This Strategy Can Be a Real Game Changer…Literally
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
It all comes down to your content and user experience.
There are many factors that go into a successful marketing strategy, but one major factor you must never ignore is interacting with your audience and keeping them engaged. Interactive content is a great way to engage with your audience and create a positive experience with your brand. Remember, it’s not about selling, it’s about connecting. In today’s world, consumers want to see authenticity and crave interaction with the brands they follow, especially the younger generations. With most millennials and gen z’ers growing up in a technologically advanced age, while having shorter attention spans, marketing to this group is going to be more difficult. They are tech savvy and have higher expectations from brands they support. They want valuable content and find traditional advertising to be ineffective, bombarding and even going as far as using ad blockers. Don’t get us wrong, running ads is very effective..if you know what you’re doing. It’s important to keep advertising, but do so in a way where you can keep your audience engaged. Adding some variety to your strategy and testing out other tactics can be extremely helpful and lead to new opportunities and findings. Don’t keep doing the same song and dance. The world is constantly changing and so are consumers’ relationships to traditional forms of advertising. In fact, over 90% of consumers are seeking more interactive content. New technology and trends are emerging, and your marketing strategy needs to adjust to a more advanced plan, while still fitting your brand. There are many different forms of interactive content, but one that’s a true game changer (pun intended) is gamification.
Let’s talk about Gamification.
Also known as gamified content, gamification involves incorporating gaming elements into a non-gaming context to improve engagement levels and encourage users to take a specific action. Digital communication tools allow you to take this strategy to a whole new level, and if done properly, gamification can be an incredibly useful way to build relationships with your customers and increase reach. However, you will have to be clear about your goal, audience and incentives if you want it to be successful.
So, what is your goal? Before pressing “start”, you will need to devise a plan. There are many benefits to gamification and any industry can use it. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Of course you want to make it fun and engaging, however, it needs to have a clear purpose, be relevant and resonate with your audience. The best way to start is with a goal. Do you want to generate leads, improve customer loyalty or increase brand awareness? Do you want to show off a new product or collect data on your target market? There are many opportunities available, but when it comes to running a gamified campaign, it’s important to keep it simple, stick to one goal and prioritize. A focused campaign that is well put together and organized will be more efficient and help give a campaign direction. Having a goal in mind allows you to create the content around that goal instead of creating a game just hoping it benefits your business.
Once you set your goal, now you need to consider your target market. Understanding your audience will determine what type of content to put out and where. Younger generations are starting to represent the majority of the consumers purchasing online. However, older generations are spending more time online than they have before, but just because everyone is online, doesn’t mean they consume and interpret content the same way. Each generation consumes content differently, so each platform has its own unique demographic. Regardless of age, everyone enjoys games and interactive content. Now the question is: What type of interactive content do they resonate with? Is your audience competitive? Or do they want to feel nostalgic? Think about an incentive that would pull them in and want to engage. Is it a giveaway, a loyalty program, a poll or a puzzle? A core element of gamification is the reward factor. It doesn’t have to be tangible, it just has to leave the user feeling good and coming back for more. You can post it on social media, your website or even integrate it in an email. The options are endless, but remember that it needs to be relevant and contextual. For instance, creating a “choose your own adventure” video series on TikTok is going to get completely missed by the working class dad in his early 40’s. Similarly, an eighth grader in middle school wouldn’t care about personalized shareables on LinkedIn. In regards to context, putting your content in the right place is far more cost effective than not. For example, posting on social media is better for increasing engagement and brand awareness, while posting on a website is better for increasing user retention and loyalty.
Gamification works. It all reverts back to your goal and what you want to do is build a plan around that goal that will resonate with your target market. Get to know their personality and engage with them. Two way communication is important for building trust and relationships between your consumers and brand. Focusing your attention on the customer and making them feel accomplished or recognized in a creative and interactive way will promote a positive user experience; but remember to keep it simple to avoid any confusion or it’s game over. Also, avoid running your campaign for too long because it will go stale if you do. You want to always keep it interesting and leave people feeling a sense of urgency! Gamification is just one type of way to use interactive content and there are so many creative ways you can build consumer relationships and grow your business. It’s just a matter of how you strategize.
At MSM DesignZ, we are dedicated to bringing out the best in your brand. The game has changed and it’s only getting harder to appeal to customers. That’s why we are here to help! We value the importance of creating killer content that delivers measurable results. With over two decades of experience, we know what works and what doesn’t. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/329405
https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/the-psychology-of-sales-gamification
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-tips/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-content-marketing-strategy