Gamification is the use of gaming mechanics in non-gaming environments as a means of increasing engagement, encouraging participation, and inspiring collaboration. Because it can add elements of fun to otherwise dry, or even boring, environments and activities, gamification can prove highly effective.
Such is its effectiveness that it is used in business and it has become widespread in fitness apps, social media, general media consumption, and in an array of other settings.
Strictly speaking, gamification is used in non-gaming settings, but games and gaming apps commonly use it outside the actual gaming element of their products. Video game consoles use trophies and achievements to encourage people to play more and do more.
Also, there are casino apps that allow users to play on the go, offering badges and tiered loyalty programs to encourage patronage.
According to gambling expert Alex Hoffmann, these apps appeal to players because of their convenience, while loyalty programs are among the bonuses that keep players returning to the site to play more games.
Gamification has long been used to encourage shoppers to spend more and buy more items. Loyalty schemes not only use bonuses and rewards, but they also incorporate gamification.
Retailers could just offer discounts or free gifts to shoppers. Alternatively, they could provide repeat customers with a flat discount rate. Instead, most loyalty programs have tiered plans.
The more a customer buys, or the more often they return to a shop, the greater the reward or bonus they receive.
Think of programs like the McDonalds Monopoly game. The game takes a very literal run at gamification offering instant-win discounts and free products while using near-misses and rarity to encourage players to visit the stores and make purchases more often.
This gamification, and loyalty programs in general, are not only common in physical stores but have become very popular in ecommerce and online stores. A lot of ecommerce entities offer access to loyalty programs and other gamification elements.
Fitness apps are a very good example of using gamification to motivate people. The level of exercise performed by a user doesn’t directly matter to the app or its creator.
However, a lot of apps rely on subscriptions, or they offer targeted marketing and campaigns according to users’ activity levels and types. If the app is linked to health and exercise devices, then it is even more important.
Users are more likely to upgrade to a new product and less likely to uninstall the app or cancel their subscription if they continue to exercise. Gamification offers mutual benefits to the app owner and the user.
The user is encouraged to do more exercise, which benefits their physical and even mental health.
The app owner can enjoy improved profit or future sales and revenues from the user. When you’re being encouraged to take 1,000 extra steps, run an extra mile, or keep exercising to hit your daily streak, these are gamification elements.
Leaderboards of friends or local app users also introduce competitive gamification elements.
Gamification is used extensively in the travel industry. Air miles and frequent flyer miles can be considered forms of gamification. They encourage users to fly more to gain more benefits. But these are very basic compared to other techniques used by companies in the industry.
Museums and other travel destinations offer games and competitions that might encourage visitors to keep looking around.
A local tourism industry could use gamification to encourage tourists to visit as many locations in a given area as possible. Rewards could include tangible items, or the whole thing could be turned into a competition between friends and family.
The tourism industry benefits because it encourages visitors to get out and visit more places. Visitors benefit because they get to see more sites and enjoy more of what the country has to offer.
Education , and in particular education apps, also implement gamification in their modeling.
Duolingo is a popular language learning app and, like fitness apps, it uses streaks and badges as part of its process. Users are encouraged to set goals and determine how long they will spend learning a language each day.
They are encouraged to hit streaks and receive badges for reaching specific milestones.
The app also uses tests and exams, which are not usually considered appealing by most people, but because they lead to badges, they help encourage learners to turn up and take part.
Other learning and educational apps use gamification in similar ways and it can be a great way to encourage people of all ages to learn new skills or pick up new knowledge.
Gamification in the workplace needs to be carefully balanced. Some employees will be resistant to the idea, and if a small handful of people are the only ones to keep benefiting, it can be demotivating for the rest of the team.
However, schemes like salesperson of the month or employee of the month can be considered a form of gamification in the workplace. In some cases, the reward is nothing more than having your name on a board for the month.
But, some companies take it more seriously and offer rewards or prizes. Companies that give out trophies or awards at annual dinners, to achievers within the business, are also using a form of gamification to try and foster an environment of productivity and results.
Some social media platforms incorporate gamification elements. This can turn activities like sharing, liking, and commenting into something almost competitive. Facebook introduced a program on its group pages, for example, that effectively awarded points for every interaction a member has in a group.
Enough interactions compared to other group members, and a person can be labeled a top contributor. Even the display of the number of likes and shares a post receives is a form of gamification because it encourages users to post more to try and get their figures up.
For the social media platform, more engagement means a more appealing and busier site, so, again, it benefits all parties.
Disclaimer: The above references an opinion of the author and is for information purposes only. Never gamble for more than you can afford to lose. Gambling can lead to a serious addiction. Gamble responsibly.
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