Gamification is a risky, yet rewarding tactic used to generate customer interest online, and Google is putting the method to the test with its new badge system.
By making the product engaging or interactive, companies have persuaded people to complete boring tasks like surveys and questionnaires; gamification is a powerful tool. With high hopes of increasing Google News traffic, software developers at the company have introduced a new badge system, wherein users gain points by reading articles. The more diverse your reading habits are, the more badges you’ll unlock.
Moreover, Google has announced that users will be able to automatically share their news with their friends via Google+ circles. That means that the different periodicals you read will be suggested to your friends according to their interests. In principle, the idea is sound, but with the success of badges hingeing on Google+ use, it may turn out to be a risky proposal.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Gamification Marketing
- Companies are increasingly using gamification to engage customers, and software developers could harness this to drive traffic to their platforms either through badges or points-based reward systems.
- Diverse Reading Habits
- By encouraging users to read articles from different sources and genres, and rewarding them for it, companies could boost user engagement and retention rates.
- Social Sharing
- By integrating social sharing capabilities directly into their platforms, developers are making it easier for users to share content with their friends, family, and colleagues.
Where This Applies
- News Aggregation Platforms
- News aggregation platforms like Google News could benefit from integrating gamification features to drive engagement and retention rates, and potentially increase ad revenue.
- Educational Platforms
- Platforms offering educational materials could use gamification to encourage people to engage with their content, take quizzes and earn rewarded certificates.
- Social Media Platforms
- Social media platforms could utilize gamification features like badges to increase user engagement, promote more diverse use of their platforms, and grow their user base.
