Serious games: the new tool for HR strategies

Serious games: the new tool for HR strategies

Games are a powerful tool for engaging, raising awareness and training employees. By transforming learning (and the transmission of information) into playful experiences, serious games encourage team motivation and performance.

Discover the benefits of creating serious games for your organisation and the keys to implementing them, turning every challenge into an opportunity for growth.

Definition: what are serious games?

A serious game is a game designed for purposes other than entertainment. For an HR strategy, it is an interactive tool that uses mechanics to
achieve educational, information or skills management objectives.

Serious games are an engaging way of learning, training and raising awareness
by encouraging interaction and problem-solving. They are used to :

  • simulate certain situations (such as an interaction with a difficult customer),
  • updating skills,
  • run a prevention campaign
  • or raise its teams’ awareness of social and environmental causes.

What are the objectives of serious games?

The aim of a serious game in the field of human resources (HR) is to develop skills, train and assess employees in a fun and interactive way.

In contrast to traditional training and skills management methods, serious games encourage commitment. Enabling immersive learning while retaining a serious, educational dimension.

These are the objectives that serious games can help to achieve.

  1. Skills development
    : Serious games are designed to develop employee skills such as leadership, decision-making, communication and conflict management. By immersing participants in realistic scenarios, the organisation helps them to practise in a safe and caring environment.

  2. Improving commitment and motivation.
    The fun aspect makes training attractive, which increases motivation to learn and improve skills. Serious games help to create a dynamic learning experience.
  3. Skills assessment.
    A serious game can be used as an assessment tool to measure employees’ skills in specific areas. It enables HR to identify employees’ strengths and areas for development.
  4. Change management.
    Companies can undergo organisational changes
    (mergers, hybrid work organisation, digitalisation, etc.). Serious games help to prepare employees for these transitions by immersing them in these contexts with tools to help them adapt.

How can serious games be integrated into your HR strategy?

Gamification and serious games are tools that support companies in their HR strategy. Integrating these playful experiences into various strategic areas, from corporate communication to CSR, not forgetting training.

1. Raising awareness and involving teams in a CSR approach

Gamification and serious games help companies raise employee awareness of sustainability issues
and responsible practices. In a fun way, without making employees feel guilty, by sharing with them the levers of commitment that are anchored in their daily lives.

Internal challenges will be a way of encouraging and rewarding eco-responsible behaviour
(waste reduction, soft mobility, energy savings, etc.). Serious games are used to simulate ecological transition and crisis management scenarios. Employees will be trained to manage these challenges. The company’s values will be passed on to them in a caring way.

Example: DPD offered its employees a Quiz
designed to raise awareness of the need to reduce waste. The aim of the serious game was to tackle this sensitive subject in a fun, low-key way. Thanks to this initiative, participants could win prizes, reinforcing the commitment to this internal awareness-raising campaign.

DPD - zero waste quiz - corporate communication
DPD - zero waste mobile

2. Optimising in-house training and skills management

Serious games are used to train employees in key skills for their role.
Online role-playing games can be used for training in project management, negotiation or public speaking. Employees can learn to work together more effectively in problem-solving scenarios.

The advantage of serious games is that they make it easier to share feedback in real time
and tracking progress. Using a system of points, levels or badges, the organisation can track progress, personalise its support and keep its teams motivated.

Example: Pro BTP has launched an interactive quiz campaign in response to its legal duty of care. This educational tool, which focuses on raising awareness of road safety, was able to effectively engage participants thanks to its game mechanics.

PRO BTP - quiz serious games
PRO BTP - serious games mobile

3. Boost your internal communications

HR games can be used to boost internal communication.
This is an effective format for celebrating the organisation’s successes. A system of virtual rewards or leaderboards can be set up for achieving performance targets and participating in internal initiatives.

Serious games can also encourage employees to take part in creative challenges
or to propose innovative solutions. The company can organise
a Survey or set up a Customizer
. These formats help to stimulate creativity and generate new ideas.

Example: At Adictiz, we deployed a Customizer as part of the Pimp Your Cup campaign.
. The aim of this operation was to motivate our employees and
involve them in a joint project
: the creation of a reusable cup. As well as boosting our QWL (Quality of Life at Work) approach and our CSR commitments, this serious game helped to strengthen team cohesion by inviting our talents to work together to create a unique object.

pimp your cup - serious games
pimp your cup - serious games

3 tips for creating serious games

Creating a serious game for your company requires strategic, creative and technical thinking
. Here are 3 tips for designing a game that will achieve the desired objectives.

