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4 Gamification Platforms That Will Make Your Content ROCK Customer Engagement 

4 Gamification Platforms That Will Make Your Content ROCK Customer Engagement  | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.rssflare.com - June 29, 2017 3:40 PM

The Game's The Thing
Gamification is a key strategy few understand and fewer online merchants still deploy. This post about 4 platforms that can help your content gamify customer engagement is a must read. 

Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

The game's the thing. We know of no way to keep customers loyal and advocating your content, products, and services without games and gamification. 

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Why Web Marketers Are Becoming Game Developers...Because Games WORK & ENGAGE

Why Web Marketers Are Becoming Game Developers...Because Games WORK & ENGAGE | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.argusleader.com - January 29, 2015 1:44 AM

The web + mobile + social means we are all about to be game developers. Those environments are so GAME FRIENDLY and game content so engaging in or out of the organization becoming game developers is in all our futures.

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Gamify Your Content Marketing via @Curagami

Gamify Your Content Marketing via @Curagami | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.curagami.com - October 1, 2014 10:05 PM
Games and gamification creaete great responsive content. Games rock engagement, wins hearts, minds and loyalty so Gamify Your Content Marketing with 5 tips.


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What the Heck is... Gamification? via @BernardMarr

What the Heck is... Gamification? via @BernardMarr | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.linkedin.com - September 18, 2014 3:28 PM

Marty Note
Great post here by a new to me but smart and gets it marketing author Bernard Marr on Linkedin. I posted a comment at the end sharing a link to one of my most popular Haiku Decks - Gamifying Content Marketing http://shar.es/1ag0sH.

Didn't do that to hone in as much as add in. Bernard's post shares some good examples of different gamification applications. The trend in HR and other internal departments to gamify is proving powerful.

I'm interested in the S/R curve of B2C ecommerce websites and find, especially in a connected mobile time, many places where "play" can create the tribes, support and engagement we lucky few Internet marketers crave and are finding harder and harder to create.

Great post, horrible photo (at least for me), so didn't perpetuate it here. Bernard's post is worth a read if you are new to gamification and he is a solid follow. M

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Why CONTESTS Are KING: Crowdsource Content & Build Community & Work Great on Social via @HomesDotCom

From www.youtube.com - August 7, 2014 5:30 PM

Erica Campbell Byrum - Homes.com, Social Fresh EAST 2014
Erica Byrum takes a bit to get rolling, you can begin watching at 1:41, but what she is saying about crowdsourcing content via contests is valuable so hang with it.

The real diamond is how contests unearth your 1% Contributors and 9% supporters. Homes.com was smart enough to immediately give thier 1% a mission and I love and plan to steal the "Blogger Ambassador Program" great name add a Social Media Ambassador and you have two sticks you can rub together to create fire.

Stay with this video to hear about the power of serendipitous content their content unearthed, content Homes.com was smart enough to double down on. The Contest was a flop, they thought until they stumbled over the single piece of content that "continues to give back to us this day fast forwarding 3 years later".

Homes.com doesn't do what I would suggest - create a page with a clear Call To Action (an ask) to join the Blogger Ambassador program. Instead they surface their 1% Contributors via contests:  http://blog.homes.com/category/contests/

I like the dedicated page that explains benefits, shares why you created the program and how your Blogger Ambassadors program. Inside of some things I don't agree with (cash is always a powerful incentive) are great tips I do agree with (surprise works, double down on what works, give 1% Contributors a job, use no more than 2 social nets at once). So more GOOD advice than BAD here.

"Contests create gifts that keep on giving" says Eric Campbell Byrum from Homes.com.

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If Mobile Games Get Any HOTTER They Melt The World

If Mobile Games Get Any HOTTER They Melt The World | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.ecns.cn - April 30, 2014 2:47 PM


Mobile Games Are HOT and Getting Hotter
China's 11.24 billion yuan ($1.86 billion) online game industry is scrambling to devise games that appeal to a generation of players who spend more time on mobile devices than consoles or computers.


Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Wow, mobile games are HOT. There is something about destroying what remains of our "free" time that is too good for smart phone enabled gamers to pass up.

Maybe instead of SoLoMo (Social Local Mobile) we should be thinking of MoSoGa (Mobile Social Games). If you are an IMer you would do well to THINK of ways to transform your CONTENT into a MoSoGa :).

