Using Game Dynamics as a Marketing Tactic to Captivate Your Audience
Looking for a new way to grab the attention of your target audience and hold on to it? As technology and the Internet become more advanced, the evolution of the marketing field has continued to expand, turning gaming into a legitimate online marketing tactic even for B2B companies.
Game dynamics do not have to be extravagant flash-player video games. They can be as subtle as a simple points and rewards system.
What are Game Dynamics?
The goal of game dynamics is to drive participation on your site by offering interactive features. Have you logged onto Facebook lately? Over 34 million people log on to play Farmville each month. These types of games encourage play by awarding points, badges, coins and tokens that keep users coming back for more. They also encourage group participation by awarding bonuses for people who invite friends to play, adding to the interactivity and creating a larger following on the website.
Some sites use game dynamics to establish a virtual community, such as Nike+ which allows you to create milestones, make and accept challenges, and track exercise goals and weight loss. People often use game dynamics to establish their status amongst friends and even strangers.
Many sites offer progressive challenges that allow frequent participants to earn a distinguished title for advancing through stages or levels. In order to keep the interest of the users and maintain high participation rates, the rewards must be appropriate for the amount of time and effort put in by the participant. This tactic motivates people to return to the site often in order to earn the best rewards.
Why Use Game Dynamics?
Game dynamics can be used to offer additional rewards to users who add personal data that will help you market your products or services. Setting up a points system for sharing original content will reduce spam and increase the amount of great content shared on your site, which will further increase traffic. The points awarded for sharing content and links could be redeemable for tangible benefits, such as discounts or free prizes.
Game dynamics can also be used as an internal tool to motivate employees. For example, you could incentivize your sales force to attract more qualified leads by offering points that are exchangeable for gifts or bonus vacation days. A healthy competition can help your employees stay goal oriented and strive for the best results.
Kiva.org is a great example of encouraging spirited competition for a greater cause. They show users how many microloans they have made compared to the average Kiva member and to members with similar careers or interests. This encourages social comparison, which can make people feel good about their donation amounts or push them to donate more frequently.
If you are struggling to captivate your audience, consider implementing game dynamics as part of your overall marketing strategy. It may give you an edge in attracting business in your competitive field and will offer people a feature they can’t find on other sites.
About Clarity Quest:
Christine Slocumb is the President of Clarity Quest Marketing a leading marketing agency specializing in outsource marketing and online marketing for technology and healthcare companies.
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