Gamification is the introduction of game elements into non-gaming contexts: work, study, and everyday life.
What is gamification?
Gamification uses people’s natural inclinations toward competition, rivalry, cooperation, and achievement. This technique motivates people to achieve goals and increase productivity. Levels to be completed, rewards, and rankings can be used as engagement tools.
It is important to distinguish between gamification and game-based learning. A game-based approach is learning within the framework of a specific game, while gamification is the application of game techniques in everyday processes to increase motivation.
The idea of this approach has been around for a long time, but it is only now gaining popularity as old motivation systems are gradually ceasing to work. The conditional “carrot and stick” method is no longer effective, and companies are looking for other ways to increase engagement.
New generations of employees, students, and customers—millennials and zoomers—have been accustomed to video games since childhood, so the transfer of competitive and incentive techniques fits more organically into their lives.
Principles of gamification
Gamification can simplify all processes, from training to business tasks, and increase the enjoyment of performing them. This approach can make any experience resemble a game, resulting in greater engagement. It also adds the joy of completing tasks, comparable to the joy of passing a difficult level in a game.
Motivation. Every game contains motivation for participants. This is necessary to ensure that players do not abandon the game at one of the stages. They must have a specific goal that drives them forward. Gamification naturally follows this principle. These can be bonuses that you receive with each subsequent level. In terms of marketing, a system of increasing discounts can be used here: the more you buy, the more you save.
Status. Throughout the game, the participant’s character develops and their “levels” increase. The further they go, the stronger their character becomes. The same principle works in gamification. At work, this could be greater recognition from colleagues or a promotion. In marketing, it could be an improvement in customer status: from bronze to platinum.
Rewards. In many games, after completing a level, characters are awarded gold coins, prizes, and virtual diamonds. The more difficult the level, the greater the rewards. Rewards are one of the key principles of gamification. Incentives such as salaries for employees or positive grades for students gradually cease to work. People know that if they do their job well or very well, the result will be the same. Additional rewards motivate them to work faster and better and give them extra interest. A bonus to the salary or exemption from one homework assignment for the best student will help to increase motivation. In marketing, this could be points accumulated from each purchase made with a card.
Staying ahead of the game: how gamification of services can help business
Additional principles can be added to the main principles of gamification. Games can include competitive elements, team tasks, and stories with a developing plot. The appropriate option should be selected for each specific task.