When choosing the right game mechanism, it pays to be practical.
So, you’ve decided to run a community contest for your marketing campaign. Choosing the right mechanism for your contest is a crucial first step and will determine the campaign’s success. The game shouldn’t be a random choice and must be in accordance with your company’s guidelines and strategic objectives.
The first step is to determine what you want from your community. Do you want to grow your community, interact with your current fans or make sure your fans continue to follow you? Once you decide your specific objectives, you can choose the right mechanism for you. For example:
1) Recruitment
Objectives:
- To increase brand awareness, visibility and attract new visitors to your website and Facebook fans
- To recruit new followers and encourage subscriptions to your various channels (Newsletter opt-ins, Facebook Page “Likes”, YouTube channel, etc.)
Tip: Because future fans aren’t following you yet, you need to communicate your game outside your page as much as possible. Set up a simple soft gate before players enter the contest.
Mechanisms: Choose simple games that users can play within just a few clicks, such as Sweepstakes, Quiz, Instant Win, Instant Scratch, Roulette, a Secret Word to enter a drawing or a Jackpot to create instant winners.
2) Engagement
Objectives:
- To animate your Facebook page by targeting users already subscribed to your channels.
- To maintain lasting contact with subscribers
- To qualify your community
Tip: Conducting a campaign on one of your channels (Facebook Page, a Microsite linked to your Newsletter, etc.) lets you regularly communicate with users and update them on new products. You can view the level of game participation and directly export qualified information on your community.
Mechanisms: Lean toward engaging mechanisms that involve more gameplay, such as Rock-Paper-Scissors, Puzzle, Memory, Prediction, Open Quiz to enter a drawing, or even UGC mechanisms like Video Contest or Photo Contest.
3) Retention
Objectives:
- To design a contest for long-term clients, subscribers and affiliates
- To announce a new product release or test customer understanding of your brand
Tip: Organize a game where users feel that you are communicating directly with them. They need to feel acknowledged and will benefit from paying close attention to your products and offers. You can also ask them for comments and other feedback on your brand.
Mechanics: Conduct surveys based on likes through a Fan Choice Video or Photo, elicit opinions through Open Quiz, and offer exclusive coupons with Coupons and Group Deal.
Of course, all these ideas are totally customizable. Please contact us on our Livechat to make sure you are choosing the best mechanisms for your project.