Getting your business to finally stand out in a competitive market can often feel like a process of trial and error. If you’re anything like most, you’ll certainly need to test at least a few dud marketing strategies before you land on eventual conversion gold. The trouble is that, if you’re throwing marketing into the ether, it can soon start to cost you more profits than you’re likely to see back. Hence, at some stage, you’ll want to do a little research into what’s classed as the ‘best’ marketing technique of the moment.
When you do, you’ll come across a little tool known as gamification, the estimated global value of which is now somewhere around the $11.94 billion mark. Those are big bucks, and when paired with generally high returns on investment among other benefits, it means that there’s certainly an argument to be made for gamification as a top strategy in today’s market.
The question is, what exactly is this gamification that everyone’s talking about, and why does it deserve your top spot in an admittedly vast and varied marketing world?
What is gamification marketing?
As the name suggests, gamification strategies involve the use of game-based techniques to increase interaction and engagement. Gamification marketing is particularly popular right now due to an altogether more subtle advertising approach than its more on-the-nose contenders, as well as its capabilities to build loyalty across even younger audience bases.
Like all marketing strategies, specific gamification implementations will vary a great deal depending on your business itself, and the actions that you’re ultimately attempting to encourage consumers into. However, some of the most obvious examples of gamification in action might include –
- Incorporating real games: Perhaps the most simple example of gamification in action is the incorporation of real-world inspired games within a marketing context. Examples of this include scratch-card-style adverts or even the war-style simulators used by the American Army. These techniques are especially powerful because they’re comforting and immediately recognizable to your prospects. What’s more, basing gamification marketing on existing games (though, obviously you will need to tweak them to your style) can also save you a great deal of the marketing legwork you’d face otherwise.
- Making loyalty programs fun: Loyalty programs are a valuable marketing tool in themselves, providing the incentive of a free product after so many purchases. Unfortunately, loyalty cards too often end up at the bottom of our bags if we’re not excited enough about a brand to pursue them. Gamification through the integration of tier systems etc. can help to avoid this by providing a kind of incentivized marketing that few consumers could resist.
- Make it a contest: Contest-based marketing like McDonald’s Monopoly campaign is another fantastic example of gamification in action. When it’s simple to enter (e.g. buying a product), we just can’t resist a good shot at a significant prize. Well-done contests should especially encourage organic shares on platforms like Instagram, the success of which will likely cover even significant payoffs when your competition closes.
What does ‘good’ gamification marketing look like?
Knowing what gamification is, and even understanding the techniques behind it, doesn’t guarantee your success unless you also take the time to understand what ‘good’ gamification looks like. After all, there’s a lot of marketing ground to cover between you and brands who are already bossing this game-based approach. Luckily, gamification’s popularity is prevalent not just because of its reliable marketing format, but also because it’s a pretty easy skill to get right if you simply take tips like the following into account during development and beyond –
- Implementing elements of good gaming
We’ve all played a game or two in our time, meaning that we inherently have an in-point, during even our first shots at gamification. Techniques including points, levels, challenges, and collaboration are especially all touchstones for general gaming success. Taking the time to invest in the right tools, such as gaming laptop rental for in-person gamification events, and even designers to help perfect graphics etc., can also see you giving established gamification campaigns a run for their money. And, it shouldn’t even be all that difficult to achieve if you simply take the time to sit down and plan things properly!
- Taking the long view
While gamification can certainly provide short-term benefits in the form of immediate engagement increases and even conversions, it’s also vital to remember that gamification is, and always should be, a long game. Even if you don’t necessarily see returns straight away, implementing further efforts to turn leads created here into loyal customers (e.g. requiring email addresses for participation, etc.) will especially ensure lasting business off the back of even basic gamification techniques.
- Get creative (but realistic) with rewards
With big-name companies promising prizes into five figures and beyond, it’s easy to assume that gamification is only possible if you put yourself out of pocket to achieve it. In reality, though, promising something that you can’t deliver is going to do WAY more reputational damage than keeping prizes more modest in the first place. Creative prize ideas that don’t cost you a penny are especially valuable for this, and might include free products front our own range, or even guest spots on your business blog, etc.
- Reward your participants
While it might seem easiest to only reward your actual game winner, gamification should be all about boosting participation. Unfortunately, if you’re running a competition or something similar, engagement will inevitably drop off when you’ve only got one major prize up for grabs. Instead, find ways to collectively, and affordably, reward participants across the board, e.g. using loyalty points or discount codes just for playing.
- Always track results
Perhaps the main power of gamification is the fact that it provides an undeniable, and easy to track, consumer trail for you to follow. The need to sign in, create accounts, and share games, etc. can especially help you to understand better where your consumers are coming from (platform, location, etc.), how they’re interacting, and also who they are in general (younger audiences more likely from social media, etc.). The addition of discount codes furthers even this benefit by providing you with added insights into even buying behaviours, and enabling you to better tailor experiences across the board as a result.
The true benefits of gamification
In large part, we’ve touched upon some notable gamification benefits throughout this article, but what exactly do you stand to gain from putting the above pointers into game-based practice? In reality, a great deal. In fact, getting gamification right can lead to a wide range of short and long-term benefits, the mere tip of the iceberg of which should include –
- Increased engagement through ads, etc. that are far more appealing to audiences
- Lasting loyalty off the back of point systems and generally enjoyable brand interactions
- Possibilities of going viral using quality games and effective hashtags
- Expansive data collection surrounding various consumer behaviours
- The opportunity to educate consumers about your product
- And much more
When taken together, these benefits can provide undeniable selling power for even products that have remained under the radar despite your best marketing efforts. Dedicated marketing teams who especially work to perfect unique, creative gamification ideas that encourage consumer sharing can especially enjoy an extended reach that too often feels off the cards. Whether you’re looking to enhance an already booming business, or are struggling to achieve the attention your brand deserves, we can confidently say that all of the points discussed make gamification one of the best marketing methods you could consider right now.
