What are some examples of gamification in business?
Gamification involves the application of game elements and game design to non-game activities such as corporate training, marketing, sales or HR management. Examples of gamification in business include company quizzes, video-game inspired onboarding, and game-based ads.
Gamification is a proven method in Learning and Development, offering companies a fun and engaging way to train employees. Game-based marketing is another growing area, with many leading brands discovering that gamified content increases clicks and customer loyalty.
Game mechanics often revolve around a challenge that the user must solve in order to earn rewards. Or a puzzle that leads to points or a prize. On top of that, there’s often an element of competition or a race against the clock, just like in video games.
In other words, gamification in business is based on the thrill of the game: playing, winning, and sometimes losing! When you apply these concepts to mundane workplace tasks, things suddenly become a lot more fun and interesting.
How to use gamification in your company
Whether you want to drive employee engagement or boost customer loyalty, gamification strategies are proven to have a powerful impact on business results.
Because gamification increases engagement, it’s a no-brainer for learning and development or onboarding new employees. Learners are more likely to focus, retain information and form a positive view of the company when training includes gamification features.
Workplace gamification is useful for rehearsing and playing out real-life situations. For that reason, it lends itself to customer service and customer experience training. Recreating everyday events in an online role-play or branching scenario gives staff the practice and confidence to deal with real customers and the typical situations they might face.
Gamification can also be a fun way for companies to build trust and a sense of team spirit, especially for remote work. Most team members are happier faced with a quiz than an intimidating test. And more motivated by an interactive online challenge than by reading a 50-page manual.
For sales teams, competition is a natural part of the job. Leaderboards and game-based online challenges can help spur everyone on and praise the top performers.
As well as gamified learning, gamification also has big benefits for social media and marketing campaigns. In addition to ramping up clicks, game-based ads and promotions can increase brand awareness. Long term, this can help you stand out from the competition and keep your company top of mind.