Gamification marketing – the use of gaming elements in non-gaming activities – is quickly becoming a key tool in the modern marketer’s arsenal. 

 

From increasing customer engagement to providing incentives for sales and support efforts, gamification has proven itself as an effective way to motivate users and drive results across a number of industries.

 

In this blog post, we'll be taking a look at how you can make use of gamification techniques to strengthen your marketing campaigns and foster greater interaction with customers. 

 

Whether you're a digital marketer looking to increase engagement or an SMB owner trying to get more customers through your door, this post will show you what game mechanics could help your business achieve its goals. So grab yourself some snacks and let's dive into the world of gamified marketing!

 

 

What is Gamification Marketing?

 

Gamification marketing is a technique that uses game mechanics and elements to engage consumers and promote brand loyalty, awareness, and sales. The idea behind gamification marketing is to make marketing campaigns more interactive, entertaining, and rewarding for the consumer, ultimately leading to increased engagement, retention, and conversion rates.

 

Gamification marketing typically involves incorporating elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, rewards, and social sharing into marketing campaigns. These elements incentivize consumers to interact with the brand and motivate them to complete specific actions, such as making a purchase or sharing a post on social media.

 

Gamification marketing can be applied to a variety of marketing channels, including email, social media, mobile apps, websites, and in-store experiences. For example, a company might use a mobile app to create a scavenger hunt or puzzle game that encourages consumers to visit their physical store and make a purchase.

 

The goal of gamification marketing is to make the marketing experience more enjoyable and memorable for the consumer, creating a positive association with the brand and driving long-term loyalty and advocacy.

 

 

Benefits of gamification in marketing

 

✅ Increased engagement: Gamification marketing increases engagement by creating an immersive and interactive experience that captures the attention of consumers. By incorporating game elements, such as points, badges, and rewards, consumers are incentivized to engage with the brand and complete specific actions.

 

✅ Improved brand loyalty: Gamification marketing can help improve brand loyalty by creating a positive association with the brand. Consumers are more likely to remember and advocate for a brand that provides a fun and rewarding experience.

 

✅ Increased customer retention: Gamification marketing can help increase customer retention by providing consumers with a reason to return to the brand. By offering ongoing challenges and rewards, consumers are incentivized to continue engaging with the brand and stay loyal over time.

 

✅ Higher conversion rates: Gamification marketing can lead to higher conversion rates by motivating consumers to complete specific actions, such as making a purchase or sharing a post on social media. By incentivizing these actions, consumers are more likely to convert and become loyal customers.

 

✅ Data collection: Gamification marketing can also provide valuable data on consumer behavior and preferences. By tracking engagement and completion rates, businesses can gain insights into what resonates with their target audience and optimize their marketing strategies accordingly.

 

 

Examples of types of gamification in marketing

 

Any game that has ever been popular can serve as the basis for your game mechanics. Success depends only on how well you choose the mechanics for your product or service.

 

• Puzzle of products in the cart

This mechanic helps to increase sales.

 

Example: food delivery app from restaurants. When the user first opens the application, he sees an empty puzzle, where instead of each missing detail, a category of dishes is written: soup, side dish, salad, hot dishes, drink. When choosing one of the dishes, the detail is filled. Having collected 4 out of 5 details, the user will most likely want to finish the puzzle and order the fifth dish.

 

• Interactive quiz on the site

Such surveys help increase the number of leads.

 

Example: a quiz was added to the website of an online store, which consists of several questions, the purpose of which is to create a selection of products that interest the user. To get the result of the selection, the user needs to enter his personal data or register.

 

• Interactive quiz in Stories

Such surveys help increase audience engagement and provide an opportunity to analyze topics that resonate with the audience the most.

 

Example: a clothing store on their Instagram launches a series of Stories, where the user is shown several “looks” for this summer season. With the help of light polls like “what outfit would you choose?”, after a day it is already possible to collect useful information that can be used in the future when creating a new collection of clothes.

 

• Roulette

Such mechanics can increase audience engagement and increase sales.

 

Example: at present, there are quite a lot of indecisive or gambling people on whom no less gambling mechanics of roulette can be applied. On the website of a library or a bookstore, there is a button "Spin roulette", after clicking on which, within 4-5 seconds, book covers quickly replace each other on the screen. Then the enumeration stops and the page of the book opens. Voila! The choice is made

 

P.S. If a registered user who has already had orders plays such a "Roulette", then it is worth making the choice "pseudo-random", taking into account the user's personal preferences, otherwise he may "spin" for too long.

 

 

10 Best Gamification Marketing Examples

 

Starbucks Rewards Program - Starbucks' rewards program is a classic example of gamification marketing. Customers earn points for purchases, which can be redeemed for free drinks, food, and merchandise.

 

Nike Run Club App - Nike's Run Club app uses gamification to motivate users to run more often and for longer distances. Users earn achievements and badges for completing challenges, such as running a certain number of miles or running at a certain pace.

 

Duolingo Language Learning App - Duolingo's language learning app incorporates game elements, such as leveling up and earning rewards, to make learning a new language more engaging and fun.

 

Fitbit Activity Tracker - Fitbit's activity trackers encourage users to hit their fitness goals by tracking their progress and offering rewards for hitting milestones.

 

LinkedIn Learning - LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses that incorporate gamification elements, such as quizzes, challenges, and badges, to motivate learners to complete the courses.

 

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program - Southwest Airlines' rewards program allows customers to earn points for flights and redeem them for free flights, hotel stays, and rental cars.

 

McDonald's Monopoly Game - McDonald's annual Monopoly game is a classic example of gamification marketing. Customers earn game pieces with their purchases, and collect sets to win prizes ranging from free food to cash.

 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Endangered Species App - The WWF Endangered Species app uses gamification to raise awareness about endangered species. Users can select a species to protect, and earn points for completing challenges related to that species.

 

Marriott Rewards Program - Marriott's rewards program allows customers to earn points for hotel stays, which can be redeemed for free nights, flights, and other perks.

 

Sephora Beauty Insider Program - Sephora's Beauty Insider program allows customers to earn points for purchases, which can be redeemed for free products, discounts, and experiences.

 

 

🔹 Outcome

 

Evaluation of effectiveness based on the results of gamification directly follows from the goals for which it was directed.

 

The goal of audience engagement is to evaluate activity indicators: the number of reposts, comments, likes, registrations, and subscriptions.

 

The purpose of lead generation is to estimate the number of leads received, and their cost. The goal of increasing sales is to analyze how much sales have grown compared to the previous period. We estimate the cost of an attracted buyer.

 

 

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