7 Best Interactive Videos of All Time

Videos are among the most used and effective types of content as of 2022. They perform better than infographics and blogs and help your business maximize user engagement through various channels. You can share videos everywhere, from social media to websites and streaming platforms like YouTube. It will give you more opportunities to gain attention from wider audiences. 

You can now create multiple video formats and adjust them to your business needs and personal preferences. However, only some content gets enough attention as people stop watching many videos halfway through. You should find an appropriate topic and add an exciting storyline to make your project stand out. But how?

In this article, we’ll dig deeper into what an interactive video is and why it’s an excellent idea to make some for your business. We’ll also share the best works to give you a perspective of what it can look like to make people watch it. Shall we? 

What is Interactive Video?

Interactive videos allow you to choose and change the flow of content you see in the clip. Such videos can include additional elements, such as clickable links or buttons, allowing for various interactions. For example, viewers can change the plot, respond to multiple-choice questions, choose the character’s path, and so on. 

With such videos, you can tell stories, get users to complete tests or go through surveys, help them pick the right product, and generally make their experience with your brand more plausible. 

What exactly makes a video interactive? To help you figure that out, we’ve collected a list of the essential elements you can use to entertain and engage viewers.

Branching 

This is one of the best elements to implement in an interactive video. The branching technique lets you navigate through the video in the “build your adventure” manner. 

You can work on different scenarios depending on the path viewers decide to follow. This way, people may get back to this video to see where they could end up if they picked another option. It’s a perfect approach for storytelling videos and product line introductions.

Overlays

Overlays are a perfect option if you want to let viewers have an impactful interaction with your videos. With this technique, you can add various contextual media people will access after tapping a hotspot or reaching a time trigger. You can include images, text, CTAs, and other informational elements. Overlays may help you present a product line or offer various add-ons for a product.  

Hotspots 

A hotspot works best if you want to redirect viewers to additional content. Such an element is clickable and contains a hyperlink to wherever you want your users to appear. You can integrate hotspots into explainers or educational videos. For instance, a hotspot may remind viewers about a product or event, make an announcement, or explain certain information.

Time Triggers

With this element, you can launch a particular action without user interaction. Time triggers activate opening overlays or hop to another part of the video. All you have to do is to set specific time spots and the required transition or action.

What’s so Great About Interactive Videos?

There are plenty of reasons to create interactive videos for your business. They can solve multiple issues, increase sales, and introduce your company and products to potential customers. Let’s see what makes interactive videos an excellent option for your product promotion and business growth.

Increase in online sales and brand awareness

One of the key reasons to implement interactive videos is  notable growth in sales. A recent survey shows that companies experienced a 14% increase in online sales thanks to using interactive videos in their strategies. Moreover, there was a decline in unnecessary customer service calls after companies published those videos. This way, you can improve brand awareness and help people understand your product better. 

Trackability

You can now easily track your videos’ performance, check how many clicks, impressions, and conversions it generated, and more. Monitoring these and other metrics will help you run more effective marketing campaigns in the future. Thanks to the data you receive, you’ll be able to set up proper targeting parameters, see what types of interactive videos work best, and gain new customers faster. 

Higher viewer engagement

One of the main advantages of interactive videos over classic, linear ones is their ability to capture viewers’ attention for longer. While watching a regular video, it’s easier to become distracted. In contrast, interactive videos effectively solve this issue. How? You can get users to make decisions and control the flow of a video all the way through. It’s a great hook to keep them watching till the end. 

How to Create Interactive Videos?

Now that you know how helpful interactive clips can be for your business, you may want to know how to create interactive videos yourself. Well, you’re in luck, as there are numerous video creation tools you can opt for. The choice will be based on the desired platforms (YouTube or Vimeo, for example), the type of your content, and other parameters. 

If you have a team with enough experience, you can delegate creating interactive videos to them. But other than that, outsourcing is the best option. You can try platforms like Upwork and Freelancer or hire a new team via an outsourcing company. They’ll prepare a detailed brief and a full price breakdown so you can manage your budget and resources. Besides, the chosen team will pick the best tools based on your ideas and requirements. 

