Once upon a time, digital media related to gaming was initially thought of as just a niche, a temporary fad that will fade over the years. Fast forward to today, and gaming is now one of the most profitable forms of media worldwide, with millions of dedicated players contributing to the millions earned each passing day.
This makes gaming a very profitable and lucrative industry that can also be a viable marketing tool for various industries. Over the years, we have seen companies try and use gaming media as a part of their digital marketing strategies. On the other end, digital marketing has been really effective in promoting gaming as well, with some of the most ambitious marketing campaigns crafted to promote equally ambitious video games.
With this kind of success on both ends of the spectrum, gamification has turned into a viable element of various digital marketing strategies and has provided an extra degree of interactivity that could not be achieved before. With that in mind, here is how Gamification can help boost your digital marketing game.
Enhance the user experience
Back in the early days of traditional marketing, the amount of interaction that customers can get from a marketing campaign was limited to only physical interactions at live events. This meant that audience participation and interaction was few and far in between. While television commercials greatly contributed to the marketing boom during the past few decades, there was not much in the way of audience interaction.
Through gamification, the audience now has the ability to impact marketing strategies through participation. One of the more common ways brands use gamification is through gaming apps dedicated to marketing the product. These apps not only endorse products and enhance interactivity, but also help generate more audience interest. There are also times that the game becomes popular enough to stand on its own as well, which helps promote a brand to an even wider audience.
One of the most popular brands that use gamification was Audi, which launched the successful Audi A4 Driving Challenge. The game involves a series of driving mini-games that allow users to experience what it would feel like to drive an Audi A4. This app not only got downloaded by millions of users but also helped Audi promote their latest car model and boost their sales.
Relay your message and increase awareness
One of the advantages of using gamification is that it will not only boost your sales but also raise brand awareness that helps convey the message of your brand to your audience. The best kind of marketing is marketing that is meaningful and resonates with the audience’s emotions. Gamification can help relay the message much better using inventive and interesting types of games that the audience would find meaningful and fun to play again and again.
A lot of today’s video games explore numerous subject matter, such as politics, religion, morality, and also raise questions about various real-world topics. This helps make a more relatable story that helps players become immersed in the game much better. This is why gamification works to capture the audience’s attention, as you can create a game that promotes the brand and send a positive message as well.
Examples of game apps that promote a meaningful message is WWF Together by the World Wildlife Fund. The game sees players create origami patterns of endangered animals. After creating the origami patterns, players are then presented important information about the animals themselves and get to know them more. This is a great example of how gamification can promote a positive message while being able to help your brand grow at the same time.
Boost your social media presence
Social media has become one of the best platforms to promote your brand and execute effective and successful digital marketing strategies. Nowadays, it is not surprising to see mobile game app advertisements when scrolling on social media sites like Facebook. With the presence of so many game-related apps being advertised on Facebook, it can be a challenge to stand out from the rest of the pack.
However, since your app is representing your brand, that could be the edge that you need to stand out. Being a part of the brand means that you are able to craft a more elaborate social media campaign, which helps you drive more traffic compared to only using paid ads. The audience would not only be aware of what your brand has to offer but also know about your gaming app and its purpose as well.
Some of the most popular gaming apps gained most of their players through social media promotion, which makes gamification a viable route to take when it comes to boosting your social media presence.
Key Takeaway
Gaming has taken so many forms over the years, and gaming apps are another popular form that helps promote the medium to a wider audience. Through gamification, you not only provide another medium for your audience to immerse themselves in but also another way for them to understand your brand much more.
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