Interaction. It’s what drives engagement on your website or blog. People want content they can interact with – be part of. Quizzes are a great way to accomplish this, and they serve some other valuable purposes as well.
What Kind of Quiz Works Best?
The answer to that question isn’t as simple as “do this” or “do that.” The real answer is… “It depends.”
Now, I know that if you follow my blog you’re sitting there right now thinking, “Here he goes again with the ‘it-depends’ stuff.” I’d love to tell you that there’s a formula to this, but there are loads of variables. For example, if your blog is about business and finance, you probably won’t get far with a “What ‘Big Bang Theory’ Character Are You?” quiz, but that same theme could work well in an entertainment blog or provide a bit of levity for even a highly technical scientific blog. It depends on who is reading it.
That brings me to my next point: You know your audience and the kinds of content to which that demographic responds. You need to write quizzes around that kind of content, and your quizzes need to fit with your branding message. If you need more guidance, a good custom writing service can help put together a winning strategy for you.
How Do Quizzes Convert?
Inbound marketing is done in stages, the first two of which are handled nicely by quizzes. They present attractive content with a built-in call to action. Even if your subject matter seems a little dry, quizzes make it much more consumable simply because now the reader is more than just an outside observer. The quiz initiates a conversation. The communication between your content and your reader is now two-way.
You can therefore use quizzes in a variety of ways. Use them as a pre-sell for your product and use the results to deliver targeted landing pages. In this way, they act as a personalized form that helps you individualize the user experience.
You also use quizzes as a way of increasing your reach with your demographic on social media by promoting sharing of the results. You can then redirect to your landing page with a popup that allows the user to share his or her results.
Quizzes can also enhance the message in an article and reinforce your call to action. In fact, the call to action could actually be to take the quiz at the end. If the user goes that far, you know that he or she is interested in the subject and you can start monetizing with your own products or relevant affiliate products. When you tie your quiz to an email opt-in, one quiz can offer you the opportunity to put an endless stream of offers in front of your readers.
Just to give you an idea of how well this can work, back in 2013 the New York Times ran a quiz titled “How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk.” After just 11 days, the quiz went viral. It was actually the most popular piece of content for the company that entire year. Tell me, when you think New York Times, are “quizzes” the first thing that jump to mind? Of course not, but it only proves how effective – and, at times, underestimated – they can be.
Now if you’re wondering how you should be incorporating quizzes into your overall content strategy, bear in mind that there are plenty of ways that a good quiz can represent you. They don’t all have to be lighthearted and mindless. They can, as I pointed out earlier, be a major reinforcer for the rest of your content, and they can be used to educate. This brings me to my next point…
Failure IS an Option!
Some quizzes are designed to elicit failure. Why? So marketers can prove that they have information and expertise the reader needs. You do it in a way that gets people thinking. You don’t want them to feel stupid, but you do want to emphasize who the authority is on the subject in a way that assures the reader that listening to you would be of benefit to him or her. Now you have your opening. Now it’s time to start selling.
Creating a Quiz
There are a number of ready-made quiz platforms available through various website themes. Some are free; some are premium. The latter, of course, will always be better quality, so when deciding what route to take, consider the long-term benefits. The right quiz can net you thousands of dollars. Is that worth $99 or a $15 monthly subscription?
Subscriber sites also tend to alleviate some of the traffic burden from your website by allowing you to redirect to their sites to serve quiz content. Do a little investigating and find the right fit for your site and for your brand.
When done right, quizzes can be some of the most engaging elements of your overall content strategy. If you haven’t delved into this particular area of content creation, I’d like to encourage you to at least start investigating if and how your competition is using them. That way you can get an idea of what works or be the first on your block to offer this kind of content in your niche.