How to Keep Your Customers Loyal and Engaged with Gamification in B2B Loyalty Programs

The cardinal principle in customer retention is that a positive experience remains etched in memory. Customers are more likely to make repeat purchases, recommend the brand to their friends, share their personal information, or engage with it in other ways if they have a memorable experience. It is vital to create such experiences to build a loyal customer base and reap the benefits of their advocacy. B2B (business-to-business) companies are not exempt from this phenomenon. Undoubtedly, a loyalty program is a strategy that has been adopted by a significant number of B2B companies, with 76.5% of them having implemented it, as revealed by one survey.

Gamification is the process of applying game elements, such as leaderboards, points, and badges, to non-game environments in order to engage users and inspire them to achieve particular objectives. By doing this, it enhances the enjoyment, interest, and satisfaction of mundane or routine tasks.

For B2B loyalty programs, where it is utilized to entice customers to stick with a brand, gamification is a useful tool. These initiatives are designed to reward customers who make additional purchases or interact with the brand in other ways, fostering a stronger bond between them and the business. We will discuss the benefits of gamification for humans and how to implement it effectively in B2B loyalty programs in this blog post.

Gamification psychology

Within the domains of psychology, marketing, and user experience design, a significant amount of research has been conducted on the psychology of gamification.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which contends that humans have three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness, is one of the main theories in the psychology of gamification. The desire for control over one’s actions and decisions is referred to as autonomy. The desire to feel competent and capable in one’s conduct is referred to as competence. Additionally, games provide players with a sense of relatedness by enabling them to interact with one another and compete or work together.

According to SDT, games can meet these psycholgical needs in the context of gamification, which will boost motivation and engagement. For instance, by letting individuals make decisions and have control over their activities, games provide their users with a sense of autonomy. Games provide players with a sense of accomplishment by enabling them to track their progress and advance their abilities. And by enabling players to interact with one another and compete or work together, games provide participants with a sense of relatedness.

According to the psychology of gamification, games can appeal to basic human needs and desires like autonomy, competence, and relatedness and induce a state of flow that boosts motivation and engagement. Companies can establish efficient and interesting B2B loyalty programs that serve to improve their relationships with customers by utilizing these ideas.

Why gamification works to keep people engaged in an action

First, games give players a specific objective to work toward. Players are inspired to take action and work toward the goal by this sense of purpose. In a B2B setting, the goal can be to advance in a loyalty program or receive rewards. Second, games give players immediate input so they can observe the outcomes of their choices in real-time. To keep the player motivated and engaged, this feedback is crucial. This feedback may take the form of points or badges obtained for accomplishing particular tasks in a B2B setting.

Guidelines for gamification in B2B loyalty programs

Establishing precise goals

The participants in a loyalty program should be informed of its goals, which should be specific and well-defined. The participants will become more inspired and feel like they have a purpose as a result of this.

Delivering quick feedback

The loyalty program’s participants should receive immediate feedback on their development. In order to indicate progress, this feedback may be presented as points, badges, or other visual indications.

Providing a range of rewards

A variety of rewards that have personal significance for the participants should be provided. Rewards can come in the form of material things like discounts or products or intangible things like status or recognition.

Establishing a sense of competition

Through leaderboards or other tools, participants should be encouraged to compete with one another. This can inspire the participants and foster a sense of urgency.

Coordinating game mechanics with learning objectives

Gamification can be used to promote learning objectives in the framework of corporate training. The game mechanics employed should support the learning objectives and reinforce the main ideas being taught.

Conclusion

B2B businesses can create successful loyalty programs that employ gamification to engage and encourage customers by adhering to these best practices. The link between the business and its customers can be strengthened with the help of these loyalty programs, increasing customer loyalty and repeat business.

Gamification is a powerful strategy for getting people to keep participating in an activity. It can be used in B2B loyalty programs to encourage customers to support a brand and solidify their relationship with the business. B2B businesses can develop successful loyalty programs that employ gamification to foster a sense of advancement, competition, and community among participants by adhering to the best practices. To learn more about the gamification opportunities Loyal-n-Save offers, reach out to us to schedule a consultation and experience a demo today!