Simply put, gamification is the use of games to engage a potential client and motivate them to buy your product. These games usually have some kind of goal that ends in a reward. It sounds simple but it is a tool that can either make or break your marketing strategy.
Whether or not you have heard the term gamification before, here we break down the term; how to use it in conjunction with The ASK Method; and what it could do for your business.
The Benefits of Using Gamification
Gamification can turn a mundane marketing research survey into a fun and rewarding activity for your clients that boosts engagement and the quality of their responses. Since the experience of taking the survey is more enjoyable, survey takers are more likely to spend more time answering the survey and provide more valuable data. They are more likely to share their experiences and encourage others to participate in the survey. The experience will also foster brand awareness and customer loyalty.
How to Use Gamification
Gamification is a great way to engage with clients and can be used in conjunction with The ASK Method’s Deep Dive Survey. Instead of asking your client to full in a survey that contains your average multiple choice questions and the occasional free-form answer question, you can create something more challenging by rephrasing your questions. For example, using ‘fill-in-the -blank’ questions that are easier and more fun to complete than open questions. You can even take it as far as using a progress bar that indicates the client’s progress and level through the survey; awarding badges for completing surveys; adding short animations and contests.
However, half the fun of playing a game is in achieving or winning something. Therefore, an incentive that motivates the client to ‘play’ your gamified survey is just as important as the games you included. There are different ways in which an incentive can be offered, such as cash prizes, discounts, vouchers, or exclusive products or content. Another option is to pledge a donation to charity based on the number of survey responses. In this case, the survey taker will feel like they are doing their bit to help the community.
A Practical Example of Gamification
An example of effectively using gamification in a market research survey is to ask the survey taker to complete a fill-in-the-blanks exercise that is essentially attaining their demographic information. They then get a badge or points for completing this part of the survey, which is then ranked on a leaderboard. Depending on how you want to reward your clients, you could rank the survey takers according to various criteria. These criteria could be which questions they answered; the time it took to answer questions or the quality of the answer. Clients can then compete to earn more badges or points, which could give them in-store discounts or more entries into a prize draw.
What You Need to Consider Before Using Gamification
Keep in mind, gamification and offering incentives is great in marketing research surveys, such as the Deep Dive Survey. However, gamification can skew the feedback in other surveys, such as a customer satisfaction survey. It can also appear gimmicky and distracting.
Furthermore, any games you incorporate or incentives you offer should be tailored to your market audience. It is also important to first consult your budget before implementing gamification into your next survey.
For more information on The ASK Method and techniques you can use to improve your marketing strategy and boost sales, contact Fusion Results today!