6 rules to optimize your interactive video

The beauty of the Vudoo platform is just how simple and intuitive it makes adding interactive elements to your videos (no technical skills necessary). But really, all we’re doing is providing you with the tools to create-the end result is up to you.

From choosing the type and placement of your interactions, to customizing the look, style, and color, you’re only limited by your creativity. But there are a few tricks worth using as the framework for your interactive video to optimize the product and get the best results.

1. Hold your horses
   It’s tempting to jump right in and start serving up interactions the moment a video starts, but our best advice is to wait… for 10 seconds, at least. Give viewers a moment to settle into the content so they are primed to recognize the interactive prompts when they crop up.
   
   
2. Stay safe
   Every time you add an interaction to a video, you’ll see faint grey border pop up-this is something we like to call the ‘Interaction Safe Zone’. By keeping all your pins, checkpoints, and subtitles within The Zone, you’ll make sure they’re visible to everyone, regardless of the device or operating system they use.
   
   
3. Timing is everything
   Our research shows that interactions keep viewers glued to your video, so make sure you give the people what they want. It’s a good idea to add interactions at least every 30 seconds to hold their attention and get them engaging.
   
   
4. Hang on to your audience: Once you’ve got the attention of a viewer, don’t let it go. Hold off on including interactions that link out of the video until the second half. Every view you get is hard earned, so don’t throw it away – keep people watching.
   
   
5. Everything in its place: The whole point of interactions is to feel like a natural, organic extension of the content. Think about where (and when) your interactions are placed-if they end up covering faces, text, logos, information, or graphics, they’ll just detract from the viewing experience. There’s a reason they’re called interactions and not distractions.
   
   
6. End things on good terms: The good news is that interactive video is shown to have much higher completion rates than traditional video. The good news is getting viewers to the end is another opportunity to engage them. To optimize your video increase conversions, add a checkpoint that pops up at the end of your video-it can take whatever form you wish and gets your viewers interacting even more.