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Why Fun and Profits Go Hand In Hand: 4 Reasons Gamification Is Growing

By Ramon Ray –

Recently I wrote about how PunchTab lets you give incentives to your online audience to award them for various actions they take – such as how many times they Tweet or some other action.

Today Fanplayr announced an integration with Constant Contact, quite powerful. But beyond this, Fanplayr continues the genre of “gamification” making a business action fun. For example, match the apples and win a $10 coupon.

“The competition for consumer endorsement is at an all-time high as marketers seek to attract customers to fan pages and increase ‘like’ numbers in pursuit of increased sales and loyalty. However, something more needs to be added to the mix to benefit and engage the consumer as the potential for ‘like fatigue’ also increases,” says Mary Wardley, IDC Program VP CRM Applications Research. “Gamification and suppliers such as Fanplayr offer a mechanism to brands to truly engage with and reward their customers and not merely bombard them with messaging. At the same, time Fanplayr allows brands to control the level of reward for better cost control.” 

If you’re finding that your online customer engagement is low or your online advertising needs a “spunk” why not have fun and include a gaming element?

Why might gamificiation work for your next online campaign?

· People love to have fun

· People love to win

· People love to participate

· People love to compete

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About the Author: Ramon is a journalist, technology evangelist, speaker, editor of Smallbiztechnology.com and author of “Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses” (Amacom) and most recently “Technology Resources for Growing Businesses“. Ramon has written thousands of technology articles and news items for Smallbiztechnology.com and other media including: Open Forum, Inc. Magazine, New York Enterprise Report, Black Enterprise Magazine, CNet, Var Business, TechTarget, Entrepreneur.com, Small Business Resources and others. He has also written for technology vendors including Microsoft, FileMaker, and Everest. He is often quoted in the media, including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. Magazine, WCBS Radio, Crains New York, National Federal of Independent Business, Small Business Advocate Radio Show, Wells Fargo Small Business Roundup, Tech Talk with Craig Peterson and Smart Money.

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