turned their backs on the filter.

The videos were accompanied by the hashtag #TurnYourBack, which accumulated over 110 million views on TikTok alone.

And even though Dove products were never included in the user-generated content, the company’s sales still increased by 10% following this campaign. Why? Because people connected with the genuine message and their own values aligned with Dove’s, which definitely influenced the increase in sales. 

Key takeaways:

• Come up with a powerful message that your target audience can relate to.
• Increase engagement by asking users to create and share user-generated content.
• Create a catchy hashtag that clearly conveys the message of your campaign and ask your audience to use it to create exposure and brand awareness.

2. Apple: #ShotOniPhone

Since everyone is an amateur photographer nowadays due to the advanced capabilities of our phone cameras, Apple decided to take advantage of that.

So, in 2022, Apple challenged its customers to share their favorite macro photos taken with the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max on Instagram and Twitter.

Apple also asked users to include the hashtags #ShotOniPhone and #iPhonemacrochallenge.

The winning photos were showcased on all of Apple’s social media accounts and their website, as well as on billboards and in Apple stores.

Given the success of the campaign, Apple continued to use this strategy and in 2023, Instagram registered 29 million posts using the hashtag #ShotOniPhone.

Key takeaways:

• Use gamification to get customers to participate in your campaign.
• Promote new products and enhance brand reach and awareness by leveraging user-generated content.
• Use hashtags to ensure your campaign’s success on social media.

3. Cadbury’s Worldwide Hide Event

While the main goal of this campaign was to boost sales around Easter for Cadbury’s famous chocolate eggs, it became a global phenomenon.

The campaign was launched in 2021 when pandemic lockdowns and social distancing made Easter get-togethers almost impossible.

However, Cadbury found an ingenious way to encourage meaningful connections with their giant virtual Easter egg hunt.

They partnered up with Google Maps and asked participants to hide digital eggs around the world and pin the location on Google Maps.

Then, the participants’ loved ones would have to hunt for the digital eggs.

The Worldwide Hide was so successful that it has become a yearly event.

Key takeaways:

• Create a fun and unique experience for users through gamification.
• Use technology to create interactive experiences.
• Boost conversions and sales with seasonal interactive marketing campaigns.

4. Coca-Cola: Create Real Magic

Create Real Magic is one of the best examples of interactive marketing taken to the next level. By inviting people to use their creativity to create artwork, Coca-Cola connects with their audience by showing them they care about their contribution.

Plus, the rewards are definitely something that people look forward to. After all, who doesn’t want their artwork to end up on a billboard, for all the world to see? 

Image source: Coca-Cola

In 2023, Coca-Cola launched a contest for digital creatives worldwide.

The participants were given access to an AI platform specially designed for Coca-Cola and were asked to create original artwork using the company archives of iconic creative assets.

The winning artwork was then displayed on the huge Times Square and Piccadilly Circus billboards.

Key takeaways:

• Create an immersive experience that users can’t resist, using technology and gamification.
• Offer incredible incentives that motivate users to engage with your campaign.
• Leverage the power of AI tools. 😉

5. Sephora: Skincare Finder

While Sephora’s Skincare Finder is not a stand-alone marketing campaign, we wanted to show you how cool quizzes in marketing can be.

Image source: Sephora

Sephora uses this practical and personalized quiz to help potential customers find the right products for their needs.

At the same time, the quiz also showcases many Sephora products, which is bound to increase conversions and sales.

What’s more, because this quiz is so useful, potential customers are likely to share it with their friends and followers.

Key takeaways:

• Create a quiz that offers valuable information to potential customers to engage them.
• Use a quiz to showcase new products and boost conversion rates.

***

We know, we know, big brands have big budgets and work with well-known marketing agencies.

But you can do it too!

Here’s how.

How to successfully implement an interactive marketing campaign 

Here’s a short step-by-step guide to creating your own interactive marketing campaign to wow your audience.

Set clear objectives

Any marketing campaign should start with defining your short-term and long-term objectives, and interactive campaigns are no different.

Whether you’re looking to increase brand reach, awareness, lead generation, conversions, or user engagement, knowing your goals will help you choose the right interactive content for your campaign.

To narrow it down, you can always use the SMART framework, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.

Know your audience

If you create an interactive marketing campaign without knowing your target audience, you’ll just waste precious time and money.

Here’s what you should do:

• Use surveys, social media, and focus groups to identify your ideal customer’s demographics, as well as their values, interests, and lifestyles.
• Segment your audience based on common behaviors or characteristics to create personalized campaigns for each group.

Create engaging content

This is where you choose and implement the interactive elements that align best with your campaign goals and target audience.

As a general rule, make sure you generate relevant content that offers true value and utility.

This is also where you can use Ceros.

Ceros is a suite of interactive content and design tools that can make your life much easier.

It offers over 150 templates that you can use to create an interactive user experience in no time.

And you don’t need any design skills or code knowledge to do it.

Measure success and adjust accordingly

Just because you believe you’ve created the best interactive marketing campaign in the world doesn’t mean your audience agrees.

We don’t want to scare you off, but it’s best to prepare for these things.

In any case, try to constantly track and analyze your campaign’s performance to identify its strengths and weaknesses.

By doing so, you can make adjustments as you go and improve the final results.

A good solution here is to seek customer feedback through reviews, ratings, surveys, or quizzes.

Likewise, you can use Ceros’ real-time analytics capabilities to measure the success of your campaigns.

***

There you have it. 

Now over to you!

Over to you!

We’ve given you the ins and outs of staying fashionable in the world of digital marketing.

Now, it’s time for you to roll up your sleeves and get down to business.

Create an interactive marketing campaign that will catch your audience’s eye and keep them coming back for more.

And if you lack design skills, partner up with Ceros and you won’t have to worry.

Need more info? Just book a free demo with Ceros.