70% of companies already use gamification processes, moreover gamification moved more than 6 billion dollars in 2018 and is expected to double by 2020. These game dynamics can be applied not only to psychology or education, but to the business sector and more specifically to business events.
Don’t wait any longer to start optimizing your company’s resources and attract and motivate new customers. The best time was yesterday, the second best time is now.
And not only to end customers, we can also use gamification techniques to motivate employees, facing challenges, problems and rivalries.
Implementing a gamification system is very simple and the simpler you make it, the higher the percentage of participation you will get, you just have to find a good idea that fits your company.
At the end of the article I leave you some examples of how large companies implement gamification.
What is gamification?
Gamification has begun to gain momentum in educational and professional environments in recent years.
The idea is to transfer the mechanics of games to these areas. Elements such as rewards, game dynamics or competition are included, with the aim of rewarding and motivating participants to improve their learning capacity.
The idea is to apply the same techniques of games to environments such as education or business, in order to promote learning or improve the attention of participants, who show a better attitude towards this type of playful events.
Psychologists know very well that one of the most powerful techniques to get players hooked on video games is competition, competing not only against ourselves. Moreover, against the community, trying to become the best at something is what makes us strive as much as possible to give the best of ourselves, it happens in video games and it happens in companies.
Gamification techniques
There are many examples of gamification techniques that companies use to improve their relationship with customers, to motivate them and ultimately to sell more.
An example of this is the well-known Starbucks coffee chain that has a card where you can accumulate points and level up as you consume their products, so users with more level can redeem points for better prizes.
Another example is the well-known brand of sneakers and sportswear Nike, which has an APP available to all its customers for tracking physical activities, for example running, so that the user will see their times and distances measured along with other users and themselves, so that this motivates them to try to improve their times.
Gamification in the company
Gamification in the business sector seeks as a priority the optimization of the company’s processes through the training and improvement of workers’ skills thanks to gamification.
But also with these techniques we can achieve a better work environment, promote cohesion among employees and improve their commitment to the company, in addition to the personal satisfaction that this entails for them.
Gamification in the events
The gamification of events is becoming more and more present because of the power it has to motivate and gain the attention of the participants, in the end we are like children and a game attracts us much more than a boring conference.
We are going to see some examples and advantages that we can obtain by applying gamification techniques to the events we organize, since in the end the possibilities are unlimited. It is also important to propose gamification in hybrid or virtual events.
The simplest and easiest way to start with gamification is through points, many companies already have points cards, which you add up as you consume, but there are many other ways:
- Points
- Level scale
- Ranking of scores
- Challenges between participants
- Gifts and prizes for participants
Gamification examples
Imagine, in a conference if you give a card as a test type exam that each participant must fill in with the correct answers that will be given throughout the talk. The higher the score, the better the prize that can be obtained later, a networking chat over coffee with the speaker or something similar.
You will have a room full of people much more motivated to pay attention to what is being explained, because they know that in addition to the knowledge they gain, they can get another “prize” and they measure themselves against others in knowledge.
Finally, and what is more important for them, they are going to measure themselves against the other attendees, no one wants to be at the bottom of the table, whatever the game is and if it is about knowledge we do not want to be below the other professionals in our sector.
Other gamification techniques
Another of the simplest gamification techniques that you will have seen often, especially in Marketing events, is gamification through promotion, which consists of setting up a large screen at the event where the social actions that participants send about our project will be shown.
We can reward the one with the most engagement, the most original, etc. Finally, in this way we get many people talking about our event on social networks and enhance its impact, capturing potential future customers of the event that will be in the closest circle of friends of our client.
Always remember that our best “ambassadors” are our clients, having attendees talking about an event says a lot about it and will attract the attention of all those who were looking for such an event.
Volkswagen used this technique to promote a new vehicle in Brazil and it was the most talked about campaign of the year.
Another event that uses a lot of gamification techniques and is a success in its sector (SEO) is the Seo On The Beach, organized by Sico de Andrés and is known for offering a very relaxed and leisurely atmosphere as well as very interesting talks.
Gamification for the cohesion among attendees
Gamification methods enhance cohesion among attendees more than just publicizing the event, with games of activities on the beach, contests among participants or joke contests.
In the end, it is an added value that you offer to the attendee, besides acquiring knowledge, however he/she will have other values for which he/she will choose our event and not another and you will create a very strong community around your event and ultimately your brand and product.
Don’t forget that as in all games, the rules of participation must be clear but above all simple, furthermore, don’t make a game too complex because people will avoid playing, people are looking for fun and enjoyment, but if a game requires too much attention and training, they will avoid it.
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