  1. Define clear and measurable objectives. Before starting to develop the game, it is essential to define the objectives to be achieved. Whether for training,
    CSR awareness, performance management or internal communication, the game must have a specific purpose.
  2. Design an immersive and engaging experience.
    A serious game must be fun and stimulating to capture the attention of users. The company can incorporate storytelling elements to immerse participants in realistic situations.
  3. Measuring impact and gathering feedback to improve your serious game.
    Once the game has been deployed, it is important to measure its effectiveness in order to improve the experience. The organisation will need to set performance targets and integrate feedback-gathering tools to adjust the game experience. It will also need to add new challenges, revise the pedagogical elements, etc.

Conclusion

Serious games, and gamification in general, are powerful levers for making your HR strategy more dynamic. Whether you want to optimise your CSR approach, improve employee training or boost your internal communications,
our HR games will help you make your employees’ experience more immersive and fun.

In 30 minutes, we show you how to launch your own high-performance interactive marketing campaign

How marketing gamification meets the challenges of the telecoms sector

How marketing gamification meets the challenges of the telecoms sector

In a constantly evolving telecoms sector, where innovation and customer engagement are paramount, operators must constantly explore new telecoms marketing strategies to improve their services and win new market share.

One of the marketing strategies that is gaining the most ground in this vertical is gamification. By incorporating elements traditionally associated with games into a non-game context, this approach offers organisations significant competitive advantages. In particular, they can stand out from the crowd, better capture and engage their audience, and also devise innovative loyalty levers that will effectively reduce their churn rate (i.e. the percentage of customers lost over a given period).

In this article, we’ll look at how gamification is helping to meet the marketing challenges currently facing the sector. We will also look at 4 examples of gamified campaigns that have enabled operators to achieve their objectives (prospecting, brand awareness, engagement, etc.).

The challenges of telecom marketing

The telecommunications sector is facing a number of marketing challenges, linked in particular to ever-increasing competition, rapid technological and regulatory change, and new consumer expectations.

Stand out from the crowd in an intensely competitive environment and price war

With the arrival of new players known as MVNOs (or mobile virtual network operators), traditional operators are having to revamp their offerings to make them more attractive to consumers (particularly the younger generation): commitment-free, customisable, flexible and offering better value for money.

Building loyalty among customers who are increasingly volatile and whose expectations have changed

The churn rate is particularly high in the telecoms sector. Customers move easily from one operator to another, taking advantage of number portability to take advantage of the best offers and occasional promotions. Organisations also have to meet growing expectations in terms of speed of service, personalised experiences, connectivity and customer service.

Communicate its values and reassure consumers about the impact of its services

Although the roll-out of 5G is a major marketing argument, it also raises a number of concerns (linked to cost, coverage and environmental impact). Operators therefore need to communicate the sustainability of their offering and show that they are making the transition to equipment and services that are less harmful to the planet.

Migrating to a more digital offering

Operators must also embrace the digital transition by diversifying their offering and the way they interact with their customers. As well as integrating new services (cloud, streaming, digital security), they must also multiply the points of contact with their audiences by deploying an omnichannel communications strategy.

The benefits of gamification for telecom marketing

Gamification provides relevant and appropriate solutions to the various marketing challenges faced by telecoms operators. By introducing fun, interactive elements to their communications media, companies can achieve a number of objectives.
  1. Better brand differentiation.
    Gamification enables telecommunications companies to differentiate themselves in an increasingly saturated market. Competitions improve brand awareness and their viral potential attracts a wider audience. It’s also a good way to position yourself as an innovative, customer-focused brand.
  2. Increased customer engagement.
    Gamified mechanisms can make even the most mundane tasks (such as paying bills or optimising data management) more enjoyable. Operators can guide users through the customer journey in a fun way. By offering rewards for completing these tasks (such as loyalty points), they are also better able to motivate and engage them effectively.
  3. Improved loyalty. Gamification fosters a sense of achievement among customers, encouraging them to stay with the same operator. Multi-level loyalty programmes keep consumers interested by giving them the chance to win gifts as a reward for their loyalty, via a competition reserved for customers, for example.
  4. Better customer knowledge and simplified personalisation. Competitions are also excellent ways of collecting customer data, so you can better understand the expectations and preferences of your audience. On the basis of this data, the operator can then propose targeted offers to its customers and prospects, significantly increasing its conversion rate.

