- Contest Factory
- June 25, 2018
Gamify Your Social Media and Cash in on Engagement!
If you made a list of the most powerful marketing tools that you have at your disposal, “gamification” and “social media” would probably be the two entries right at the top. With that in mind, there is absolutely no reason why these two must be mutually exclusive, and it’s easier to make them work together than you might think. If you really want to create a more effective gamification experience for your social media channels to increase engagement, you simply have to keep a few key points in mind.
- Focus on the User Experience
If you really want to gamify your social media engagement in a meaningful way, you need to remember to focus on the entire experience. What you’re trying to do is less about any one technique, rather a series of smaller ones that, when taken together, add up to something truly powerful.
It’s not just about running the occasional promotion to give someone a chance to win a gift card, but about getting people to compete for “likes” or “retweets.” It’s about launching new, themed instant win games on a regular basis. It’s about creating continuity in your gamification so that your fans are continually challenged, motivated or incented so your audience knows that your social media channels are the place to be.
- Statistics, Statistics and More Statistics
Another great way to gamify your social media engagement involves points that stick around for each user long after an individual game has ended. Instead of seeing how people did within that one small context, they can see how they’re doing over time – and how they compare to all your other users, which will only further increase their sense of motivation and competition. You can even offer statistical brackets to compare people based on different factors. Add a leaderboard and you will see engagement fly off the page!
- LeaderboardsAre Their Own Reward
This all leads directly into another one of the best ways to gamify your social media engagement: leaderboards. This effective tool, which shows the top ranked contestants in over time, has long been used in sales to motivate the sales team and now it’s motivating consumers globally.
Each user has their own customer account to track their activity points. A leaderboard can be a great phycological motivator for your users, as those not at the top notice this and are motivated to work harder. Meanwhile, people who see their names and images on the leaderboard are more likely to share on social media, giving your promotion viral momentum. You can even encourage more sharing by rewarding everyone with extra points when they do. Those that have never participated in the promotion may see the leaderboard for the first time and be enticed to enter based on the gamification hook.
- Think About Your Triggers
Along the same lines, when it comes to gamification promotions that offer rewards, you’ll want to think about what your reward triggers really are. Anything with real value that is “FREE” will immediately be shared on social media far and wide, but you also need to think about what someone must do to earn it. Consider what trigger – either emotional, or physical through action – people need to do that is A) hard enough to keep people working, and B) easy enough so that actual people will trigger it on a regular basis.
- Don’t Forget About Your Timing
Finally, one of the most important elements to consider when gamifying your social media engagement involves timing – but not necessarily in the way you might think.
The types of games you run shouldn’t be open-ended. There should always be a ticking clock involved. Think of it like an old school video game where you have to complete a level in under three minutes or lighting a fuse with a match. This immediately sends the overall sense of urgency for the game through the roof, which also dramatically increases excitement.
If you’d like to find out more information about how to gamify your social media engagement efforts, please don’t delay – contact us today.