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CrowdFunde Partner Contest Extended to 10 Beta Partners

CrowdFunde Partner Contest Extended to 10 Beta Partners | Must Play | Scoop.it
From crowdfunde.com - February 16, 2014 12:51 AM

We reached our goal of 5 Beta CrowdFunde partners:

Moon Audio
MetabolismMagic
Curatti
MaximumRealEstateExposure
Lowryeye


These are great partners for CrowdFunde. We would like to find 5 more partners in these categories:

* Lawyers (especially ones who work with startups).
* B2C ecommerce websites.
* Doctors and Dentists.
* B2B agencies or other relationship sellers.
* Sports sites.
* Travel sites.

* Gift or other product sites.

Learn more about the CrowdFunde Partner Search:
http://crowdfunde.com/crowdfunde-partner-contest/


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Five Foundational Design Pillars Of Game Development (and Internet marketing)

Five Foundational Design Pillars Of Game Development (and Internet marketing) | Must Play | Scoop.it
From frictionalgames.blogspot.com - December 15, 2013 9:21 PM

Love this post and the 5 pillars have much to teach ecommerce and B2B Internet marketers:

1) Everything is story
First up, we want the player to constantly feel as if they are inside a flowing narrative. It is so common that a game is distinctly split into story and puzzle/action moments. We want to blur the boundaries here and make it impossible to distinguish between the two. Whatever the player does it should feel as if it is part of the story. We do not want to have sections that simply feel like blockers to the next narrative moment. From start to finish the player should be drenched in a living, breathing world of storytelling.

2) Take the world seriously
This leads us to the next point: that every detail in an environment is connected to the story somehow. Nothing should be written off as simply a requirement for gameplay or exposition. For instance, if you find an audio log you will be able to learn more about the story by pondering its placement alone. There should be no need to "double-think"; the game's world should be possible to evaluate on its own terms.


3) The player is in charge
When you invest this much in a setting, it's important to make sure that players feel connected to it. In order to this we need to put a bigger responsibility on the player. An environment quickly loses its sense of realism if it is extremely streamlined and does not allow you to make choices. The player must be the one that drives the narrative forward.


4) Trust the player
This brings us to the next point: that we trust players to act according to the story. We do not force players to notice events by use of cutscenes and similar, but assume they will properly explore the environment and act in a rational fashion. We simply set up situations and then let the player have full control over their actions.


5) Thematics emerge through play
Now for our last foundational design rule: that the game's thematics will emerge through play. SOMA is meant to explore deep subjects such as consciousness and the nature of existence. We could have done this with cutscenes and long conversations, but we chose not to. We want players to become immersed in these thematics, and the discussions to emerge from within themselves.

WOW, if I could get an ecommerce or content marketing website to live by those rules it would never have to worry about more converting traffic. Too good!


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5 Common Contest & Games SEO Mistakes

5 Common Contest & Games SEO Mistakes | Must Play | Scoop.it
July 4, 2013 12:26 PM
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

Contests and Games & SEO
You might think it would be hard to mess up SEO when creating a contest or a game. Contests and games create so much engagement it’s all good right? Not so much as it turns out. Here are some mistakes to avoid when creating your contests and games.

5 Common Contest and Games SEO Mistakes
1. Not embedding Poll and Survey Widgets.

2. Poor Keyword Density on Key Pages.

3. Lack of Easy Social Shares.

4. Confusing Rewards or Play Instructions.

5. Mutual Exclusive and Restrictive Game Play.

The payoff for your online properties is the VOTING that most contest and games include (voting or active play are roughly the same highly engaged concept). If you use an external vendor to handle your poll or survey like Survey Monkey you give THEM the juice. Be sure to embed the poll inside your web stack.

Contests and games take off FAST so make sure you have your title and keywords aligned with what you want to rank for AND make sure what you want to rank for matters the most.

Here again we often see great content but difficult to share. Don't do that since we play for the legitimacy created by the share these days. Make sure it is EASY to share your contest or game and that you are sharing the RIGHT thing (the contest not the page). Be sure to get your via YOU credit in there too.

Confusing reward systems or play is EASY to do. Use Occam’s razor and knock your game and reward systems down to 3 easy steps or 3 levels of reward. More than 3 and you are kidding yourself. Eventually, once you have scale, you can friction back in to weed out pain the backside players that just want the fast buck. At first and all the way until you have scale make it falling off a log easy to join, play and get rewarded.