4 gamified campaigns for 4 marketing objectives in the telecoms sector

Many operators are now using marketing games to achieve their commercial objectives. Here are 4 concrete examples of games-based campaigns run by companies in the telecoms sector.

1. Boost brand awareness and generate leads

Games can be used to stand out from the competition, boost the visibility of your brand and generate new leads. This is the strategy used by Orange for its Club Privé game campaign, which aimed to promote the launch of a new smartphone model.

By taking part in a Memory game personalised for the occasion, players had the chance to win a free smartphone. To generate as much visibility as possible, the campaign was promoted using Adictiz Ads (supported by social ads and email marketing).

The result: over 15,000 registrations and almost 20,000 games played.

Orange - jeu club privé - marketing telecom
Orange - marketing télécom

2. Redirect prospects to your digital catalogue

Once they have captured the attention of new prospects, operators need to redirect them to their website, and in particular their digital catalogue. To do this, they can once again use gamification, taking inspiration from the campaign run by SFR.

Via a Slicer (broadcast during the Christmas period in the form of a playable ad), the company invited users to cut up fruit while avoiding the catalogue if they didn’t want to get a malus. This Playable Ads then sent players to an end page with 3 personalised redirections to the e-catalogue.

Result: 2.1 million impressions for interactive advertising and a click-through rate of 1% (compared with 0.46% for the traditional display format).

SFR - slicer marketing télécom
SFR - slicer mobile

3. Promote these new offers

SFR has used the mechanics of the One-Armed Bandit in an interactive display format to give visibility to its tariff offer. By relying on playable advertising, the operator has succeeded in capturing the attention of its audience and, above all, keeping it for longer in order to present the content of its package in a fun way.

The elements scrolled through the One-Armed Bandit, aligning themselves with each click.

Result: 2 million impressions and 18 seconds of interaction with participants (compared with 3s for traditional display).

SFR - bandit manchot - marketing télécom
SFR - bandit manchot mobile

4. Engaging your customer community at a special event

The main aim of SFR Caribbean’s Mother’s Day campaign was to raise brand awareness while engaging its audience during this key commercial period.

Result: The interactive campaign (a Match 3 supported by Adictiz Ads media coverage) was a success, with remarkable levels of engagement. Each participant spent an average of 11 minutes on the game.

SFR Caraïbes - jeu fête des mères marketing télécom
SFR Caraïbes - marketing télécom

Conclusion

Gamification offers concrete, effective solutions for telecoms marketers. Sharing interactive campaigns will enable you to boost your brand awareness, generate new leads or better engage and retain your customers. Discover our playable advertising mechanics and adapt them to your brand universe and strategic objectives.

In 30 minutes, we show you how to launch your own high-performance interactive marketing campaign

How to create a One-armed Bandit online? Examples and tips

How to create a One-armed Bandit online? Examples and tips

Le bandit manchot est l’un des jeux marketing les plus célèbres. Cet instant gagnant s’inspire des machines à sous de casino et invite les participants à tenter d’obtenir trois visuels identiques alignés sur le rouleau.
Liée à une récompense immédiate, cette mécanique est efficace pour booster la visibilité et l’attractivité d’une marque. Elle permet aux enseignes mettre en avant leurs lots et de dynamiser leurs stratégie de recrutement de leads et de conversion. 
Dans cet article, nous partageons les objectifs marketing à poursuivre en créant un Bandit Manchot en ligne. Notre tutoriel vous aidera à concevoir et optimiser votre campagne, étape par étape.

What are the different objectives of an online One-Armed Bandit?

Savez-vous pourquoi cette mécanique marketing s’appelle ainsi ? Historiquement, les machines à sous possédaient un bras articulé qui permettait d’enclencher le rouleau. Étant donné qu’elles n’en avaient qu’un, on considéraient qu’elles étaient “manchot”. 

Aujourd’hui, le Bandit Manchot ne se joue pas qu’au casino et peut être intégré, sous un format digital, aux campagnes de marketing en ligne. Ce jeu leur permet d’engager et d’activer les consommateurs à chaque étape de leur parcours client , de la découverte de l’enseigne à la réalisation d’un achat.

