{"id":582,"date":"2022-07-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demandzen.com\/gamification-strategies-b2b-marketing\/"},"modified":"2022-11-03T23:00:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T03:00:13","slug":"gamification-strategies-b2b-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demandzen.com\/gamification-strategies-b2b-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Gamification Strategies: Badges in B2B Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gamification can be daunting. Fully embracing gamification strategies means you’re going to be spending time, money, and a whole lot of effort on something that might not entice your user base. But done correctly, you’ve created a powerful engagement tool that will continue working for you in a way that other B2B marketing campaigns cannot compete with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good gamification should fulfill our <\/span>fundamental needs<\/a> for autonomy, competence, and relatability. Humans are motivated toward action based on a personal need to prove themselves and share with others. The same satisfaction we’re aiming for in gamification can be derived from checking something off a to-do list and posting about it on Facebook. We want users to associate that type of satisfaction with an application or website.<\/span><\/p>\n

So should you start designing your game right now? If you’ve never employed gamification strategies before, hold on a moment and reconsider. The first thing you need to ask yourself is \u201cIs this right for my brand and my users?\u201d The answer won\u2019t always be \u201cyes,\u201d and that\u2019s okay. Sometimes it’s better to avoid a trend than shoehorn it into your marketing plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, if you do answer “yes,” the steps you take toward determining your gamification strategy need to reflect your brand and the interaction you want to have with your customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

What I want you to do is think small. Gamification does not have to be a monstrous undertaking. Before you start on a large-scale plan, consider making small additions to your current marketing campaigns that include key elements of gamification. Get an understanding of your audience’s willingness to interact before you launch a full-scale campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s why I want to discuss one of the simplest aspects of gamification strategies that a marketing team can implement: Badges. Gamification badges are a way to reward users for taking actions that you want them to take. A good badge should be visually appealing, clearly defined, and have intrinsic value.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, wait. We’re using badges because they’re easy and low-cost. How do you give something value if you’re not attaching a monetary amount? When you have great design and a succinct badge definition, the value is the badge itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of my favorite apps does this tremendously well: <\/span>Untappd<\/a> is a social tool for the beer-drinking community that allows users to rate beers, check-in beers, comment on friends\u2019 check-ins, and toast (i.e., like) each other’s check-ins. It also gives out badges that <\/span>serve no purpose<\/span><\/i>, but they’re successful despite this.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Untappd, users understand what they are receiving the badges for, and they know exactly how they can get the badges they want it. There is a well-defined trophy page listing every badge a user a can receive. The badges are professionally designed and appealing. This makes someone more likely to screenshot it and send it to a friend for bragging rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

Users are notified as soon as they have completed a badge action. The text beneath the badge encourages them to drink more beer so they can level up the badge they just received.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"gamification<\/a><\/p>\n

This is important because while a successful badge system will entertain people, an engaging badge system will have users log in more often than they would have otherwise just to get badges.<\/span><\/p>\n

I can vouch that Untappd’s badge system encouraged me to drink a beer on my birthday and check it in, just for the “Birthday Brew” badge.<\/span><\/p>\n

With badges, you can build upon already-existing marketing campaigns within a B2B sphere. If you have an application you are encouraging your customers to use, reward them for learning about the application. When you feel that they are proficient enough in your tool, that\u2019s when you reward them with a badge.<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t reward users for things they can cheat on. Visiting five pages of your website? They can zip through those pages without reading a word. In other words, they haven\u2019t <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> interacted with your brand. Think about every single action you want to reward and how it benefits your marketing initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few actions that you might consider rewarding within a gamification badge:<\/span><\/p>\n