Within the past few weeks my colleagues Pam and Colleen started a ComBlu blog series that looks at the four primary areas of community vibrancy best practices: engagement, content experience, community management and gamification and how they measured up based on a study we conducted on behalf of Lithium Technologies. Their blog posts: Community Engagement: Mixed Reviews and Community Content: Primed for Improvement covered the first three vibrancy best practices. Today I will be continuing the series and talk about gamification as a key component of community vibrancy.
Utilizing a gamification system within your community is a great way to keep people involved and drive participation. It helps encourage community members to engage over time and the reward and/or recognition aspect of gamification serves as a solid return motivator.
Our study revealed that gamification by large is not utilized to its full potential. Among the communities we studied, 70% offered some basic gaming functionality, which includes some or all of the following:
- Points system
- Levels (rank)
- Community leaders recognized
- Status and expertise clearly conferred
- Status is associated with high-value content
However, most communities today do not take gamification to the next level and use it to it fully engage members. Big misses include:
- Not recognizing or showcasing high-performing members
- Lack of leaderboards
- Lack of specific engagement/activity badges
A full 91% of the communities studied did not offer an all-time leaderboard. In addition, only half of the communities had a rolling leaderboard. These gamification functionalities provide micro fame and increased recognition within the community – something many members really enjoy.
In addition, 68% of the communities we studied are not showcasing or spotlighting a member and their success in the community, and only 31% had some type of MVP/VIP program in place.
Interestingly enough, the communities with MVP programs are using them well. Ninety-two percent offer a clear explanation for how they work and how to apply, and 71% actively recruit members into the programs. Communities that have a stable membership and do not offer a VIP/MVP program miss the chance to leverage brand advocacy and create a system that sparks both contribution and engagement.
Communities need to focus on identifying and recruiting a group of mentors, designated as VIPs/Experts to help with support responses, build engagement, and grow the brand knowledge base. This will also ensure top contributors feel valued and will go a long way toward enhancing overall vibrancy and will help your gamification thrive within the community.
Do you have a gamification strategy that engages member to their full potential? Please share!
Principal
Engaging your customers is at the heart of successful marketing programs. For more than 20 years, Cheryl has been building and executing content and thought leadership strategies designed to do just that. She is excited to be applying that well-honed skill to a help companies like Microsoft, Cisco, 3M, Intel, Capital One and Barclaycard tap into their stakeholder communities and build sophisticated content strategies.
Her experience base spans a range of industries – from technology and financial services to retail, travel, consumer products and healthcare. Cheryl has served as an integral member of her clients’ marketing teams, providing counsel on marketing and brand strategy, thought leadership, media relations, product introductions, and event management.
Prior to joining ComBlu, Cheryl spent 10 years leading corporate marketing for large, complex organizations.