1. Brand awreness and lead generation with an original one-armed bandit

Le Bandit Manchot est très lié à la récompense et au gain. A ce titre, c’est un instant gagnant efficace pour capter l’attention de son audience et maximiser son engagement. La promesse d’une récompense et la possibilité de découvrir si l’on a gagné ou non sont deux facteurs qui permettent à l’enseigne de gagner en visibilité et de générer de nouveaux leads (via un formulaire d’inscription au début ou à la fin du jeu). 

Exemple : Eurotunnel a mis en place une stratégie de Wait Marketing (soit la gestion de l’attente), en diffusant une campagne gamifiée auprès des conducteurs. Ceux-ci pouvaient participer au Bandit Manchot pendant la traversée du tunnel après avoir renseigné un code inscrit sur leur titre de transport. Ce jeu captivant a permis à l’entreprise de recruter des leads de qualité (5K nouveaux inscrits via Adictiz Ads) tout en renforçant sa communication auprès de son public cible.

Eurotunnel - Instant win competitions
Eurotunnel - jackpot

2. Promoting your brand community and points of sale

Bien connu du grand public, le Bandit Manchot peut être un bon format pour animer sa communauté de marque en ligne  (sur les réseaux sociaux ou sur son application) comme en physique (dans des points de vente, via une borne interactive). L’enseigne maximise le temps passé avec son public en misant sur une mécanique addictive ainsi que des dotations attractives. 

Exemple : Pour la Fête des Mères, les Galeries Lafayette ont proposé un Bandit Manchot 100% gagnant dans leurs points de vente via une borne interactive, installée pendant 3 jours dans 6 magasins en France. L’objectif était d’animer les points de ventes pendant le temps fort. Les résultats ont dépassé les attentes, avec une participation en magasin au-dessus de la moyenne. Le temps de jeu moyen d’1 minute 20 secondes a démontré un réel intérêt pour l’animation, confirmant le succès de cette initiative.

L’animation Bandit Manchot était disponible en ligne via un QR code affiché en magasin. Cette stratégie omnicanale a permis de booster l’engagement de l’audience et la portée de la campagne. Permettant à l’enseigne d’animer tous les magasins. Cette opération en co-branding a permis de collecter des opt-ins pour Galeries Lafayette et sa marque partenaire, Rosemood.

Galeries Lafayette Mother's Day competitions
Galeries Lafayette - one-armed bandit online

Boost your conversion rate and generate sales by creating a One-Armed Bandit

Pour finir, le Bandit Manchot en ligne est une mécanique pertinente pour booster ses ventes et augmenter son taux de conversion. Les dotations mises en jeu sont des bons de réduction que les participants pourront utiliser sur leur prochain achat. Très facile à personnaliser, cette mécanique permet de présenter ses produits de manière originale en les transformant en symboles sur le rouleau de la machine à sous. 

Exemple : La campagne Crazy Days, qui prenait la forme d’un Bandit Manchot en ligne, a permis à Showroomprivé d’attirer des clients tout en donnant une forte visibilité à la marque lors d’un temps fort commercial, celui des soldes. Le jeu était ici utilisé comme générateur de ventes, avec l’objectif de stimuler la conversion grâce à la distribution de bons d’achats. La campagne Crazy Days de Showroomprivé a affiché d’excellents KPI’s d’engagement avec 27k dotations distribuées, soit autant de possibilités de ventes sur le site de l’enseigne.

Showroomprivé - Crazy Days sales
Showroomprivé - Crazy Days

6 tips for programming a One-Armed bandit game

Pour atteindre ces objectifs stratégiques, il faut bien penser la conception et la diffusion de son Bandit Manchot en ligne. Voici 6 conseils à suivre pour booster l’impact de votre campagne.

1. How to customize the one-armed bandit online ?

La clé de la réussite d’un Bandit Manchot en ligne est de personnaliser la mécanique afin que les participants puissent s’immerger dans l’univers de la marque et associer cette expérience positive à l’enseigne. 

Avec Adictiz, il est possible de personnaliser les graphismes de son jeu, des fonds en passant par les symboles qui vont s’afficher sur le rouleau de la machine à sous, sans oublier la poignée (ou le bouton Start). L’idée est d’uniformiser ces éléments graphiques afin de proposer une expérience cohérente.

