It might seem like only prominent brands have the luxury of employing gamification in their customer engagement strategies. After all, some of the most iconic uses to date are McDonald’s Monopoly game or the “Close Your Rings” campaign from Apple.
But—surprisingly—gamification doesn’t have to be expensive. Even the smallest of businesses can get significant benefit by engaging their audience through game-like elements.
And gamification goes far beyond customer engagement activities. Companies can also use it to help train and engage employees. Did you know 83% of employees who receive gamified training feel more motivated? A company that employed this tactic saw a 45% increase in its bottom-line sales margin! One study even discovered a gamified system led to a 108.5% increase in website visits.
Though there’s no set of results for every company that employs this tactic, we can promise gamification will lead to employees and customers who are more devoted to your brand. And there are so many ways to implement gamification for your small business. Here are five strategies to point you in the right direction:
Loyalty Programs
Designed to help improve customer retention by incentivizing repeat business, loyalty programs can be as simple as rewarding points every time someone makes a purchase. The most tried-and-true form is the classic punch card. Accrue enough points; customers can redeem them for a free item or even “level up” as they continue patronizing your business. Reach higher levels of loyalty, receive even more reward points per purchase, or redeem points for higher-valued items.
Contests
A simple, no-cost way to inspire customer engagement with small businesses are contests. Implemented via your social media, customers who follow your account are prompted to tag three friends on a post and share or retweet. Random winners are rewarded with a product or store discount. This engagement encourages loyal and new customers to follow your social media accounts, boosting your audience and making them feel like special brand ambassadors!
Competitions
Eliminate the randomness of a contest with a targeted social media competition. Followers will vie for the most likes by posting a picture or video engaging with your product on their social media channels. The individual with the most engagement gets the grand prize.
Personalization Profiles
Most video game players love the chance to craft their custom characters. And a client’s website profile is a fun way to tool your website to their desires while learning about their likes and needs. Ranging from simply creating an account to customizing your site to a desired aesthetic, this personalized experience garners all the info you’ll need to target your audience intelligently.
Employee Onboarding
Even the most boring onboarding experience is more fun with gamified training like badges and levels. And, as we mentioned before, employees who receive it feel far more motivated to complete their work.
Are you curious about the benefits but not sure a gamification platform is right for you? Find out more with a FREE CataBoom demo. We’re confident our platform can help make your strategies even more effective through gamification!
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