Katherine Frangos — October 28, 2016 
Gamification is a term making headway in the mobile world. The power of play through mobile apps is no stranger in our daily lives from our commutes to work to passing time in the doctor’s office. Users don’t even realize there’s a bigger reason behind the hype of the game. Gamification extends beyond the mindless addictions from AngryBirds to Farmville. If done right, it impacts buyer behavior, engagement and that intrinsic app loyalty that no paid advertising attains. There are countless examples of large corporations where their app bombed due to engageless or uninteresting content. For every 9 apps that fail, there is 1 amazing app that takes off epically. Users will never revisit your app unless they’re motivated or having fun. Gamification is no marketing jargon or fad, so get acclimated with these tactics.
1. LET YOUR MOBILE CUSTOMERS TAKE OWNERSHIP & POSSESSION
Many loyalty programs flop due to complicated, long-winded customer journeys that lead to a mediocre reward. Naturally, users want to choose what kind of possession they’d like to receive. Personalization has always been a key component of Starbucks so let’s divulge on the classic example of their Rewards Program card which was used back in 2012. Users begin by registering My Reward through the application. Based on a points system, users would be reinforced with a coffee cup becoming filled after making a purchase. Depending on how loyal the user is, the Starbucks Reward card had three personalized levels. For example, they could choose whether to receive a birthday gift card vs a coffee mug if the points afforded such rewards. In short, allowing the user to take ownership on the possessions they want brings instant loyalty to their brand.
2. GIVE MOBILE CUSTOMERS A WAY TO TRACK THEIR GOALS
As cliche as it sounds, everyone has a goal. Some want to lose weight, some want to save more money while others want to become more productive. When Nike took on an unorthodox product in their portfolio back in 2012, they knew the FuelApp band wouldn’t take off without motivating users through a tracked commitment. The more the user moved, the more points they accumulated. And the more active they were, the closer they came to reaching their fitness goals. By enabling a tracking system, users could see how many calories they burned, graphs displaying time per sessions, intensity levels, and above all, their total NikeFuel points which enforces brand recognition. Likewise, the app hosts local communities that encouraged members to engage by sharing, commenting or reaching a goal together.
3. DON’T JUST REWARD THE BEST EMPLOYEES OR MOBILE CUSTOMERS
Tackling employee engagement and productivity is a challenge no company avoids. Deloitte created an interesting program called Deloitte Leadership Academy that boosted their community engagement and employee training. Instead of solely focusing on rewards to those far-fetched, high-performing achievers, Deloitte made sure to get everyone on board and actively incentivized to participate. By fostering small communal leaderboards, participants could see their 10 closest competitors. In addition, the board would reset every seven days to show new interests among users.
Therefore, higher ups, like executive members could stay in the loop if they miss out due to business travel. Also, Deloitte kept the rewards relevant to their employees. Instead of being awarded an irrelevant badge for completing a simple task, DLA gradually acclimated users with the system. Rather than watching an uninteresting introductory video which explained the purpose of the academy, users were given the personalized learning path that they wanted to pursue. This level of customization provided a unique sense of ownership in the users learning process which in turn increased engagement with the system.
In short, if done right, gamification can boost loyalty and engagement and entice users to buy, stick with a goal, or learn. Once users are hooked, they invest the most invaluable resource of all…Time. And the more a users spends time on your app, the more likely they’ll be engaged, motivated, or likely to buy.
Want to learn more? Better debunk the myths first. Download our guide “5 Myths About Mobile Engagement”
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