2. How to set up a one-armed bandit online ?

La seconde étape consiste à configurer la mécanique afin que le parcours de jeu réponde aux objectifs stratégiques. Le Bandit Manchot est composé de 6 pages, auxquelles la marque peut ajouter des étapes et mécaniques. 
Il peut s’agir d’une page d’accueil et de teasing pour mettre en avant ses produits. Mais le Bandit Manchot peut donner accès à un tirage au sort. Les gagnants remportent une première dotation et sont inscrits au tirage au sort pour remporter des lots conséquents.  
Avec Adictiz, il est également possible de sélectionner : 

  • Le nombre de participations autorisées (par jour, semaine, mois ou sur toute la campagne). On conseille une limite d’une participation par jour pour encourager les joueurs à revenir sur la campagne ;
  • Le nombre de dotation qu’un joueur peut remporter ; 
  • Le nombre de rouleaux (jusqu’à 6). 

L’enseigne peut ajouter des étapes supplémentaires à son parcours de jeu pour booster ses résultats en termes de collecte. Elle peut par ajouter une étape dédiée à l’optin (push optin) ou insérer un formulaire de collecte de données clients après le jeu, avant que le participant ne découvre son gain.

3. How to manage the prizes for a Bandit Manchot instant win?

Tout l’attrait du Bandit Manchot en ligne réside dans les dotations. Il est donc important de configurer les lots de sa campagne.  Dans le cas contraire, tous les utilisateurs seront redirigés vers la page “Perdu”, car il n’y aura aucun lot à gagner. 

Tips : il est possible de faire remporter des dotations en fonction des symboles qui s’afficheront sur le rouleau gagnant. Les visuels du Bandit manchot peuvent correspondre aux cadeaux à remporter.

4. What’s the checklist before sharing your One-armed Bandit?

Avant de publier sa campagne, il est recommandé de faire des vérifications. En cliquant sur la zone de jeu dans l’éditeur, il est possible de prévisualiser le jeu et ajuster son affichage (ses dimensions pour l’intégrer dans un environnement mobile). 

Lorsque les versions Desktop et Mobile sont finalisées, l’enseigne pourra la tester afin de vérifier que la mécanique fonctionne. Il ne lui restera plus qu’à la publier sur son domaine personnalisé et à la diffuser auprès de son audience.

5. Can we take over my campaign?

Besoin d’aide pour créer une campagne marketing autour d’un Bandit Manchot en ligne ? Le studio de création Adictiz prend en charge toute la programmation de l’expérience gamifiée. De la conception du parcours de jeu à la mise en place de l’univers graphique. En passant par la configuration des dotations et la mise en ligne de la campagne.

6. How to boost the visibility of your gamification campaign?

Adictiz accompagne les marques dans la diffusion de leur Bandit Manchot via son Agence Média . Une équipe dédiée s’occupera de la conception et publication de la campagne. Ainsi que du ciblage de l’audience en passant par le tracking et l’optimisation des Ads ou séquences d’emailing.

Conclusion

Le Bandit Manchot est le format idéal pour booster la notoriété et les ventes de votre marque. Misez sur cet Instant Gagnant pour atteindre vos objectifs stratégiques et dynamisez vos campagnes marketing avec nos autres mécaniques de jeux interactifs !

In 30 minutes, we show you how to launch your own high-performance interactive marketing campaign

Leroy Merlin unites its employees for its 100th anniversary thanks to gamification

Leroy Merlin unites its employees for its 100th anniversary thanks to gamification

Corporate play is becoming increasingly popular. Whether organised online or face-to-face, these initiatives offer valuable opportunities to strengthen team cohesion.

The engaging nature of games facilitates the transmission of information while capturing the attention of employees. it creates a playful environment in which the bonds between colleagues are forged or strengthened. This strenghtens the feeling of belonging to the company.

That’s why Leroy Merlin, the famous DIY chain, has chosen to use gamification in the workplace to celebrate its centenary with its teams.

In this article, we take a look at this inspiring example to learn lessons that can be applied within your organisation. From the definition of objectives to the choice of game mechanics, not forgetting the distribution strategy and performance monitoring, let’s discover the keys to this gamified success.

Why integrate corporate gaming?

Gaming is much more than just business entertainment. Here a few strategic reasons to adopt it:

  • Facilitating learning: edutainment formats enhance memoruzation and make training courses more attractive.
  • Creating links: competitions and challenges strengthen team cohesion and stimulate collaboration.
  • Boosting commitment: Employees are more inclined to invest when they feel valued and involved in a collective project.
  • Boost internal communication: Gamifying key messages helps to capture attention while effectively raising awareness among teams.

