I fondly remember some sort of organization when I was a kid that partnered with Pizza Hut. They sent out a list of books and, once you read a certain amount of them, you got a pin and a free kids’ pizza. Are you kidding me? All I have to do is read some Berenstain Bears books and my parents are going to take us all out for dinner at Pizza Hut? Done.
Bigwig advertising executives in expensive suits are probably going to shake their heads and dismiss the idea because it sounds like too much fun. And, to that, I would say you’re exactly right; it is fun. Bam. Now what?
People love fun. They love competition and they love winning. But, more than any of those things, people love rewards. I dare you to tell me you’ve never stood in line at the grocery store behind a customer who is asked if they have a store club card.
Customer: Umm, I have one. I just forgot it at home. Can you look me up?
Cashier: Well, you won’t save anything today so it doesn’t really matter.
Customer: I’M ONLY 5 POINTS AWAY FROM GETTING MY FREE THANKSGIVING TURKEY OK? LOOK UP MY CLUB CARD. NOW.
So if that same woman was told that there is a special promotion today and any customer purchasing Ragu tomato sauce will receive double points on her club card, do you think she’d do it? Of course she would. And you probably would too.
It’s our nature to crave rewards for the things we do. We can’t help but feel like we’re doing The Fresh Grocer a favor by shopping at their store, so of course we expect to be “paid back” for that gesture.
When you think about it, the whole world seems to be based on this idea of gaming. You get a job with a company and maybe you’re told that in 12 months you’ll sit down with your manager and discuss progress. If you get above a 90% on your ratings, you’ll get a bonus. Will you work harder than you would if this conversation never happened? Of course you would. You’re human, aren’t you?
So when brands build social campaigns, it’s probably best that they ask themselves:
What are we doing to motivate our audience?
Why should they feel compelled to ‘like’ this page?
How do we plan to pay them back for being so loyal?
Marketing efforts should mirror real life. Real life is full of rewards and the urge to earn them. The theory, of course, is that all of the money you spend rewarding them will come back around in the end.
The guys at Pizza Hut when I was a kid knew that there was no way we’d collect our free pizza and leave. Of course we’ll order breadsticks and of course my brother didn’t read enough books so we’ll have to pay for his. It was the perfect set-up. And I didn’t feel cheated at all. I read all of those books so that I would get my reward. I did my part and they did theirs.
So, think about your business. Do people have a reason to pursue you? If your answer is no, then maybe it’s time to get thinking about social gaming.