You're here because you are struggling to keep your audience engaged.
You work hard to create an informative program and invite people to attend. Yet, once your audience takes their "seats", keeping them engaged is your single greatest challenge.
Can gamification help? Yes. More than you might realize.
Maybe you've heard this trending buzzword, "gamification". Is it just a gimmick? And if not, is it really worth the time and effort it'll take to get it right?
We're here to show that gamification is worth it because it creates a strong, positive experience that leads to higher engagement, loyalty, and sales.
Gamification is the process of using game-like systems in business and marketing strategies.
Gamification is about more than just having fun. Gamification creates truly enjoyable learning experiences and helps participants retain information far better than trainings or meetings alone.
Game-like elements such as leaderboards, progress bars, loyalty points, storytelling, problem-solving, and rewards break the monotony of hearing lectures by stirring up powerful emotions such as competition and curiosity.
Does it work? ABSOLUTELY. In fact, you probably come across it every day without even realizing it:
Starbucks: Buy ten cups of coffee and get a free drink – it's like a reward for completing a level.
Instagram: "Play the game" of who can get more hearts, more followers, more "points" for doing well.
Nike+, Duolingo, Kickstarter: All use various forms of gamification such as milestone markers, rewards, and "high score" boards to keep us coming back for more.
What does this mean for virtual events?
Simply put, gamification rewards good behavior. It's an incredibly clever use of psychology that motivates people to keep coming back.
As attendees earn points, unlock new challenges, and beat their own (or someone else's) high score, their brain's reward center releases a wave of dopamine. They'll get excited and work harder to get to the next level.
A sense of accomplishment is one of the most powerful motivators of human behavior. Creating milestones act as a simple progress bar for attendees.
What this means for your event: If you can make your attendee feel like they have accomplished something, they will feel like they are seeing results from their hard work and be motivated to continue.
None of us like to be forced into a decision. Gamification is centered around making us feel like we're in control.
What this means for your event: Apply this during your next business lecture style event by letting users click 'next lecture' (like they are choosing the next level). When you give your attendees room to "choose their own adventure", it encourages curiosity and excitement.
Humans love to reach goals and we are very competitive by nature. Adding elements like 'personal best' and 'previous record' makes us push ourselves a little further, a little harder.
Forbes.com found that "Employees who acted collaboratively stuck at their tasks 64% longer than their solitary peers."
What this means for your event: By making attendees feel like they are part of a team, you foster loyalty, communication, and lasting relationships.
People will come to your next virtual event to hear what you have to say. Gamification will make them pay attention.
The payoffs are worth it:
Curious how Virtual Velocity uses games to drastically improve learning experiences? Schedule a free appointment with us today to see how gamification can change the way you put on events.