The application of the gamification strategy is not limited to just games and apps. Still, it is very useful in businesses also as the strategy enhances the company’s overall performance from employee engagement to marketing efforts and many more. It is a human’s natural instinct that we all are attracted to rewards offered in the games, whether you are a child or adult.
Especially in the case of consumer products, like apps and games, gamification solution keeps the customers well engaged and entertains them so that they keep using the product. A study says that 95% of the people who download a game to play and don’t receive a push notification to play the game for 90 days are very much likely to uninstall the app or get inactive.
Gamification is used in business because its business tools and methods can help establish an environment suitable to make customers interested and improve the interaction between the company and users.
Gamification
The gamification def says that this strategy’s working involves an already existing application or online community and infusing it gaming techniques to motivate the consumer and employee participation and assuring long-term engagement.
Using the gamification technique at the workplace is not creating a game to play for the customers and employees, but focusing on the game mechanics. Gamification is creating a simple way for employees to analyze their own progress and continuously improve the engagement within the company’s peers.
Higher the engagement, the higher the success for both the company and the clients.
Gamification in business
Like any other thing, overuse and use in the wrong way can lead to negative results and impacting the overall scenario. The same is with gamification solutions; going too far with it can negatively impact your business objectives. So, we must discuss how gamification works and how it fails.
Envision the impact in the long term
Before you gamify anything or anyone, you must take a long view. Getting people riled up to do
any activity or performing tasks, but there will always be those who relish the competition and who will support the competition.
Always keep in mind not to go too deep in the early stages; let things unfold themselves. And remember, whatever you do is for the greater good of the employees and customers, not just something one-and-done program.
Avoid overemphasizing rewards
Do not throw away big and flashy gifts thinking that people participate only because of these rewards; this perception is wrong, and you should avoid thinking this way.
The best way to achieve favorable results through gamification is by creating competition within the company’s people. There are two significant problems with larger-than-life rewards.
It gets difficult for you to keep funding big rewards, considering the long term. Your people will start doing unimaginable things and start cutting corners just for winning.
Launch a level playing field
Associate the performances of your employees with points assigned by you based on the certain factors that measure the points. It makes it very easy for the participants to understand how the game will be played and how to achieve the goal, and how to win.
It is understandable that gamification solution is always done for a larger goal. The goal could be anything from driving new leads to opportunities and also increasing brand reach, and much more.
Explaining the rules of the game to everyone helps them in participating doesn’t matter who wins.
Don’t make the winner a celebrity
Never blabber about the winner only and forget your other employees; the performance should always be measured based on the participation. Suppose 90% of the people in your business are wholly engaged in the activity. In that case, that’s a tremendous win for you and the gamification technique, regardless of the remaining 10% people holding the credit for most of the results.
The main objective of gamification is creating a team and improving engagement. That is why you are advised to reward your top performer and your other participants equally because you do not do such a thing. You will see a significant decline in engagement very soon.
I hope the points and lessons mentioned above will help you think out of the box and employ new ideas and methodology to organize better and execute your business. Doing anything is fun when there is some sense of competition involved with it. Just be careful with the way how you employ the strategy of gamification.