Over the past several years, gamification has become increasing popular in everything from exercise to education. This emerging trend has not been lost on the public affairs industry. At Beekeeper, we have seen an increase in the use of mobile and web, including games, to help organizations educate and engage their target audiences on a wide variety of issues.
Several of our advocacy clients have joined this gaming trend, and we have worked with them at various stages of creating and sharing digitized games. This has included everything from drafting initial game concepts and designs to launching and promoting games on social media. Along the way, we have learned numerous important lessons that are relevant to non-profits and businesses alike that are getting started with online game development.
With that, here are five quick tips for successful advocacy games:
1. Launch strategically
Choosing the right time to launch your game is critical. If you have a major industry conference or event, consider launching the game just beforehand so you can give users a way to engage with your organization at your booth and long after the event.
2. Focus on audience
Having a clear sense of your target audience is relevant at all stages of game development, including game design and user experience development. Factors such as age appropriateness and predicted device usage are especially important when considering your audience throughout this process.
3. Include social sharing
The more sharable your game is, the more likely it is to reach your target audience. Including easy-to-use social sharing features at the end of your game that sync directly with Facebook and Twitter are a great way to encourage users to share your game with their networks.
4. Use citations
Especially when it comes to trivia games, users will be curious about facts you are sharing and ways to find more information. Whenever possible, include links to objective resources to give context and legitimacy to the information you share.
5. Design responsively
Chances are that most users will play your game on a mobile device, especially if you launch the game at a conference or via social media. Keep in mind that games should be optimized for as many mobile devices as possible, including tablets if you plan to demo the game at in-person events.
What tips or best practices would you add to the above list? Share them with us in the comments below or by tweeting @BeekeeperGroup!
