Latest / Marketing Made Simple with Fexingo: Branding, SEO, and Digital Strategy for Beginners / Why Brands Are Using Interactive Content in 2026
Transcript
- Lucas: There's this stat that keeps floating around my feed — interactive content generates two times more conversions than passive content. And I used to roll my eyes at it, because 'interactive content' can mean anything from a simple poll to a full-blown configurator. Luna: But you don't roll your eyes anymore? Lucas: I don't, because I started noticing it in my own behavior. Last week I was on Curology's site — you know, the skincare brand. I wasn't planning to buy anything. But they had this 'build your formula' quiz — maybe ten questions, took two minutes. By the end, they had my skin concerns, my budget, my routine. I felt like they understood me. And I hit 'add to cart' almost without thinking. Luna: That's the classic 'commitment and consistency' bias, right? You answer a bunch of questions, you feel invested in the outcome. Lucas: Exactly. And the data backs it up. Interactive content — quizzes, calculators, assessments — averages a conversion rate around 70 percent in some studies, compared to 36 percent for static content. But here's the thing: it's not just about the conversion at that moment. It's about what you get from the user. Luna: First-party data. In 2026, with cookies crumbling, that's gold. Lucas: It's the new oil, as they say. But the beauty of interactive is that people give you that data willingly — because they get something in return. A personalized recommendation, a savings estimate, a knowledge score. It's a fair trade. Luna: I want to talk about a specific example that isn't skincare. Last month I was looking at mattresses — the dreaded mattress shopping experience. And Purple, the mattress company, has this 'sleep quiz' that asks about your sleeping position, temperature preferences, firmness liking. It took maybe three minutes, and it recommended a specific model. I actually bought it. Lucas: You bought a mattress from a quiz? That's a high-consideration purchase. Usually people need to touch and feel. Luna: I know, and I was skeptical. But the quiz made me feel like I wasn't guessing. It asked nuanced questions — 'do you sleep hot?' — and then explained why that mattered for their materials. It was educational. By the end, I trusted the recommendation more than a salesperson. Lucas: That's the key — interactive content that educates, not just collects. Purple isn't just asking, 'what do you want?' They're teaching you about mattress construction in the process. You walk away smarter, and that makes you more confident in the purchase. Luna: And they get data on my sleep habits, my price range, my timeline. That's incredibly valuable for retargeting and product development. Lucas: Right. So the obvious question for our listeners — especially small businesses or solo marketers — is: can I do this without a developer and a big budget? And the answer is yes, because the no-code space for this has exploded. Luna: What are you using? I know Typeform is the classic, but there are others. Lucas: Typeform is still great for beautiful, conversational quizzes. But for more logic-heavy stuff — like a calculator that spits out a number based on multiple inputs — I've been using Outgrow. They have templates for 'which product' quizzes, ROI calculators, even personality tests. You can embed them on a landing page or use as a lead magnet. Luna: Interact is another one. A lot of content marketers use it for 'what type of marketer are you' quizzes. The output is a segment, and you can tailor follow-up emails based on that. Lucas: Exactly. And the nice thing about these tools is that they integrate with email platforms and CRMs. So the data flows straight into your marketing automation. You can trigger a sequence based on quiz results. Luna: Let's talk about the psychology for a second. Why does interactive content work better than a static blog post or a video? Lucas: I think it's the 'endowment effect' — once you put effort into something, you value it more. When you spend two minutes answering questions, the recommendation feels like yours. It's not a generic ad. It's a solution custom-built for you. Luna: Plus there's curiosity gap. 'What will the quiz say about me?' That's a powerful driver. Lucas: And social sharing. People love sharing their quiz results — 'I'm a mid-century modern design person' or 'my marketing personality type is the storyteller.' It's identity signaling. That's free distribution. Luna: Good point. So what's the downside? What should people watch out for? Lucas: The biggest mistake is making the quiz too long. If it's more than maybe seven to ten questions, completion rates drop off a cliff. Every question should feel necessary — if you can't explain why you're asking it, cut it. Luna: Also, the results have to feel valuable. If the quiz just says 'you should buy product A' with no context, it feels like a sales pitch. You need to explain the 'why'. Lucas: And the other mistake is not following up. If someone takes your quiz but doesn't buy, you now have their email and their preferences. That's a goldmine for a nurture sequence. But if you just put them in your general newsletter, you've squandered the opportunity. Luna: You know, this episode is a good example of why I love doing this show. We talk about ideas, and then we test them. Last week I built a simple 'which content format is right for you' quiz for our own audience using Typeform. It took me maybe two hours. Lucas: And? Luna: Seventy-three percent completion rate. And nineteen percent of people who finished it clicked through to a relevant blog post I recommended. That's a higher click-through rate than any of our email blasts. Lucas: That's impressive. And it shows you don't need a huge brand to make this work. A solo marketer with a Typeform account can do this. It's about the logic and the value exchange. Luna: Before we move on, I want to mention something — and I don't want this to sound like a plug, but it's related. We make this show because we genuinely enjoy unpacking marketing tactics that actually work. And it stays ad-free because listeners like you support it. If you've ever gotten a tip from us that you used in your own work, a couple of dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo genuinely makes a difference. It keeps the lights on and lets us keep experimenting like this. Lucas: Yeah, and we don't have any investors or advertisers breathing down our necks. It's just us, trying to figure out what works. So if you find value, that's the way to give back. Luna: Alright, back to interactive. One emerging trend I'm seeing in 2026 is interactive video. Think about a product demo where you can click on different features as the video plays. Lucas: I've seen that. Companies like Wirewax and HapYak are making it easier. You can embed clickable hotspots in a video. For a brand like Nike, you could have a shoe demo where clicking the sole gives you info on the cushioning technology. Luna: It turns passive viewing into active exploration. The engagement metrics are crazy — time spent on page goes way up. Lucas: But it's still a bit more involved to produce. For a small business, starting with a quiz or a calculator is probably the smartest first step. You can A/B test it against a standard lead magnet. Luna: I'd love to see more brands using interactive content in their email marketing. Imagine an email that has a quick poll or a slider. Not just a static image. Lucas: AMP for email supports that now, but it's still not widely adopted. Gmail and some clients support it. But it's coming. The more interactive you can make the email itself, the better the engagement. Luna: So to wrap up: interactive content is not a fad. It's a response to the fact that people are drowning in static content. They want to participate, not just consume. Lucas: And the tools are affordable and easy. So if you haven't tried it yet, pick one smart quiz or calculator, build it in an afternoon, and watch what happens to your conversion rate. It might surprise you. Luna: I'm already planning my next one — a marketing ROI calculator for small businesses. We'll see if it works. Lucas: Let us know how it goes. And if you build one, share your results with us on social. We love seeing what listeners create.