In business, engaged consumers are active consumers, so finding ways to engage customers and keep them coming back is vital to building a strong community of loyal customers. One increasingly popular method of engagement is gamification. Leveraging the fun elements of games to generate interest and excitement, gamification can be effective if handled correctly.
Below, the marketing and communications experts of Forbes Communications Council offer up some of the best ways to incorporate gamification, or more elements of gamification, into any marketing strategy and keep customer engagement levels high.
1. Give Customers A Way To Amplify Their Success
Gamification doesn’t have to explicitly be a “game.” People inherently want to feel like they’re part of something, and they often want to publicly showcase their accomplishments. Giving customers an easy way to amplify their participation or successes—even through something as simple as a social media badge—can be a quick and easy way to increase engagement and awareness. – Kelsey Flittner, Point One Navigation
2. Turn Loyalty Programs Into Game-Like Experiences
Gamified loyalty programs boost marketing by turning customer interactions into game-like experiences. By offering points, levels and rewards, brands increase engagement, loyalty and sales while collecting valuable user data across multiple platforms. It’s a fun, strategic approach to modern marketing. – Julio Cesar Gomez, Woolsey Morcom
3. Rethink Your Trial Program Or Account Onboarding Process
Gamification strategies work exceptionally well when applied to product-led growth (PLG) motions. If your current marketing strategy utilizes PLG, but lacks gamified elements, try gamifying your trial program or new account onboarding process. Simplify programs into micro milestones and reward new customers along the way. Not only will the conversion rate be higher, but retention will be too. – Evan Reiss, Foxit
4. Turn Customer Experiences Into Goal-Driven Interactions
Gamification keeps users engaged by turning passive digital experiences into goal-driven interactions. Marketers can use visual progress tracking, real-time feedback and milestones to guide users through key actions. When people see their progress and understand the impact of their next step, they stay engaged. The result? Better retention and outcomes—without unnecessary complexity. – Rhodes Kriske, InvestiNet, LLC
5. Weave It Into Your Influencer Marketing Efforts
Gamification can be integrated with influencer marketing by offering incentives such as early access to new products, behind-the-scenes content or engagement-based rewards. This approach works with internal and external influencers and can be implemented on a tight budget. To ensure success, it’s critical that gamification and influencer efforts are aligned with the overarching brand strategy. – Mark Rainey, inQUEST Consulting
6. Elevate Your Brand’s Image
Gamification helps brands elevate their image. It’s notoriously tough for value brands to go premium, but loyalty and rewards programs make it possible by segmenting customers. Just look at airlines—Southwest ditched free-for-all boarding to offer premium perks like seat selection and priority boarding. This allows them to compete in an age of premium. – Ken Louie, MetroPlusHealth
7. Use The Uses And Gratifications Theory
Leverage gamification through the lens of the Uses and Gratifications theory by addressing users’ desires for entertainment, achievement and social connection. For instance, create interactive challenges or reward systems that satisfy these needs. Gamification not only boosts engagement but also deepens emotional connections, making your brand more relevant and rewarding to your audience. – Lyric Mandell, PhD, MOXY Company
8. Offer Rewards For Referrals
Incorporate gamification into your marketing by turning referrals into a game. Offer points, rewards or tiered statuses for successful referrals, such as “Earn 50 points for each referral and unlock exclusive perks!” This drives customer engagement, boosts advocacy and leverages social sharing to expand your reach while fostering brand loyalty. – Lauren Parr, RepuGen
9. Create An Addictive Social Experience
From my experience in Asia, I’ve seen the real magic happen when you tap into social dynamics. WeChat’s Hongbao feature didn’t just add game elements to money transfers—it created an addictive social experience that people actually wanted to participate in. It’s about making people feel like they’re part of something bigger than just your brand. – Claire Vanessa Lim, Golin
10. Design A Membership Tier System
Gamification can be a clever addition to a customer advocacy program. For example, set up three membership tiers with distinct criteria like varying levels of product usage, different types of social validation (such as customer quotes, case studies or speaking engagements) and number of years as a customer. This approach encourages greater product usage, advocacy and retention. – Rekha Thomas, Path Forward Marketing
11. Create Interactive Campaigns
Marketers can incorporate gamification by creating interactive campaigns, such as rewards-based challenges, quizzes or leaderboards, to engage customers and encourage participation. This is smart because it taps into people’s natural desire for achievement and competition, driving higher engagement, brand loyalty and user-generated content—all while making the experience enjoyable and memorable. – Maria Alonso, Fortune 206
12. Ensure Whatever You Do Aligns With Your Brand
Make your content interactive by finding ways for your audience to interact that are unique to your brand. Gamifying content that resonates with your target audience is a great way to keep users intrigued and engaged. However, use gamification selectively and only as an addition to content when it aligns naturally with your brand and message. – Victoria Zelefsky, Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation
This article was originally published by Forbes on 4th March 2025. View original.
