How To Get More Interaction in Your Digital Magazines

Let’s get interactive

Connecting to your audience: that is what content is all about. But how do you appeal to your visitor? How do you ensure that your narrative triggers a response? Interactive content is a creative way to convey your message.

Our daily lives are all about interaction: from a chat at the supermarket or on the train, to a video call through Skype or a WhatsApp or LinkedIn message. You only really have interaction when your magazine’s visitors can do something or come into contact with others. Without interaction, your magazine is boring. Visitors will be inclined to click away from your magazine and will only stay for a short time. An interactive magazine that keeps its visitors ‘occupied’ has more to offer and focuses visitor’s attention on your product or service for longer.

Wishes and objectives

The way you present your interactive content depends on your wishes and objectives. Do you simply want to collect ‘likes’ on social media or are you actually interested in your visitors’ opinions? Are you only after obtaining an email address or do you really want to let visitors experience something through your magazine? Make sure that you have a good plan, with clearly formulated goals, a realistic schedule, and an appropriate budget for every idea.

Click, swipe & scroll

It is easy to guide your reader to different pages in an online magazine, especially if you want to tell a story or if you have a step-by-step plan for them. Please ensure that your navigation is easy to use and place helpful buttons or links to related articles, a video, or a pop-up containing more information. Keep your readers occupied, but above all: keep them focused. A magazine needs to be dynamic! You need to keep your readers interested. Developing a good page rhythm can really help you.

Feedback

ask for feedback in your digital magazine

Another simple and inexpensive way of generating interaction is to ask readers to give their opinions. A feedback form is easy to create and can be simply linked to the Form builder in our software. If you already have a database and would like to add new responses there, then you can do that, too, of course. Video is another way to ask visitors for feedback.

Quiz

A fun and accessible way to engage your visitors is by asking them to take a quiz or enter a competition. There are many ways of presenting a quiz in your magazine. You can create a very visual quiz, with lots of images and a short question, or claims that visitors can respond to. Do make sure that you give information on others’ points of view on a claim or proposition after the visitor has submitted a response.

Bonus resource: AI Survey Question – Questionnaire Generator

Games

The absolute best and most expensive way to engage visitors in your product or service is by enticing them into playing a game. Of course, this does not have to be the equivalent of a game like Grand Theft Auto or Batman. It can be much simpler. There are infinite possibilities, but you must maximize the fun factor and, most importantly, it has to work like a charm. Take your time to consider good ways of testing your game. This ensures that you’ll achieve the intended effect of a positive association with your product or service. Of course, games become infinitely more fun when your clients can win great prizes.

Full-screen video

add video to your digital magazine

A full-screen video intensifies your visitors’ experience. Now, normally we don’t show off publications we’ve made ourselves, but this time we couldn’t resist. A great example is our Drag & Drop demo magazine. The reader is instantly drawn in because the video starts playing in the background immediately and text is displayed underneath. On mobile devices, the website shows a button that allows the reader to open the video. This is a great way to switch from text to image and vice versa.

Social media

At the very least, an online magazine should allow interaction via social media. You can share your entire magazine or individual pages via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Make sure your magazine shows how much activity there is on your social media platforms.

Embedding

You can add a lot of items to your online magazine using an i-frame. An i-frame is a window on a web page where information from another page can be displayed. This is also called embedding. The idea is that you can embed a webshop in your own online magazine or website for example, making it appear as though the shop is an integral part of your magazine. You can also embed tweets, forms, questionnaires, photos and much more.

FAQ

How can I increase reader interaction in my digital magazine?

You can increase reader interaction in your digital magazine by incorporating interactive elements such as clickable links, embedded videos, interactive quizzes or polls, and social sharing buttons to encourage readers to engage with the content and share their feedback.

What role does multimedia content play in enhancing interaction in digital magazines?

Multimedia content such as videos, audio clips, and animations can enhance interaction in digital magazines by providing a dynamic and engaging experience for readers, encouraging them to spend more time exploring the content and interacting with different elements.

How can I encourage reader feedback and participation in my digital magazine?

You can encourage reader feedback and participation in your digital magazine by including calls-to-action prompting readers to leave comments, share their thoughts on social media, or submit user-generated content such as photos or testimonials related to the magazine’s content.

What are some creative ways to incorporate interactive elements into digital magazines?

Some creative ways to incorporate interactive elements into digital magazines include adding clickable hotspots to images, creating interactive timelines or infographics, embedding interactive maps or 360-degree photos, and including interactive games or puzzles related to the magazine’s themes.

How can I use social media integration to boost interaction in my digital magazine?

You can use social media integration to boost interaction in your digital magazine by allowing readers to share articles or features directly to their social media accounts, embedding social media feeds or hashtags related to the magazine’s content, and hosting social media contests or challenges to encourage user participation.

What role do reader surveys and polls play in increasing interaction in digital magazines?

Reader surveys and polls play a crucial role in increasing interaction in digital magazines by soliciting feedback from readers, gauging their interests and preferences, and involving them in the content creation process by allowing them to vote on topics or provide input on future articles or features.

How can I personalize the reading experience to increase interaction in my digital magazine?

You can personalize the reading experience in your digital magazine by offering customization options such as personalized recommendations based on reader preferences, interactive quizzes or surveys that tailor content to individual interests, and user profiles that track reading history and suggest relevant content.

What strategies can I use to promote reader engagement and discussion in my digital magazine?

Strategies to promote reader engagement and discussion in your digital magazine include hosting virtual events or webinars related to magazine topics, creating dedicated forums or discussion groups for readers to connect and share ideas, and featuring user-generated content or reader submissions in each issue.

How can I optimize the design and layout of my digital magazine to encourage interaction?

You can optimize the design and layout of your digital magazine to encourage interaction by using clear navigation menus and intuitive user interfaces, highlighting interactive features and calls-to-action, and organizing content in a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate format that encourages exploration and engagement.

What are some effective ways to measure and track reader interaction in digital magazines?

Some effective ways to measure and track reader interaction in digital magazines include monitoring metrics such as click-through rates on interactive elements, social media shares and mentions, reader comments and feedback, time spent on each page or article, and conversion rates for calls-to-action or subscription sign-ups.

Author bio

Ritesh SheombarRitesh is a digital marketing manager with years of experience in driving growth. He’s currently the director of inbound marketing at Foleon. You can find more about him on his LinkedIn profile.

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