How To Guide - Engaging Users with Gamification

1. How To Guide - Engaging Users with Gamification How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Engaging Users with Gamification By Kristen Maida, Research Analyst EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With a new generation moving into the workforce, new mindsets and technologies are moving in with them. Video games, social media, and all things interactive have been an integral part of everyday life for this generation, now beginning their careers and developing increased buying power as consumers. Engaging this new generation and those generations to follow will be a key challenge for businesses in the near future. Online communities and gamification are an important part of engaging the new consumer perspective. Gamification, specifically, can help to develop an environment of real-time feedback, exclusive benefits and great rewards that the digital generations have become accustomed to. This How-To Guide is designed to provide practical advice for engaging users with gamification. This guide outlines what gamification is, the key business benefits of gamification, and notable software vendors in the gamification space. WHAT IS GAMIFICATION? “Gamification is the use of game mechanics and game design techniques in non-game contexts.” – Mashable.com “Gamification is the process of engaging people and changing behavior with game design, loyalty and behavioral economics.” - Gabe Zichermann, Gamification.co “Gamification is the concept of applying game design thinking to non- game applications to make them more fun and engaging” – Gamification.org/wiki/gamification

2. How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. KEY BENEFITS OF GAMIFICATION Gamification can provide a positive, rewards-driven environment for the users in your community as well as deliver benefits to your overall business, including:  Engagement – while engaging in your community, users will be engaging with your brand and developing a relationship with your company.  Loyalty – over time, users continuously engaging with your company with develop confidence with your brand and remain customers based on the benefits and rewards of your community.  User Advice & Content – depending on your industry, active users may provide advice based on their background & experiences. This could also lead to user-generated content, which could aid your product/service in the future.  References – a happy, engaged client will be more inclined to share your website & community with colleagues and friends, thereby, increasing your bandwidth with lead generation. These types of clients are also more likely to post about you on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media meaning you could go viral!  SEO – community activity will automatically increase your SEO standings as more comments, likes, and users will increase the instances of your company’s name.  Fun – the “gaming” culture is inherently meant to provide entertainment. Creating badges, levels, leaderboards, and rewards will facilitate an enjoyable experience for your users and ensure a gratifying association with your company.  Revenue – all of the benefits listed above will essentially sum up to increasing your revenue. Engaged, satisfied clients are more likely to remain faithful to a specific brand (renewal revenue) and share your benefits with others (new revenue). KEY GAMIFICATION VENDORS There are gamification software vendors that serve almost every business sector and can accommodate any business needs, such as community How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. KEY BENEFITS OF GAMIFICATION Gamification can provide a positive, rewards-driven environment for the users in your community as well as deliver benefits to your overall business, including:  Engagement – while engaging in your community, users will be engaging with your brand and developing a relationship with your company.  Loyalty – over time, users continuously engaging with your company with develop confidence with your brand and remain customers based on the benefits and rewards of your community.  User Advice & Content – depending on your industry, active users may provide advice based on their background & experiences. This could also lead to user-generated content, which could aid your product/service in the future.  References – a happy, engaged client will be more inclined to share your website & community with colleagues and friends, thereby, increasing your bandwidth with lead generation. These types of clients are also more likely to post about you on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media meaning you could go viral!  SEO – community activity will automatically increase your SEO standings as more comments, likes, and users will increase the instances of your company’s name.  Fun – the “gaming” culture is inherently meant to provide entertainment. Creating badges, levels, leaderboards, and rewards will facilitate an enjoyable experience for your users and ensure a gratifying association with your company.  Revenue – all of the benefits listed above will essentially sum up to increasing your revenue. Engaged, satisfied clients are more likely to remain faithful to a specific brand (renewal revenue) and share your benefits with others (new revenue). KEY GAMIFICATION VENDORS There are gamification software vendors that serve almost every business sector and can accommodate any business needs, such as community

