This week YourMembership.com launched gamification. The features are incorporated into our private online community and are free to all YM clients. Gamification is a topic that has interested me since I first started researching it about two years ago.

Gamification benefits both you and your members. It allows you to give weight to the activities within your organization that you deem important. It also promotes a feeling of goodwill among your members as you bestow rewards (in this case points) and accolades on them, which allow them to gain the respect of their peers and showcase their knowledge. In addition to respect, your members are able to see their own growth (and perceived value) increase within your community. You can make their efforts tied to discounts, admittance into special groups and more. These kind of benefits drive action and improve member retention and loyalty as your community now offers your members something that others do not.

We’ve compiled a few resources so you can learn more about gamification . If you’re new to the concept of gamification, start with the video below for an overview of how gamification can benefit your online community and member-based rganization. If you have further questions about gamification, please contact us or leave a comment below.

  Videos:

Articles:

The Multi-generational Appeal of Gamification in Online Communities

Gamification: Much Less Scary Than What’s Under the Bed

Four Benefits of Gamification for Nonprofits

Don’t Hate the Game. The Points May Not Matter

Christina (261 Posts)

Christina G. Smith is the Director, Content and Client Marketing at YourMembership.com. She believes in a creative approach to problem solving and hates the words "we've always done it this way" used in that order.