The increasing popularity of gamification has become integral to many organizations’ digital marketing operations. This type of marketing uses elements of gaming, such as leaderboards, points or actual games, in your marketing campaign to boost user engagement, improve conversion rates and ultimately, increase sales.
Through games, you can reach your target audience in a fun and engaging manner, which helps them remember a brand’s name. As a business, gamification can help you deliver your message creatively and effectively to attract new customers and retain existing ones. According to studies, websites that implement gamification experience a increase in site actions.
What is gamification in the digital marketing world?
Gamification is an enhanced marketing technique that borrows game design elements to attract and retain customers. Consumers are driven to perform an action because it offers elements of a competition or a reward. The point is to inspire users to engage with content by, for example, asking them to complete a task to get rewarded with badges or points. Think of Starbucks’ rewards program as an example of gamification in digital marketing encouraging users to spend dollars to be rewarded with “stars”.
Other examples of gamification could be using a countdown for a giveaway competition if a user finishes a task in a given time period. Or, using leaderboards or measuring progress to create a sense of competition and increase engagement rates – similar to a loyalty reward program.
Benefits of gamification
Incorporating gamification in your digital marketing strategy will not only provide your audience with a one-of-a-kind experience, but will also make your brand memorable. Here are some of the benefits of creating more engaging and fun content for your audience.
Boosting user engagement
Games that feature incentives such as digital badges and price discounts encourage users to interact with the brand and automatically increases their engagement levels. It makes the user feel in control and motivates them to explore your product or brand. People are competitive with themselves and others, so adding a competitive aspect to your game usually means that once a user starts, they are committed out of a desire to win or outrank others in the game.
Studies have shown that up to a 150% increase in positive consumer behavior and user engagement can be observed after gamified content is created. This proves that you can’t go wrong with including gamification in your digital marketing strategy, as it is a viable approach to engage customers effectively and drive sales.
Growing brand loyalty
Those who engage with a fun, branded game and have your brand top of mind are valuable customers for your business. If they have a positive experience with your brand, it will lead them to have some sort of an emotional connection and recall toward your brand leading them to become loyal customers in no time.
Many studies have revealed that engaged customers are more profitable than those who are not. They represent a higher share of a company’s wallet and have higher relationship growth.
If you keep your customers in the loop, their loyalty toward your business will grow — and so will your revenue.
Gathering useful data
Getting new leads and customer data is challenging, especially under the current regulations regarding data protection. But with the use of gamification, you will find it easier to gather consumers’ personal information.
Through gamification, you can collect valuable user data such as their names, homes and addresses. More often than not, users must provide this information to participate in a game. Through the data, you can gain a deeper understanding of your consumers’ demographics. This information is useful in order to tailor your offerings to meet the needs of your clients and overall, create stronger marketing strategies.
Many website owners choose to use games as one of their most effective ways to attract visitors. Providing users with a pleasurable experience or even a chance to win a prize or an incentive is very likely to encourage them to provide valuable data that you can use to your advantage later on.
Reaching diverse audience
The design of games has been crafted to appeal to two different generations – Millennials and Gen Z. Due to the rise of digital technology and the increasing number of digitally connected people, the demand for digital marketing has also increased.
In this case, gamification can help you provide visual content appealing to the younger generations. This kind of content can be easily digestible and has a visual and interactive feel, which is a perfect approach because these generations are typically interested in marketing approaches with a strong sense of aesthetics. It adds a creative edge to your marketing efforts and makes your brand stand out from others.
Why immersive gamification matters
Most people have difficulty explaining why they prefer a specific brand over another. Their affinity for a company is usually due to their emotions, which means you must work incredibly hard to create an emotional connection with consumers.
Immersive experiences should be part of your strategy to connect with your consumers in a more meaningful manner. These experiences can help customers define themselves and become a part of your brand’s identity.
Simply put, gamification aims to with its consumers through fun and competition. If you do it right, it can enhance your digital marketing efforts by building a loyal audience.
For a long time, marketers and advertisers have been using various forms of visual content to reach their consumers. In recent years, some have even started incorporating gaming into the marketing mix. You definitely should follow their steps, if you haven’t already.
In conclusion, gamification is no longer a new concept and has become an integral part of any marketing strategy. By including gamification in your digital marketing strategy, your business will stay ahead of the curve and build a strong base of loyal customers.
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