An ambitious Leroy Merlin project for the brand’s 100th anniversary

To celebrate its centenary, Leroy Merlin launched an in-house game lasting nine months, from January to September. The aim of the project was to unite its 25,000 employees around an emblematic event, while strengthening its employer brand and image.

A fun, participative corporate gaming strategy

The campaign skillfully blended interactive games and collaborative content creation:

  • Participative games: Quizzes on the company’s history and mini-games such as “Mega Jump”, designed to stimulate friendly competition between colleagues.
  • Collaborative challenges: Challenges that encourage employees to share anecdotes, photos, videos and personal stories, often in pairs or teams.
  • Hybrid mechanisms: by combining entertainment and personal expression, Leroy Merlin has guaranteed genuine involvement, rooted in the compan’y values.

Everything was accessible via a dedicated platform and punctuated by an interactive calendar gradually unveiling the events. This structure kept participants interested throughout the campaign.

Leroy Merlin - corporate play
Leroy Merlin - corporate play

Effective multi-media distribution

To maxmise participation, Leroy Merlin has deployed a wide range of internal communications:

  • Regular alerts on the calendar integrated into the collaborative social network.
  • Publications on the intranet to remind the highlights of the operation.
  • Internal newsletters, stimulating support and encouraging interaction.

By drawing on these multpile channels, the brand ensured optimum visibility for the campaign, boosting employee commitment.

A collective success, a source of cohesion and pride

With 21,500 registrations out of 25,000 employees, the campaign recorded an exceptional participation rate, demonstrating the strong support of teams.

An emblematic end product

One of the key results of this initiative was the creation of a 100th anniversary book, compiling the anecdotes, photos and testimonials collected during the campaign. The book served several puposes:

  • Strenghtening collective pride: Employees felt valued when their contributions were highlighted.
  • Extending the impact of the campaign: The book, posted on the intranet, helped to maintain commitment beyond the end of the event.

A stronger employer brand

By mobilising its teams around a common project, Leroy merlin has consolidated its internal and external image. Employee-generated content (UGC, User Generated Content) has helped to promote the company’s values and history to its customers and partners.

Leroy Merlin - centenary game

Lessons learned from this corporate play

The “100 years of Leroy Merlin” operation offers valuable lessons for any company wishing to organise an in-house competition. Here are the key steps for maximising the impact of this type of initiative:

  • Define clear objectives: In-company gaming must be part of a strategy that is consistent with needs. Potental objectives include:
    1. Facilitating the integration and training of teams.
    2. Strengthen cohesion and team spirit.
    3. Valuing employees while boosting internal communication.
  • Choosing the right mechanics: To maintain interest, it’s essential to combine entertaining games (quizzes, mini-games) with more engaging mechanics, such as collaborative challenges. This mix encourages genuine and lasting involvement.
  • Optimising distribution: A successful campaign relies on mutl-media communication, adapted to employee’s habits. the use if newsletters, intranets or internal social networks is essential to boost visibility.
  • Measuring results: Monitoring performance is essential: participation rates, quality of content generated or impact on defined objectives. This data will guide the improvement of future initiatives.

Based on these principles, Leroy Merlin has shown that a competition can become a tool for mobilising its teams, strengthening ties and enhancing the company’s culture. Whether to celebrate an event or achieve HR objectives, gamification offers endless opportunities to inspire and unite.

Conclusion

Corporate gamification is a powerful way of stimulating activity, commitment and cohesion. Taking the example of Leroy merlin 100th anniversary campaign, you can organise competitions tailored to your objectives and the aspirations of your teams. Check out our catalogue of mechanics to get your staff involved!

In 30 minutes, we show you how to launch your own high-performance interactive marketing campaign

How to build a Social Media strategy

How to build a Social Media strategy

74% of consumers refer to social networks before making a purchase. And 72% of companies have increased their sales and generated more in-store traffic thanks to their Social Media strategy.

Investing in social networks is therefore absolutely essential for brands. Whether to raise brand awareness, reach a wider audience, boost sales or create a community of loyal, committed customers, social media marketing is an ultra-efficient communication channel.

All the more reason to create a relevant Social Media strategy, in which your company will detail the actions it intends to take on social networks. In this article, we’ll take you step-by-step through the process of drawing up this action plan.

What is social media marketing?

Social network marketing involves using platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) Pinterest or even TikTok to promote your brand to potential customers and sell your products or services.

