By Brenna Donahue, Assistant Project Manager

With advances in technology, marketing professionals are publishing an increasing amount of digital content across all industries, including financial services. But, with a slew of marketing materials hitting customers’ inboxes, smartphones and social media feeds daily, what can you do as a company to garner the attention of those aimlessly scrolling? What steps can you take to make your content stand out, generate brand awareness and attract leads?

The average customer attention span is just 8 seconds and, therefore, it can be difficult for digital communications to have a lasting impact. While splashy images and punchy headlines can help draw initial interest from a customer, the “key ingredient” of an impactful and differentiated ad is interactive content that drive engagement. Engaging the customer with interactive content provides a two-way connection, allows for a more dynamic experience and creates a memorable impression that simple static or video ads struggle to achieve. Interactive content has spiked in popularity, with 75% of participants in a Content Marketing Institute survey stating that their company would increase the development and execution of interactive content marketing.

Interactive digital content can be utilized in many different formats: Consider a quiz that assesses users on the best product fit for their lifestyle, or a presentation that shows your data with animated infographics. Rather than passively scrolling past the material, viewers are invited to actively participate and provide input. By creating a customizable journey, users feel as though they are engaging in a personalized and immersive experience that holds their attention for a longer time and encourages a deeper understanding of the messaging. Companies that invest in catered content for users create a more effective experience and can help to distinguish their brand from competitors. And the investment pays off: interactive content converts buyers 70% of the time, which is almost double the conversion rate of static content.

Not only does interactive digital content differentiate your brand, but it can also help you gain insights about your audience through data tracking. Companies can utilize web tracking analytics to better understand customer journey from start to finish. Engagement metrics like unique visits, time spent on each page, links clicked, bounce and exit rates can all help marketers determine which elements of a campaign are performing well and which need to be optimized.

Utilizing interactive content allows for brands to take advantage of cutting-edge technology and stay on top of trends in the digital marketing landscape. Interactive brochures provide customers with a sophisticated experience that can be accessed on a variety of devices and browsers. Platforms such as Foleon, Ceros and Storly are all great tools for companies to build out and publish content. As technology advances, so do marketing opportunities. Getting your foot in the door with digital interactive content now provides opportunities down the line to optimize emerging technologies such as virtual or augmented reality.

Interactive digital campaigns are experiences, not just merely marketing messages. They constitute a means for your brand to create a positive user story and promote brand loyalty. These customizable and dynamic experiences encourage user satisfaction and long-term engagement, while also providing your team with valuable data to continue to refine targeting and optimize messaging. If you are interested in getting started with interactive campaigns for your bank or financial institution, reach out to MKP today!

MKP communications inc. is a New-York based marketing communications agency specializing in merger/change communications for the financial services industry.