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The gaming industry is very competitive. Game developers only have one chance to make a user’s experience memorable. If a gaming company fails to grab the user’s attention, customers will likely switch to another game or platform. Achille Traore, CEO of White Label Loyaltydiscusses the opportunities awaiting gaming brands to create more loyal customers.

What are the main goals and objectives of brands in the game industry?

Most brands in the game industry strive for the same thing: customer retention. The industry is known for high engagement rates, but it is also known for low retention rates.

Player retention is important to gaming brands because existing customers are very valuable in the long run. It’s much easier to up-sell and cross-sell to loyal users. In addition, the costs of acquiring new customers are becoming more and more expensive.

The gaming industry faces a number of challenges. What are they?

The first challenge is about engaging casual players and convincing them to play more often. And while there are many factors that contribute to this, including the quality of a game and its ability to market it effectively, ultimately, game brands need to have a deep understanding of their customers.

The second challenge is knowing how to add value to a customer’s gaming experience. Not all users will find value in the same things. For one user, the value of a game may lie in the ability to customize characters with exclusive skins. For others, the value may be in joining a community to meet other gamers.

Finally, gaming brands need to know how to break down the barriers for people who haven’t or have never played a game in a long time.

How would you define loyalty and engagement when it comes to gaming?

A user who is really engaged will spend a significant amount on in-game purchases.

Another way gamers show their loyalty is by engaging with communities through social media or forums like Reddit.

Loyal players can also become ambassadors for gaming brands. These players are more likely to deal with a brand outside of the game – they’ll spend money on equipment (like a new console or PC), merchandise, and event tickets.

How does a gamer become loyal?

Loyalty often arises as a result of rewards. players want to be rewarded. Whether it’s completing a time-limited challenge or unlocking different levels in a game, rewards contribute to a sense of competition and achievement.

Gaming companies that reward customers for engagement can build real, long-lasting loyalty.

What can game companies do to better understand and engage their customers?

Gaming companies need to collect detailed data about their users to understand what drives them. Brands can use this data to build specific audience segments, allowing them to personalize and tailor marketing strategies to each customer profile.

Loyalty Programs are an effective way to collect detailed information about user behavior, needs and preferences. When a gaming brand understands its customers, they can create tailored rewards for each player segment, resulting in higher engagement and retention rates.

What are the best ways to reward game industry players?

With the right software, game brands can reward any activity. For example, rewards can be given to streamers who refer games to others. Rewards can encourage new customers to pick up their controllers again. Or rewards can simply be used to show appreciation for those who devote their time and attention to a game.

Playstation Stars, a new industry loyalty program, rewards players for participating in specific campaigns. Campaigns range from simply playing a game to earning specific trophies or achieving first place in a ranking in your area. Sony announced that the program uses a new type of reward – digital collectibles:digital representations of things Playstation fans enjoy, including statuettes of beloved and iconic game characters”.

What other opportunities await gaming brands?

With rewards, game companies can encourage any specific behavior they would like to see more of. For example, if a gaming brand wants to focus on acquiring new customers, they can build referrals into a rewards program. A fully completed loyalty program stimulates both acquisition and retention. While customers can do this themselves through social media or word of mouth, loyalty technology makes it as easy as possible for them to refer a game to family and friends.

There are so many different ways that rewards can be used. From early access to a game to free in-game currency, rewards help make the user experience more memorable and keep them engaged in the long run. But rewards won’t be effective if gaming companies don’t understand what their customers actually want. That is why it is essential to start with data. Then build a loyalty program based on what gamers think really valuable.