Social media marketing can take many forms: from the simple act of sharing content on these platforms, to (paid) advertising campaigns or partnerships with influencers (known as influencer marketing). Interaction with platform users (by reposting their publications, replying to their comments, etc.) is also a form of social media marketing.

By social media strategy, we mean the action plan a company creates to plan its efforts on social networks. This involves defining objectives, audience and expectations, as well as developing a content calendar and performance KPIs to measure the achievement of results.

What you need to remember is that social network marketing is a unique acquisition and sales channel. It therefore requires specific expertise, dedicated resources and in-depth tracking and continuous improvement.

Social Media Strategy

Why do companies need a Social Media strategy?

This question may seem obvious when you consider that almost all brands have a presence on social networks. But it is nevertheless important to understand the benefits of a good Social Media strategy in order to identify the results that your company can reap from it.

  • Increase brand awareness. 53% of consumers say their use of social media has increased over the past two years. It is therefore essential for brands wishing to raise their profile or federate a community of committed customers to communicate via this channel.
  • Create a relationship of trust with your audience. Social networks also have a huge impact on the trust that consumers place in businesses, particularly among younger people.
  • Increase sales. Beyond the reach of social networks, the content shared on them is extremely effective in converting new customers. The more authentic publications and social selling levers that are gradually being integrated into the platforms make them excellent tools for promoting products and boosting revenues.
  • Make it easy to track performance. Social networks integrate tools that make it easier to track key performance indicators. This makes it easier to assess the return on investment of your social media strategy.

Steps to follow for an effective social media strategy

Now that we’ve proven the relevance of developing a Social Media strategy, it’s time to take action. To create a precise and effective action plan, it’s important to follow these steps.

1. Establish your brand’s objectives on social networks

As we’ve seen, social networks enable you to reach and engage your prospects at every stage of the sales funnel. But it’s also a complex marketing channel, requiring a great deal of time and resources from companies. So it’s important not to jump in blindly, but rather to target your strategic objectives precisely.

The idea is to focus on one or two objectives that are particularly crucial for the company. If it is just starting up, the main challenge will be to raise awareness and generate new leads. If it is already well established, social networks can be a lever for engagement and loyalty, etc.

Each objective must be linked to precise performance KPI’s, which will enable us to monitor their achievement and adjust the Social Media strategy if necessary.

2. Analyze your audience

To create impactful content on social networks, you need to understand who you’re talking to and what your audience’s expectations are. The best way to do this is to question your audience and collect zero-party customer data (through interactive mechanisms such as polls, for example).

Brands can also benchmark companies in their sector or content creators in their niche. By studying their publications and the interactions they generate with their audience, they’ll have a better understanding of the codes they need to respect to share their own content (the tone to use, the frequency of publication, the most popular formats, etc.).

3. Choose the best channels to invest in

The worst mistake a brand can make when drawing up its Social Media strategy is to be everywhere at once and simply duplicate its content across all these networks. Each platform has its own specific audience and codes. You therefore need to choose the channel that best reaches your target audience, and the content format that best matches your brand image.

4. Plan and diversify your content

With these last elements, the brand can start planning and sharing its content. The aim isn’t to publish as often as possible, even if regularity is crucial to cracking the social network algorithm. Rather, it’s to create truly differentiating content that generates strong emotions in its audience, resonates with their expectations and values, and captures their attention.

Gamification is an excellent lever for making content on social networks more original and engaging. Competitions, for example, are a very popular format on platforms, helping to capture users’ attention (particularly through the promise of an attractive prize).

These campaigns are all the more powerful when backed up by other levers of visibility and engagement specific to social networks. For example, they can be publicized via an advertising campaign or a partnership with an influencer to reach a wider audience.

5. Measure results and adjust your Social Media strategy

The most important KPIs to track on social networks are engagement KPIs. They enable brands to assess the relevance of their content to their audience and the interest it generates.

Depending on the results of its publications and advertising campaigns, the brand can refine its Social Media strategy. Many companies, for example, have learned from experience that the more authentic the content (i.e. the less elaborate and promotional it is), the more engagement it generates.

Conclusion

Boost your Social Media strategy by integrating gamification into your marketing campaigns. Marketing games are highly effective at capturing attention and engaging your audience. To create differentiating interactive experiences, you can choose from a catalog of playable mechanics the one best suited to your strategic objectives. Our team can also take charge of your campaign!