3. How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. engagement and/or employee engagement. Here are a few gamification software vendors that focus on building gamification for communities and that support various industries:  Badgeville – a gamification platform that focuses on influencing and measuring user behavior. Their pricing models are licensing or use-based; and they service the following industries: Consumer, Education, Enterprise, Government, Health, and Social Good. You can visit their website by clicking .here  BigDoor – a gamification platform focusing on maintaining an easy to implement, fully customizable program to engage community users. Their pricing models are licensing or use- based; and they service the following industries: Consumer, Education, Enterprise and Health. You can visit their website by clicking .here  Bunchball - is the market leader in gamification. They are a gamification platform focusing on user engagement, customer loyalty, and employee productivity. Their pricing model is on a licensing basis; and they service the following industries: Consumer, Education, Enterprise, Government, Health, and Social Good. You can visit their website by clicking .here ACTION PLAN 1. Review additional resources on gamification – Visit these websites to learn more: http://www.gamification.co/ and http://mashable.com/category/gamification/. 2. Prepare yourself for a new initiative – before developing your gamification plan, you will want to ensure that your marketing strategy for the upcoming year is clear. Utilize our Marketing Strategy Plan Methodology and our MarCom Plan Methodology to get your company prepared for any new marketing initiatives such as this. 3. Develop a plan – when implementing a Gamification Strategy Plan, consider the following: Vision, Objectives, Your Community, Engaging Your Users, Budget, & Measuring ROI. How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. engagement and/or employee engagement. Here are a few gamification software vendors that focus on building gamification for communities and that support various industries:  Badgeville – a gamification platform that focuses on influencing and measuring user behavior. Their pricing models are licensing or use-based; and they service the following industries: Consumer, Education, Enterprise, Government, Health, and Social Good. You can visit their website by clicking .here  BigDoor – a gamification platform focusing on maintaining an easy to implement, fully customizable program to engage community users. Their pricing models are licensing or use- based; and they service the following industries: Consumer, Education, Enterprise and Health. You can visit their website by clicking .here  Bunchball - is the market leader in gamification. They are a gamification platform focusing on user engagement, customer loyalty, and employee productivity. Their pricing model is on a licensing basis; and they service the following industries: Consumer, Education, Enterprise, Government, Health, and Social Good. You can visit their website by clicking .here ACTION PLAN 1. Review additional resources on gamification – Visit these websites to learn more: http://www.gamification.co/ and http://mashable.com/category/gamification/. 2. Prepare yourself for a new initiative – before developing your gamification plan, you will want to ensure that your marketing strategy for the upcoming year is clear. Utilize our Marketing Strategy Plan Methodology and our MarCom Plan Methodology to get your company prepared for any new marketing initiatives such as this. 3. Develop a plan – when implementing a Gamification Strategy Plan, consider the following: Vision, Objectives, Your Community, Engaging Your Users, Budget, & Measuring ROI.

4. How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 4. Select a gamification platform/software vendor – there are vendors that cover every industry and can customize a platform for your company. Consider your business needs before selecting a vendor. 5. Begin the development process – once your budget has been established and you’ve selected a vendor, you can begin gamification development. 6. Launch the new ‘gaming’ features in your community. BOTTOM LINE Gamification within online communities is a growing industry and may become booming as the digital generations continue to advance in their careers. A growing number of businesses are considering community development with gamification components to encourage client engagement, attract new clients, increase and mature their overall brand. Obtaining knowledge on this topic and developing a gamification strategy for your company will serve your bottom line in the future. How-To Guide © 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 4. Select a gamification platform/software vendor – there are vendors that cover every industry and can customize a platform for your company. Consider your business needs before selecting a vendor. 5. Begin the development process – once your budget has been established and you’ve selected a vendor, you can begin gamification development. 6. Launch the new ‘gaming’ features in your community. BOTTOM LINE Gamification within online communities is a growing industry and may become booming as the digital generations continue to advance in their careers. A growing number of businesses are considering community development with gamification components to encourage client engagement, attract new clients, increase and mature their overall brand. Obtaining knowledge on this topic and developing a gamification strategy for your company will serve your bottom line in the future.