Promote your marketing game the right way

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Creating a marketing game with a gamification platform like Drimify is child’s play. However, using a game to support your marketing strategy does not strictly guarantee that your campaign will be a success. It is absolutely imperative that you promote the game, aiming your promotion at the audience for which your marketing campaign is intended.

If you print out a flyer but never distribute it, then nobody will see your message. Marketing games are exactly the same! Actively promoting your game is the key to success.

This practical guide on how to promote marketing games allows you to benefit from over 10 years of expertise, advice and tricks that the Drimify team have gathered to make sure that your interactive marketing campaign is a success.

Promotion checklist for your marketing game

Use this list to check that you have covered all of the possible promotional opportunities via digital marketing as well as offline marketing.

Digital promotion

Social media (posts/publicity)
Emails (newsletter or dedicated emailing)
Client communication (bills, reservation emails, customer services)
Text messages
Push notifications (if a mobile app is available)

Promotion in your retail outlets or on your products

QR Codes
Interactive screens and tablets
Posters/billboards
Client documents (invoices, receipts…)
Product packaging
Media

Communication frequency

Teasing (in the build up to your campaign)
Regular reminders (depending on the duration of your campaign)
Final reminder to ensure clients “don’t miss out” (the last day of the campaign)

Player retention

Break up the campaign into numerous short periods (instead of one longer period), to offer new prizes each week/period. This gives you a chance to reach out and rejuvenate interest.
For points-based games with a leaderboard, reset the ranking each week/period to renew interest and give more people a chance to win.

Download your check list

Where and how should you promote your competition?

The channels through which you choose to promote your competition depend on your current “reach”, your marketing budget and your marketing campaign objectives. It is possible to produce an excellent campaign with no publicity budget whatsoever. Paid advertising is a bonus. It allows you to reach a larger number of your followers as well as new audiences who have not come across your brand yet.

Digital promotion for your marketing game:

Digital promotion is absolutely vital nowadays. Thanks to its quick distribution, its affordability and its sometimes exceptional reach, it would be a waste not to capitalise on it.

Social media:

Social media gives you the opportunity to advertise your promotional game to your audience for free. The more dynamic or original your advertising format is, the more likely you are to attract the attention of internet users. Choose the platforms that you will share your campaign on carefully, keeping in mind the audiences that you are looking to target.

It is also possible to create a paid social media campaign to increase the reach of your promotional game. In this case, don’t forget to pay close attention to the targeting so that the advertisement will be seen by social media users who your products are most relevant to. Don’t forget to set up your pixels to allow “retargeting” after the campaign, for example. The information gathered through pixels can help to increase your ROI and lower your acquisition costs!

use social media to promote your marketing game

Emails and newsletters:

Prepare a series of emails dedicated to your campaign (if your campaign lasts long enough) or if you regularly send out a newsletter, don’t forget to include an eye-catching insert about your game.

All mediums of communication with your clientele:

Another route e-commerce companies can take is to include links to their gamified marketing campaign in all communications with clients: bills, customer service, electronic signatures…None of these approaches cost you a penny so make the most of them!

Text messages, chats and mobile apps:

Do you already communicate with your clients via text? Take this opportunity to advertise your marketing game. Your clients will be much more inclined to take part as they will receive your messages. Think carefully about the best time to send it to maximise the number of people who open the message and, consequently, increase the participation rate.

Following the same logic, you can create push notifications on Android and iOS mobile apps or popups on your client portals to prompt your users and clients to participate.

messaging to promote your marketing game

Promotion in your retail outlets and on your products

Even if your campaign is all digital, don’t discount traditional marketing advertisement strategies in your stores or the media. Using phygital in your retail outlets can also offer you a significant competitive advantage and an opportunity to promote your game on a larger scale.

Using QR codes to share the link for your game or interactive module

QR codes are an indispensable tool for all campaigns on so-called traditional channels. They allow people reading a poster or a flyer instant access to your marketing game. Facilitating quick access to your game URL will increase the rate of participation. You can easily create QR codes for free online.

Interactives screens and tablets:

With this in mind, use your interactive screens or tablets to allow clients to play your game directly in your shops or to display the game link using a QR code for clients to scan with their mobiles.

Posters an billboards:

The most classic means of communication and they are still just as effective for people who walk around town or come to your retail outlet or a partnering outlet. Car-wrapping with your advertisement posters is also an excellent way to draw attention.

Documents sent to clients:

An often-missed opportunity although it costs (practically) nothing. Use all means of client communication such as receipts, invoices, reservation confirmation emails and electronic signatures to talk about your gamified campaign with your clients.

Product packaging:

If your campaign lasts long enough and your production line allows it, consider including the link to your marketing game on the packaging of your products. Or if you want an even simpler option, why not put stickers directly onto the packaging or on the bags and wrapping with a QR code. There are so many creative ways to share your game!

Media:

Depending on your budget, you can also promote your game in the media with advertising inserts or in dedicated articles. If your campaign is extensive enough, you can send a press release to journalists within your industry. You could also increase your visibility for free in a magazine or newspaper which sells thousands of copies.

Finally, look into which channels of communication will be the most appropriate to promote your gamified marketing campaign and make the most of them. Get creative and offer an original concept that your audience will remember. The more they talk about it, the more you will see your rate of participation increase. Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth!

If you have any questions after reading this complete guide, feel free to contact us!