Welcome to a world where data is king and personalization reigns supreme. In this realm, marketers armed with rich insights hold the key to unlocking the hearts and minds of their customers and boosting marketing results. However, many marketers are failing to succeed because they rely on third-party data. They lack first-hand knowledge of their customers. In today’s marketing landscape, relying solely on data from third-party sources can leave marketers with a significant gap in truly understanding and knowing their customers. While these sources provide valuable insights, they often lack the granular details needed to create targeted and personalized experiences. That’s where data enrichment becomes paramount.

At Playable, the gamification platform for marketers, we recognize the significance of data enrichment in empowering marketers to deliver tailored experiences. In our quest to uncover trends and unveil actionable statistics we can share with our customers, we took a deep dive into the aggregated data insights gleaned from our platform. In this blog post, we present our findings, shedding light on the best practices for data enrichment and the best ways of collecting zero-party data.

But first…

What is data enrichment? 

Data enrichment is the process of enhancing and augmenting existing data sets with additional information to gain deeper insights and improve the quality and usefulness of the data. It involves enriching raw data by adding relevant attributes, such as demographic details, firmographic data, behavioral patterns, geographic information, social media profiles, or any other relevant data points. A great way to do data enrichment is to collect zero-party data through interactive and playable marketing. 

Zero-party data, a term coined by Forrester Research, is defined as

Data which a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. It can include preference center data, purchase intentions, personal context, and how the individual wants the brand to recognize them. 

Data enrichment: form data vs. metrics data 

At Playable, we offer two effective ways to collect zero-party data: through registration forms in playable campaigns, and within the immersive playable experiences themselves.

1. Form data: When users sign up or register to participate in a playable experience, they are presented with registration forms where they can voluntarily provide specific information about themselves. This can include contact details like email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, and more.
   
2. Metrics data, also called game data: This approach involves collecting zero-party data seamlessly within the gameplay itself using games such as Personality tests, Quizzes, Polls, Swipe It, Surveys, and so on. These game formats are strategically designed to capture participants’ preferences, needs, skills, and knowledge, providing marketers with deep insights into their audience.

Both methods offer distinct advantages in gathering zero-party data. Registration forms are effective for collecting contact information and basic demographic details, while metrics data collection goes beyond surface-level information, enabling marketers to delve into participants’ psychographic attributes, interests, and behaviors. By combining these approaches, marketers can create a comprehensive data enrichment strategy that yields valuable insights and supports personalized marketing efforts.

3 data enrichment best practices for registration data 

When it comes to playable campaigns that require collecting one or two new data points through a registration form, skill games, and luck games are excellent choices. But, let’s dive into more actionable data enrichment best practices for registration forms. 

1. Keep your registration forms as short as possible

One crucial data enrichment best practice is to keep your registration forms as concise and streamlined as possible.

• In fact, our platform data insights show that, on average, every added field leads to a loss of 6.5% in registration rate.

This finding highlights the importance of minimizing the number of required fields during the registration process. In other words, it’s better to create multiple playable campaigns that collect one new data point each (excl. email), than having one long form!

2. Be mindful of the data fields requested 

While essentials like first name and email are fine, be cautious with more personal details like phone numbers or birthdays. A great data enrichment best practice is to find a balance between gathering useful data and respecting user privacy. Transparency is vital—explain why you’re collecting certain information and offer clear opt-in options. For instance, mentioning that you request birthdays to send special offers can boost sign-ups. Remember, by being considerate of user privacy, you create a positive experience that fosters trust and engagement.

Here are a few interesting facts we uncovered by looking at our platform data: 

• On average, the registration rate drops by about 24% with the addition of a phone number field.
• Adding an address field (or asking for a street name and number) does not significantly affect the registration rate. 
• Adding a birthday field does not significantly affect the registration rate.
• Interestingly, the addition of a zip code field seems to increase the registration rate. 

It doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for sensitive data if you need it, but you have to be more mindful. We have experienced that there are two good ways of asking for more sensitive data points:

• You communicate clearly why it is relevant for your customer to share this information with you (e.g., asking for the postal code to send relevant local discounts) 
• You communicate that the information is needed based on your prize strategy (e.g., the full address or email to send the prizes)

Most likely, that’s the reasons why the addition of a zip code field increase the registration rate; because companies ask the zip code for a specific reason that they specify. 

3. Position your registration form carefully 

The placement of your registration form can significantly impact your campaign’s success, and it ultimately depends on your specific end goals. If your primary objective is zero-party data collection, placing the registration form before the game is advisable. This approach ensures that participants provide their information upfront, prioritizing data gathering over other games played. On the other hand, if your aim is to prioritize engagement and brand interaction, positioning the registration form after the game is more suitable. By allowing participants to play the game first, you foster a sense of enjoyment and brand connection before requesting their information. 

• Asking the registration before the game leads to an increase in registration rate of, on average, 18%, but at the same time drops the game started rate by around 15%.

3 data enrichment best practices for game data

As previously mentioned, certain game types are intentionally designed for data collection purposes. These include Personality tests, Quizzes, Product selectors, Polls, Surveys, and Swipe It!

1. Choose the right type of game 

One crucial data enrichment best practice is to select the appropriate game type based on the specific data you aim to collect. As previously mentioned, various game formats are purpose-built for data collection, such as personality tests and quizzes. Each game type serves a distinct purpose in gathering valuable insights. For example, quizzes excel at assessing audience knowledge on a particular topic, while personality tests enable personalized product recommendations. Swipe It! offers an effective way to gauge audience preferences and dislikes.

By aligning your game type with your data collection objectives, you can optimize engagement and gather the most relevant insights from your audience. For example, if you want to know which wine your audience prefers (the type, the sweetness, and the price range), then a Personality test is the best option. 

• While analyzing registration data for these games, we found that personality tests had a relatively lower registration rate compared to others, but the game completion rates for all these games were somewhat similar.

2. Highlight what your customers gain from participating

One crucial data enrichment best practice is to emphasize the benefits that customers gain from participating in the game. By clearly highlighting the value they receive, you can encourage higher engagement and data sharing.

For instance, with a personality test, participants gain self-insight or receive personalized product recommendations that align with their needs. Surveys, on the other hand, allow them to voice their opinions and influence the company’s decision-making, fostering a sense of empowerment. 

Additionally, rewarding participants with incentives such as prizes, discounts, or exclusive offers, like discovering their perfect summer wine and getting 25% off the next purchase, adds an extra layer of motivation and excitement to their participation.

3. Put a high focus on user experience rather than data collection techniques

Our last data enrichment best practice is that user experience is absolutely key! For instance, if you want to determine the price range your leads are willing to pay for a bottle of wine, try a more subtle approach. Rather than asking directly about their price range, ask what they generally pay for a bottle of wine. This way, they don’t have the impression that the experience is solely for data collection purposes.  Similarly, asking simply ‘do you like Coca-Cola’’ can be a bit closed and boring. Consider transforming it into an interactive Swipe It game using images. 

By incorporating visuals like pictures, videos, and animations, and diversifying question types in quizzes or surveys, such as including image-based options, you can enhance user engagement and capture richer insights in a more intuitive and visually appealing way.

Ready to start your data enrichment strategy?

We have shared here data enrichment best practices derived from anonymized data collected through our platform. These valuable insights have been condensed into six actionable tips, but it’s important to remember that data enrichment is a long-term strategy that extends beyond a single campaign. Should you require further guidance, whether it be on a strategic or implementation level, don’t hesitate to reach out to your dedicated customer success manager. Additionally, our chat support team is always available to address any technical queries you may have, for example, giving assistance in setting up your integrations. 

Not a customer yet? Then, take a demo to learn more on how Playable can accelerate your data enrichment strategy.