Using social games to market via shared interests - SmartBrief

All Articles Marketing Using social games to market via shared interests

Using social games to market via shared interests

1 min read

By Paul Chaney 05/26/16

Marketing

SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social media practices and issues.

Last week’s poll question: Do you believe social-gaming applications such as Farmville, Texas Holdem or Mafia Wars can be used for business development?

  • If I get one more Farmville invitation, I’ll blow a gasket.  48.44%
  • No, I don’t see how they could.  23.18%
  • I believe they can, but not sure just how.  19.03%
  • No opinion.  5.88%
  • Yes, in fact I’m using them for business development now.  3.46%

Let’s put it this way, Farmville and other social-gaming applications are an acquired taste. They were not designed to be business development applications in the first place, though some are finding them to be useful in that respect.

Nonetheless, the idea of marketing via shared interests is one that has merit. I suspect we will see social gaming as a business development opportunity come into vogue in certain industries — real estate being a prime example.