If you’re looking for a powerful and engaging way to get your brand message across to your target audience, look no further. Gamification marketing is just what you need, and in this post, I’ll explain how you can use it to achieve your goals at each stage of the customer journey. Because you know what? There’s really no need to pester your audience with pop-up ads and videos that won’t close. You can get them to interact with your brand on their own accord.
And how do I know that gamification marketing is right for you? Because it can be applied to any sector and to any type of company of any size. So read on to discover how to use the power of gamification to benefit your brand.
What is gamification marketing?
Using gamification in marketing consists of applying different aspects and elements of game playing to marketing functions, such as attracting and retaining customers, running a campaign, or generating engagement. The idea is to offer contests, competitions, challenges, and rewards in order to encourage audience participation, which is much easier to do in the digital world.
Gamification marketing is very common in loyalty programs, but it can be applied to any of the phases of the customer journey, whether to attract customers, obtain their data, or close sales.
So what things do you need to create a digital marketing gamification strategy? We must start by laying out the mechanics of the game, using storytelling techniques to structure all the elements of the game and make it attractive: levels, points, prizes, etc.The more fun, the better. It has to be easy enough to invite people to take part, but not too easy; there should be a challenge involved.
The strategy also involves deciding on the channels you’ll use to try to reach your audience and how you will measure your results. All of this is a piece of cake if you use it properly. I’ll tell you all about it later in the post.
Benefits of gamification marketing at each stage of the customer journey
There are many theories that explain the customer journey from the moment they have no relationship with the brand until they become loyal customers, and these theories usually divide this journey into 4 stages. According to inbound marketing, these are: the discovery of the brand or product; the beginning of the relationship with the brand; conversion; and loyalty.
You can use digital gamification strategies to improve results in any of these phases.
1. The discovery stage
Gamification boosts brand awareness. Wouldn’t it be great if the first time they came into contact with your brand was through a fun game? If the discovery of your brand is associated with positive emotions, engagement will be improved. And, with games and challenges, it’s much easier to educate people about your product.
If you create a fun game that your audience likes, you can achieve that word-of-mouth effect brands so desire and also lead to the equally coveted UGC (user-generated content). If your game is a hit, people will share it on their social media and create content about your brand. Content generated by the community is invaluable for a brand.
2. The consideration stage
Using gamification helps you gather information about your customers. Beyond contact information such as email addresses, you’ll be able to monitor how they interact with the games. This way, you get information about their tastes and preferences, which you can use to fine-tune your marketing strategies.
3. The conversion stage
It’s a proven fact: gamification boosts conversion. A good example of this is Domino’s Pizza, which has managed to make ordering pizza fun with their mobile app, Pizza Hero. Since they applied gamification to their ordering process, their profits have gone up by 30%.
If your audience is enjoying your game, there’s a much better chance that they’ll respond to your CTA than if you hit them with your ad when they’re in the middle of something else.
What’s more, gamification will make your offers much more attractive. Think like your audience: I’m sure you too are fed up with banners announcing X% discounts, but... what if, in order to get the discount, you had to win a game? A small challenge can be irresistible to many people.
4. The loyalty stage
Using gamification also boosts engagement. Surprising your potential audience with games is not only useful for capturing their attention, It can also help you get inside your clients’ minds, reactivate your relationship, or get them to fall in love with you. Creating a game is the easiest way to keep people wanting to interact with your brand after the purchase.
How to use Genially to gamify your marketing
When it comes to creating gamification resources, Genially is your greatest ally. It’s an all-in-one tool that’s got everything you need; just add a dash of your creativity. Creating content is much easier than you think because you don’t have to start from scratch. In Genially, you’ll find:
- There are tons of templates for quickly and easily creating quizzes, escape rooms, and games of all kinds.
- The ability to add interactivity, animation, music, and sound effects and create an immersive environment to make your game more believable, almost like a video game, And all with just a few clicks—no coding required.
- A super easy way to share your creation is to insert it in your blog or website, in a social media post, send the link in your marketing emails, or share it however and wherever you want.
- The option is to monitor your creations and get data on audience interaction.
Gamified Marketing: Captivate Your Customers and Drive Engagement
Gamification in marketing is a powerful strategy to boost engagement, loyalty, and ultimately revenue. By incorporating game-like elements into your marketing efforts, you can make interacting with your brand fun, rewarding, and memorable.
Here are some ideas to get you started with gamified marketing:
1. Points and Badges:
- Reward customers for taking desired actions, like making purchases, signing up for newsletters, or referring friends.
- Implement a point system where they can track their progress and unlock badges or rewards as they reach specific milestones.
- This creates a sense of achievement and motivates them to keep engaging with your brand.
2. Quizzes and Contests:
- Host interactive quizzes to test their knowledge about your brand or products. Offer prizes for the winners, like discounts or exclusive content.
- Run contests and challenges that encourage participation and sharing. This creates a buzz around your brand and generates valuable user-generated content.
3. Interactive Content:
- Develop interactive experiences like AR/VR games or choose-your-own-adventure stories. This allows customers to explore your brand in a unique and engaging way.
- Create interactive infographics or micro-learning modules that deliver valuable information in an entertaining format.
4. Loyalty Programs and Progress Bars:
- Implement a tiered loyalty program where customers can earn rewards based on their spending or activity.
- Use progress bars to visualize their progress towards achieving their next reward, encouraging them to stay engaged.
5. Social Sharing and Leaderboards:
- Encourage social sharing by offering bonus points or rewards for sharing your content or participating in campaigns.
- Create leaderboards to showcase top performers, foster healthy competition, and drive engagement.
Here are some resources to help you implement gamified marketing:
1. Gamification Platforms:
- Bunchball
- Badgeville
- Gtmhub
- Yoyo Wallet
2. Gamification Blogs and Articles:
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gamification-market-grow-usd-34-100000128.html
- https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32993/how-real-businesses-are-using-gamification-to-spice-up-their-marketing.aspx
- https://www.jebbit.com/blog/marketing-gamification-5-interactive-ideas-to-gamify-marketing
3. Gamification Courses and Certifications:
- GamifiedUX: Certified Gamification Designer
- Gamification Summit
- The Gamification Revolution
Remember:
- Clearly define your goals: What do you want to achieve with your gamified marketing campaign?
- Choose the right game mechanics: Select mechanics that align with your goals and resonate with your target audience.
- Make it fun and engaging: The core of gamification is fun, so ensure your campaign is enjoyable and engaging.
- Track and measure your success. Monitor the impact of your campaign and adjust your strategy as needed.
To make it even easier, here are some gamification marketing examples and ideas.