Either way, the process of creating an interactive video differs for each platform and tool you choose. Some platforms, like YouTube or Vimeo, allow you to implement interactive elements inside their native Creator pages. Others only work for creating and editing videos, so you’ll also need to distribute your clip manually. 

Whatever option you choose, there are several main steps you’ll need to take:

• Developing the format of your content. There are different examples of interactive video types. And you should choose one that fits your business and purpose best. It can be an explainer video where users can pick topics they want to learn about, a story where users make decisions for characters, etc.
• Picking interactive elements. According to the video format you’ve picked, you will have to choose the most suitable interactive parts. Make sure to implement them intuitively and use them sparingly. Otherwise, interactions may confuse viewers and overload them with excessive information.
• Create the video (or source it). It’s not necessary to create a video from scratch. You can re-purpose an existing clip and add interactive elements. This approach can be useful for A/B testing. This way, you’ll see how effectively the new features work for your video and whether it’s worth adding them to your next works. 
• Work on the distribution plan. Think of the platforms where you can promote your video and where all the interactive elements will work. Besides, you can create small teasers based on your clip by making GIFs, previews, or completely different video promotion types.
• Analyze the performance. Modern tools show you how many people were engaging with your videos and clicking on the interactive links. Also, you can track changes in the view depth. Then, you can compare it with the older version and see whether interactive elements helped you grow viewership and engagement.

Best Interactive Video Examples

Now, let’s move to the most exciting part. Below, you’ll see some of the best interactive videos examples you can get inspiration from while creating your own pieces. They’re indeed impressive!

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

A truly breathtaking piece made by the creators of the Black Mirror series. An interactive movie about a young game developer who starts questioning reality while adapting the novel “Bandersnatch” into a computer game. The story has multiple scenarios, and it’s up to you to make it to the “happy ending,” if there’s any. 

Major Lazer — Know No Better

This is an interactive music video by the popular music band Major Lazer, where you can switch between the real world and dreams by clicking on the screen. This is an excellent approach to engaging viewers with a video, as you basically watch two videos at once. The storyline is also great — sometimes touching and sometimes fun. So it’s a perfect hook for all sorts of audiences.

Ariel — Virtual Laundry

Here, viewers take on a virtual laundry adventure, which turns out to be quite interesting. In this case, the company’s products become the video’s main characters, which is a tactic you can use for any business. This way, you help customers get to know your products or services better, discover your whole product line, and quickly switch to a particular item of interest.

Deloitte Recruiting Video

This is a video created by the consulting giant Deloitte that shows the company’s values. Thus, it helps potential employees realize if they’re a good fit for the company. You get to follow the main character in his journey to getting a dream job, and in the end, you’ll see if these decisions are right for getting hired by Deloitte. 

Honda — The Other Side

This is a brilliant interactive video example where you get to know a man who lives a double life. The Honda team made this video to depict one of their most popular models, the Civic, and its sportier version, the Civic R. Thanks to seamless editing, both parts sync perfectly in the clip, making it a creative and well-groomed promotional piece. 

Lifesaver

An educational piece by Lifesaver shows us how decisive actions can help someone in extreme situations. A series of short interactive videos tells us the story of several people suffering from cardiac arrest, collapse, and choking. It’s a great sequence of clips that can help viewers become aware of first-aid actions, including back blows or abdominal thrusts, recovery positions, and other first-aid essentials. 

Coldplay — Ink

How to make a music video even better? Make it interactive! The Coldplay video production team did the job splendidly. With over 300 various possibilities and a lovely animation style, this video is a perfect example of how you can drastically increase the watch time in a creative, artsy way. You can have this piece as a reference while working on your own videos representing your service range or showing multiple ways of using your products.

Also, discover top 7 leadership videos with us.

Final Thoughts

Interactive videos are a perfect way to raise brand awareness and customer engagement. It also helps increase sales and introduces your company to potential customers. That’s why we strongly recommend trying this type of content for business purposes. There are multiple interactive elements you can implement into your video and make it fun and informative at the same time.

If you’re interested in creating interactive videos for your company but need more expertise or resources, our Explain Ninja team will help you. Feel free to contact us, and we’ll help you create a lovely interactive video for any target audience based on your vision, ideas, and objectives.