Game play and reward systems can "EAT" themselves. If your left hand is smacking your players right hand as they attempt to do what you ask them to do play will grind to a halt and viral shares will dry up. If you see a burst of players STARTING a game but not finishing find where the drop-off is and make it easier.

 

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Gamification: Loyalty By Design via @marigo

From www.slideshare.net - May 24, 2015 9:52 AM

Gamification Preso at Mumbai Loyalty Summit (Marty Note)
Rare you find a presentation that places games, game theory and gamification in their Jungian context as Marigo's excellent Loyalty Summit deck does (wish we'd been in Mumbai for the presentation and we've NEVER said that sentence before).

Marigo's market definition is spot on. We might quibble slightly with some of the conclusions and recommendations but only slightly. Well done and well worth the scan through.  

I found and followed Margo's Twitter and would recommend doing so to my IM and CM friends: https://twitter.com/marigo 

Great new voice! 
 

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BANG - Mobile Games Take Over: $18 billion in 12 months

BANG - Mobile Games Take Over: $18 billion in 12 months | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.gamesindustry.biz - November 5, 2014 5:37 PM

Mobile Taking Over World
No we are not in the middle of a zombie attack. We are in the middle of smart phones and mobile taking over the world. Proof enough is a sector SLOW to attract investment capital is now a darling.

I just received an iPhone 6 and love it. It is easier for fat fingers to type on, the screen is liquid gold and the sound is full of soul, sorrow and truth. The KEY is to NOT think of the phone as a phone.

The smart phone is a game console. The second key is to realize finding ways to make your content, website and marketing relevant to a gamified world where everyone has a game console and are just waiting to be told (eager to be told) what and how to do something with it.

The camera in our phones is a good example. At first NO ONE CARED. Now we take pictures of our food before we eat and "selfies" have their own TV show. When the tech is there a combination of startup entrepreneurs and intrepid early adopters blaze trails into the forest of our future.

Two suggestions are clear. If your digital marketing isn't "mobile first" you are nuts and if your machete isn't sharp good luck with that :). M

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Sporcle Asks An Interesting Question, Can ?s & Games Make A Cool Site? A: Yes

Sporcle Asks An Interesting Question, Can ?s & Games Make A Cool Site? A: Yes | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.sporcle.com - September 24, 2014 1:28 AM

Questions Are A Favorite Tactic
The question is a great piece of content online. Some questions we can write and then answer. Other questions we can use to promote clicks or create a daisy chain between content.

Best UGC catcher there is? Ask a question. Words like a charm on Facebook and we are proving how effective it can be with our starup Curagami on Moon-Audio.com right now (http://www.moon-audio.com/product-survey ).

Sporcle shows the power of Q&A content. What you don't see is how powerful Q&A content is behind the Google curtain. There is something about lists and Q&A that web spiders love. After a bit Sporcle becomes a tad unnerving, but as an accent to an ecommerce or content marketing site Q&A content can be a powerful engagement and UGC generating tool #usergeneratedconent,

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GAMIFY YOUR Content Marketing - A New @HaikuDeck by @Scenttrail

GAMIFY YOUR Content Marketing - A New @HaikuDeck by @Scenttrail | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.haikudeck.com - August 25, 2014 12:25 PM

Successful content marketing engages over time. Engagement needs online community and a role shift from content creators to community curators and GAME creators.


How can you Gamify YOUR Content Marketing?
* Ask questions.
* Curate response.
*  Create "winnable" competitions.
* Feature, Feature, Feature.

* Curator & Creator = YOUR ROLES.

Learn to think like a video game creator. Content marketing too is a collaborative world WE (you + customers) create.

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Live the Beats, Love the Games for Nanjing 2014 Mobile Phone Sponsor Samsung

Live the Beats, Love the Games for Nanjing 2014 Mobile Phone Sponsor Samsung | Must Play | Scoop.it
From fansided.com - July 11, 2014 7:22 AM

New Samsung Music, Sports & Mobile Phone Campaign


The campaign will allow fans to enjoy musical performances with popular artists starting in July. There will be a five city tour through China, which will use the Galaxy S5 to capture and share their experiences.

Samsung is also providing mobile devices to the Young Ambassadors and Young Reporters Program in order to allow them to communicate with the athletes competing.

