Low supporter retention rates are among the most significant issues in social and political movements. While the community grows during crises, people find it hard to stay active in the long run. Gamification has proven to solve this issue.
At Qela, we are experts in using gamification strategies to improve the engagement and retention rates of social and political movements. We see up to 30% increase in engagement rates in our clients after they start using Qela.
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One of the most effective tools for driving user retention and engagement is leaderboards. They allow users to rank themselves according to their success and progress. With other gamification tools, leaderboards can effectively retain users and increase engagement. Duolingo, a gamified language-learning unicorn, saw the number of highly engaged users triple after introducing this feature.
What does it have to do with community organizing? Leaderboards, among other gamification tools, increase the retention and motivation of language learners and supporters of social movements.
Here’s how we do it in Qela:
We use leaderboards to inspire a healthy sense of competition among supporters and allow them to track their progress within their organization.
Users earn points for completing quests, which are easily attainable tasks that benefit their organization. Users earn two sets of points for completing each task: Vote Weight and Talent Points.
Vote Weight is the sum of a person’s influence points, which grows with every completed quest.
FREEDOMS Talent Points (F — fundraising, R — recruiting, E — endurance, E — eloquence, D — determination, O — originality, M — management, S — savvy) are the points supporters get for developing specific skills through completing quests.
Two different leaderboards are created based on those two criteria. In the Talents leaderboard, users can also view a distinct ranking for each talent using filters.
Because of the specificity of the point system in Qela, we rank supporters based on their engagement in the organization. Leaderboards motivate users to earn more points to rise in the ranks, which drives retention. Therefore, this solution motivates users to be more engaged with their movement.
Why are Leaderboards Effective?
One of the early adopters of leaderboards in tech settings, Opentext, saw a 60% increase in the active participation of its employees in tasks shortly after its deployment. Why was that?
According to the gamification framework Octalysis, two main reasons (drives) why people stay engaged in a game are the sense of accomplishment and the feeling of social influence.
The first one — Accomplishment — comes from a user's desire to get better at the game, develop new skills, and overcome challenges. Leaderboards are an excellent tool for effortless tracking of one’s progress.
The second — Social Influence — argues that people’s motivation to participate in a game depends on their relatedness to one another. If you see a friend (or a foe?) succeeding in developing a new skill or gaining points, you will feel more motivated to do the same in the spirit of competition. Leaderboards create the space for such contests and thus drive user engagement.
This is also backed by the Social Comparison Theory, developed by the social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1950s America. According to him, people gain a clearer understanding of their skill levels and abilities only when comparing themselves to others. Leaderboards emphasize people’s achievements in relation to others, giving them a clearer view of their skill (or engagement) level. The study conducted by the University of Mainz found that the introduction of leaderboards in the work environment significantly increased the motivation of employees. People were also more competitive with each other, which resulted in higher engagement and more effective work outcomes.
However, there are conflicting perspectives on whether the position on the leaderboard influences the level of motivation. According to Yu-kai Chou, the founder of Octalysis, “traditional leaderboards, ranking users from first to last, can motivate the top 5-10% of users but often demoralize the rest.”
Makes sense, right? If the ranking list is long, it feels like one can never get from the last place to anywhere near the top. Well, this study from the Yonsei University in Seoul suggests otherwise. It argues that people who end up on the lowest ranks of the leaderboard seem to be more highly motivated to participate in the competition to better their position. At the same time, the leaders seem to relax after getting to the top and not try to increase their progress that much.
Leaderboards’ Benefits for Community Managers:
Besides driving user engagement, leaderboards can also be an extremely effective tool for managers to build community capacity and delegate tasks.
Use leaderboards to prioritize tasks for the most active users. The supporters who stay at the top of the leaderboard have proven to be engaged and loyal. They are great candidates for more responsible jobs, such as recruiting new volunteers or representing the movement at a local event.
Leaderboards are also effective in capacity building — the most active supporters make for great local leaders or volunteer coordinators. Read more on how to use Qela for capacity building here: https://www.qela.app/post/capacity-building-how-to-turn-volunteers-into-coordinators
When used thoughtfully, leaderboards can be a powerful tool for increasing supporters' engagement and retention rates. They tap into people’s natural drive to progress, relate to each other, and allow for healthy competition, turning participation into a more interactive and motivating experience.
Want to level up your community engagement and build lasting relationships with your supporters? We will be happy to assist you on this journey. Sign up now for a free 14-day trial here: https://www.qela.app/