Sales Enablement vendor Seismic released Interactive Content, a set of microapps and LiveContent presentations that lets remote sales reps “come close to mimicking an in-person environment, in which they are adapting to buyer reactions and feedback in near real-time.” Interactive Content helps revenue organization deliver “immersive, engaging” digital experiences “with just a few clicks.”
A Tiled integration supports Seismic microapps that delivers “memorable evergreen content like digital brochures, pitch decks, 3D interactive visuals, and more.”
“Microapps unleash creative storytelling. Organizations that deliver their messages in conversational, self-directed ways will win. Those that don’t will be left behind,” said Tiled CEO Darrell Swain. “Linear content will ultimately go the way of print. We are moving into an experiential era that requires a new interactive content format that allows for the creation of rich, immersive experiences, without the need for code.”
Tiled microapps deliver “immersive experiences” with “evergreen content that captures buyers’ attention.” The apps are interactive and drive engagement through stories “that resonate in a way buyers will remember.”
Seismic describes microapps as “a new content type that combines the interactivity of a mini-website or an app with the ease of document delivery. Use cases include event invites, digital product brochures, buyer’s guides, and eBooks.
The microapp builder resides within Seismic’s Content Manager and supports drag n’ drop, interactive ‘tiles’ that deliver content as “scrollable image galleries and panes, in-line videos, quizzes, and more.” The builder is a no-code service that supports adaptive display across mobile, desktop, and tablets. Microapps may be reviewed and approved before publishing to targeted audiences.
While microapps support one-to-many interactive communications at the top of the funnel, LiveContent supports one-to-one, personalized communications at the bottom of the funnel. LiveContent is built with familiar authoring tools that “easily transform traditional presentations into personalized, memorable, dynamic stories.” Content is delivered in an “always-on” mode, as it is “intended to be.”
Seismic LiveContent converts standard presentations with embedded animations, transitions, videos, GIFs, and voiceovers “delivered remotely, exactly how a seller would deliver in person: in presentation mode.” Seismic stores the original presentation file, allowing content creators to update LiveContent presentations based on page-by-page engagement analytics quickly. The initial release supports Microsoft PowerPoint, but additional presentation formats will “follow soon.”
“Presentations are not intended to just be scrolled through,” said Seismic CEO Doug Winter. “LiveContent allows a buyer to engage with a presentation remotely in a similar way that a seller would engage a buyer in person. With our Summer 2020 release, we are bringing sales content to life.”
According to Seismic, interactive content is preferred to static material, with double the conversion rate of “passive” content. 91% of buyers prefer interactive/visual content and are twice as likely to share interactive content. 81% of marketers agree that interactive content grabs attention, and 45% believe that its effective for educating prospects (vs. 6% for static content). 88% contend that it is effective at differentiating the brand.
The CSO Insights 2019 Sales Enablement report found that 57.7% of buyers saw little difference between sellers with vendors blending together. Only 31.9% of buyers felt that at least one vendor succeeded in differentiating itself.
Interactive content supports flexible navigation allowing reps to quickly transition to relevant use cases, products, or services during sales conversations. “You can get a broad set of content—as large as any slide deck—and deep content that drills down into the details of your business solutions,” blogged Seismic Senior Content Manager Neicole Crepeau. “But it doesn’t have to feel burdensome, and it can be easy to navigate in the middle of a meeting.”
Users can embed questionnaires, videos, assessments, and calculators. They can let clients drive the discussion, “asking them to enter information or answer questions and choose what they want to know more about,” continued Crepeau. “By flipping the conversation and putting the customer in the driver’s seat during a meeting, you ensure engagement and that you’re truly talking about topics that resonate with the prospect.”
“Buyer expectations are high, and if the content brands are serving them is not relevant or engaging, they will disregard it. Today it’s not just about what you say; it’s also how you say it. Content fatigue and information overload have become particularly pronounced in our new all-digital work environment. Sellers and marketers are in need of content types that captivate their audiences and move them through the buyer journey faster.”
Seismic CEO Doug Winter
Interactive Content will be available as an add-on service. Seismic does not disclose its pricing.