Did you know that gamification can help you increase your customer interactions by up to 40%?
This unique and fun marketing strategy applies game-like components to non-gaming elements in order to engage users and improve their overall experience. Starbucks, M&Ms, McDonald’s, Coca Cola, and endless other popular brands utilize these strategies to engage their consumers.
The reason why gamification is so successful is because it taps into people’s natural motivation to play games while also providing them with rewards that they can use in real life (e.g., points at Starbucks). Let’s take a look at how you can implement gamification in your own marketing campaigns.
Rewards Programs
One way you can create a rewards system is by giving back to your customers for referrals, online reviews, and social shares. These are all easy ways to increase conversions in the short term while also building your brand’s reputation over time. You can even use gamification to reward your employees for meeting certain KPIs or exceeding expectations.
Offering Prizes
Prizes are a key element in the success of rewards programs. These can be anything from free t-shirts or hats, an Amazon gift card, or even just bragging rights. Just make sure that whatever prize you choose has value and will provide an additional incentive so people are more likely to participate.
One way to show customers how much you appreciate them is by rewarding their social shares, reviews, and referrals with extra points or even discounts just for participating. This can be especially effective because it demonstrates that your company values feedback and opinions, which will encourage them to refer you even more in the future.
Starting a game or competition
The competitive mindset that we all naturally possess as humans is one of the biggest driving factors of gamification’s success. Who doesn’t like to win things, achieve goals, and receive rewards for their efforts? By tapping into these desires, you can help your customers become more engaged with your brand which will increase your conversions in the long term.
Creating a game or competition for your consumers is one of the most effective ways to engage them. You can start a game out of anything that you want by utilizing different types of rewards systems (e.g., points, discounts) or offering prizes. You can even create a digital game or competition with your customers through an app or other custom software. The great thing about digital games or competitions is that you have the option to create leaderboards so customers can see where they stand compared to their peers, which will encourage healthy competition.
If you operate a brick and mortar store, you can also create an in-person game or competition. For example, Albertsons Monopoly is a popular marketing campaign that allows their customers to collect game pieces and win prizes of up to a million dollars! In the past, consumers collected these pieces in-store, but they’ve since shifted the game to an app (thanks to COVID).
Gamifying your marketing efforts can drastically boost your conversions, increase engagement, and engage your audience. The time has finally come for marketers to stop treating their users like mindless drones who are only interested in quick wins. Instead, you need to “think outside of the box” by implementing creative, game-based strategies that will keep people coming back for more.
Interested in learning more marketing tips? Check out the Bizzuka blog!