Relationship marketing is an essential strategy for all brands seeking to build customer loyalty. And like any relationship, customer relations require time and effort.

Consequently, relationship marketing is a long-term strategy that involves multiply the points of contact with your audience. In this way, it will reinforce customer confidence and satisfaction with the company.

Moreover, customer relations are not built solely on transactional aspects (a quality offer at an attractive price). Among the positive experiences your company can offer its customers are games, and in particular competitions.

In this article, we explain how gamification can be used to strengthen customer relationships, and give you 4 examples of marketing competitions that can be used to strengthen ties with your audience at every stage of the customer experience.

What is customer relations?

Customer relations can simply mean the ties that bind a customer to a company. In its most basic definition, it encompasses the buyer’s interactions with your brand (the purchases they’ve made, the visits they’ve made to your stores, or even the exchanges they’ve had with your customer service department).

Nevertheless, customer relations today are a much deeper and more complex concept than that. It also refers to the strategy implemented by the company to improve customer satisfaction. and strengthen their bond with the brand.

Customer relations therefore include elements, both tangible and intangible, such as :

• What customers think of the company;

• The frequency and quality of their interactions with the brand;

• Measures put in place by the organization to resolve problems encountered by users.

To sum up: customer relations encompass all the levers needed to maintain a positive relationship between the company and its audience. This means knowing your customers, understanding their needs and meeting them as effectively as possible. It’s a dynamic that encompasses all the company’s departments, from product design to marketing, not forgetting technical support.

Why are customer relationships so important?

• Reduce customer disengagement.
• Increase Lifetime Value (i.e. the revenue a customer will generate over the duration of their relationship with the brand).
• Reduce acquisition costs (by investing in the retention of existing customers).

The benefits of gamification to strengthen customer relations

Gamification is a marketing strategy that involves interacting with your audience via playful formats inspired by the world of games. The marketing contest is a very popular form of gamification, through which the company challenges its audience. In return, participants can try to win a reward (usually linked to the brand’s universe, such as discount vouchers or free products).

This playful approach is particularly effective for building strong relationships with your audience, boost commitment and satisfaction. Gamification makes communication between companies and consumers more interactive, personalized and memorable.

Gamified formats hold users’ attention more effectively. They also generate positive emotions, in particular because they represent an opportunity to take up a challenge and win a gift. Gamification also encourages users to take action. Unlike static display marketing formats, which keep consumers in a spectator role, contests invite them to share, comment and create.

4 competition ideas to boost customer relations at every stage of the activation funnel

To take advantage of the benefits of gamification to strengthen customer relations, companies can offer a range of different game formats, with each marketing game building and consolidating relationships with buyers at a different stage of the customer journey, through targeted mechanics and rewards.

1. A competition in partnership with an influencer to discover the brand

To boost brand awareness and enable new customers to discover the company, the brand can rely on influencer marketing. Competitions on social networks, which can be launched in partnership with influencers, are an excellent way to reach out and activate your community. Contests co-branded with another brand are also an excellent alternative to this format.

Advice: the key is to choose a content creator whose universe is close to or complementary with that of the brand. The choice of endowment is also a powerful lever for increasing the participation rate.

2. Instant win to encourage purchase

The prospect now knows the brand but has not yet purchased from it. To encourage them to place their first order, the company can engage this potential customer with an instant-win competition. The advantage of this mechanism is that it lets participants know immediately if they’ve won a prize, and if so, which one.

Tip: offering discount or purchase vouchers with a validity date of several days or weeks is an excellent way to encourage prospects to make their first transaction.

3. A UGC contest to unite a community of committed customers

Photo contests or video contest around the brand’s universe are an excellent lever for strengthen customer relations with existing customers. The company can challenge its community to take the stage with its products or services. The most original creations will be awarded benefits (in terms of visibility or material advantages – goodies, gifts, etc.).

Advice : liven up your UGC contest by reposting the most creative photos or videos. This will strengthen customer relations by putting the spotlight on customers, turning them into brand ambassadors.

4. A post-purchase competition to reward loyal customers

Post-purchase contests, reserved for customers who have already purchased from the brand, are essential for building loyalty. They allow the brand to reward its most committed users by giving them access to a fun experience and exclusive rewards.

Tips: restrict access to the competition to brand customers via a QR code displayed on the sales receipt, or to loyalty card holders.

Competitions are a great way to create a memorable and positive brand experience. By organizing gamified campaigns, you’ll strengthen your customer relationships and build loyalty more effectively!