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5 Keys To Win With Gamification via @Gigya [whitepaper

From info.gigya.com - March 11, 2014 11:38 PM

Great white paper by Gigya shares these tips to create winning gamification:

Five Keys to Winning With Gamification:

• Set the Stage with Social Login
• Encourage More User Generated Content
• Implement Savvy Sharing
• Encourage Participation by Keeping Score
• Nurture Consumer Relationships with Rewards
My favorite tips is Savvy Sharing. Get tips on how to gamify your site and Internet marketing.
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Teens Create Video Trailers for Books - Modesto Bee

Teens Create Video Trailers for Books - Modesto Bee | Must Play | Scoop.it
From www.modbee.com - February 15, 2014 9:29 AM

Library contest has teens create video trailers for books.
Spring is a great time for creativity and imagination. The Stanislaus County Library is holding a video contest for all teens, ages 13 to 18.

Marty Note
STEALTHIS idea from the librarians! If you are a brand marketer ask customers to create trailers for your brand. Trailers are so ubiquitous and such a defined paradigm sparking customers imagination wouldn't be hard. The creative content and social shares such a contest would generate would bring real benefit to any website / brand.

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Top 10 Contests & Games Revolution Scoops All Time

Top 10 Contests & Games Revolution Scoops All Time | Must Play | Scoop.it
October 27, 2013 6:29 PM

Top 10 Contests & Games Revolution Scoops

http://sco.lt/8oUphR Graphic + Post - Complete Gamification Framework | via @yukaichou  


http://sco.lt/8nXAgb Book Review, Graphic - 3 MOST Important Words In Internet Marketing? Games, Gamification and Gamify 

http://sco.lt/6Ca6VN Blog Post - Six Cool eCommerce Gamification Examples

http://sco.lt/7pDYXJ White Paper - Gamification: Winning Hearts, Minds and Loyalty Online


http://sco.lt/5rXzaz Infographic - Enterprise Gamification

http://sco.lt/8gvVXl Scoopit Post  - Big Data and Gamification's Big Bang

http://sco.lt/8Nyf9V Blog Post - Google Making Mobile Games More Social

http://sco.lt/6FbuyH Video Game Review - Hemp Tycoon Is Brilliant, Instructive, Addictive Fun


http://sco.lt/6IuABF Blog Post - Tale of the Tape: Kickstarter vs. Indigogo crowdfunding websites

Learn more about the Scoopit Top 10 Conversion Study: http://sco.lt/69HeAj




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SEO The Game Can Be Full Of DANGER: The Long Tail Keywords In URLs SEO Gambit

SEO The Game Can Be Full Of DANGER: The Long Tail Keywords In URLs SEO Gambit | Must Play | Scoop.it
From getinstantpayments.com - January 23, 2013 8:59 PM
Niche Blogger III - Third Series of the Hugely Popular Niche Blogger Wordpress PLR Blog Series
Martin (Marty) Smith's insight:

SEO Strategy Keywords In URLs
All things being equal I want URLs that have keywords. Amazon, Facebook and Twitter are keywords NOW, but weren't then. I stipulate that there are exceptions, but keyword URLs are less marketing WORK.

Granted keyword URLs tend to be less exciting, but, again all things being equal and never having as much "create brand awareness" money as you would want or is needed web addresses (URLs) with keywords will out perform ones without.

There is a grey hat movement to create websites with long tail URLs. Imagine if you had 100 websites all with your business vertical's keywords in their URLs. You could roll up a lot of search traffic right?

Not so fast...
This pretty spammy link is pitching the long tail URL strategy. They set up a series of microsites for you and you step in for the win. Here are secrets you need to understand before buying anything:

* Random IP blocks are a must.

* Random curation will be a must.

* Random creation will be a must.

 

When Navneet Panda, Google's brilliant engineer, tweaked Google's machine learning algorithm they all but eliminated the long tail URL play. Who can accomplish all three of those random needs at the same time? A: No One you or I are likely to know (these guys tend to live in basements with lots of harware around them and they may not talk to actual people for days or weeks).

Even when you THINK you are being random you are NOT. If you are doing any of those three things even partially by human hand Google will see the pattern and blow up your long tail URL play.

The Math Always Wins
Here's the thing, the Math always wins (in the end), so don't stock up on a bushel of URLs. Create great, disruptive content and play within your skill set. This kind of URL and keyword arbitrage is dead for all but the most advanced black hatters. Are you black hat enough?

Answer to that question should always be NO since the over (what is to be gained) is so out of proportion to the under (what can be lost). Don't play Russian roulette with your brand, products and company, and remember...

THE MATH ALWAYS WINS.

 

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