Setting Up Gamification in Salesforce Experience Cloud to Boost Engagement

When someone mentions “gamification,” many think of “games,” “fun,” and “entertainment.” While this is true, in the context of Salesforce, it takes on new dimensions. Here, it’s not just about fun; it’s about enhancing user engagement, productivity, and overall experience.

Keep reading as we explore the intricacies of implementing gamification in Salesforce Experience Cloud and how you can leverage this game-changing experience for your organization (pun intended).

Gamification, Fully Explained

Gamification employs game-like mechanics to motivate users while they interact with your website, application, or service through engaging content. The essence of gamification lies in rewarding users with points and badges for completing specific actions. Examples include:

• Commenting on a post in a community.
• Finishing a lesson or training module.
• Sharing best practices with community participants.
• Competing against peers in challenges.

A prime example of gamification in Salesforce is Trailhead, where users earn badges and points for completing various trails and modules. As a proud Triple Star Ranger with 566 badges, 162,075 points, and 89 trails completed, I’m a trailblazing fool. Time to put in the work!

Using Gamification in Salesforce Experience Cloud: Common Benefits

When implemented correctly, gamification can significantly enhance user engagement and experience. Here are some common advantages of using gamification in Salesforce Experience Cloud:

• Improved User Retention: Gamification keeps users returning and engaging with content actively. Personally, I find myself revisiting online communities that incorporate entertaining elements.
• Higher Satisfaction: Nobody enjoys a tedious customer journey filled with monotonous text. A gamified experience allows users to interact with your offerings, boosting their satisfaction levels.
• Better Collaboration: Ideal for communities, gamification fosters a sense of belonging, encouraging users to share knowledge, participate actively, and compete with one another.
• Higher Revenue: Gamification can help sales departments achieve higher targets, accelerate deal closures, and attract new customers by presenting it appealingly.

Main Gamification Functionality in Salesforce

Gamification in Salesforce Experience Cloud revolves around three key pillars: Recognition Badges, Missions, and Reputation Leaderboards. Before exploring the setup, let’s understand these key elements:

1. Recognition Badges: These virtual awards represent achievements and milestones. They serve as positive reinforcement and can be earned by:
   • Contributing to the community.
   • Completing specific tasks or reaching milestones.
   • Demonstrating expertise and mentoring others.
2. Missions: Structured challenges that users complete to earn rewards, points, and badges. Missions have clear goals, motivating users to excel. Examples include:
   • Writing a post.
   • Liking or commenting on a post.
   • Asking or answering questions.
3. Reputation Leaderboards: Infusing competition into your community, these display top-performing users based on their accumulated points and badges. They can motivate passive users and enhance overall engagement.

How to Set Gamification Up in Salesforce Experience Cloud: Your Step-by-Step Tutorial

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s walk through the process of implementing gamification in a Salesforce Experience Cloud site. Follow these simple steps—it’s straightforward!

Step 1: Locating Gamification in the Experience Builder

• Log into your Salesforce organization and enter “Digital Experiences” in the Quick Find box.
• Click on All Sites to view all your Experience Cloud sites.
• Select the desired site and find the Workspaces Action to enter.

Step 2: Turning the Thanks Settings On

• Switch to Salesforce Classic by clicking your profile in the top right corner and selecting “Switch to Salesforce Classic.”
• In Setup, search for WDC Settings.
• Enable Thanks Settings, essential for creating Recognition Badges and Missions.
• Return to your Experience Builder Workspace → Gamification and reload the page.

Step 3: Creating a Recognition Badge

• Click New to create a Recognition Badge. For instance, name it Top Performer, awarded to the most active community member.
• Decide if the badge should be public, active, and linked to a Mission, then click Save.

Step 4: Creating a Mission Badge

• Create a new Mission called Comment that awards the Top Performer Badge when members write comments in the community.

Step 5: Enabling Reputation on an Experience Cloud Site

• In your Experience Workspaces, click Administration → Preferences.
• Under Experience Management, check Enable setup and display of reputation levels and click Save.

Step 6: Adjusting Reputation Levels and Points

• Go to Experience Workspaces → Administration → Reputation levels to customize default levels.
• Set points for specific activities in Experience Workspaces → Administration → Reputation Points.

Step 7: Assembling Gamification Components on the Site’s Layout

• In Experience Builder, select Components and find Gamification. Drag and drop Reputation Leaderboard and Recognition Badges onto the site layout.
• Customize settings, including displaying up to 10 community members on the Leaderboard.

Step 8: Enjoying Gamification from a User’s Perspective

• Community users can view their reputation level, points, and badges by clicking their profile avatar in the top right corner.
• The Influencer board displays followers, posts, comments, and likes, showcasing their activity and achievements.

Final Thoughts

Implementing gamification in Salesforce Experience Cloud is straightforward. While it involves several steps, the benefits are well worth the effort.

A couple of tips as you embark on your gamification journey:

1. Remember that some settings must be adjusted in Salesforce Classic.
2. Get creative—decide how to engage your users and which gamification techniques to employ.
3. Consider seeking advice from Tectonic, a certified Salesforce implementation partner.

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