Top 20 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn from Wordle
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to people looking for creative ways to stay active and have fun, which in turn has led to a spike in gaming as explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. One of these games that have seen a spike in popularity during this time is the word-guessing game called Wordle. If you have been online in recent weeks you have probably encountered either social media posts made up of green and yellow blocks or think-pieces talking about the game. There are several lessons we can learn from the game’s explosion in popularity, and this article will look to list the top 20 marketing lessons we can learn from Wordle.
Accessibility is important
As per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, one unique thing about Wordle is that, unlike many viral games that have come before, it is not an app. Instead, Wordle is a web-based game that anyone can easily access from any internet-connected device that has a browser. Regardless of which device you use, the user experience remains consistently simple and hassle-free it is easily accessible, and so should your marketing messages. Universal access should be a top priority in designing your brand experience.
Simplicity
There is also some genius in Wordle’s simplicity. It is a game that anyone can get into without a steep learning curve. When it comes to your marketing, you should ask yourself, “why to go for the more sophisticated option when a simpler, more accessible one would be just as effective?”
The power of small victories
Wordle is just difficult enough to make you feel smart and prompt a dose of dopamine when you come up with the right answer, but not too difficult for most people to play according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Since there is only one Wordle puzzle a day, you don’t have to spend too much time on it. For brand marketers, this collective need for small daily victories points to the opportunities in creating simple, user-friendly experiences that reward and delight your customers daily without demanding too much effort.
Sharing without spoiling
While Wordle comes with a social sharing button like every game and online experience today, its social sharing is designed in such a way that instead of sending a screenshot of the results to social media, Wordle has found a way for players to easily share the process without giving away the answer. The marketing lesson here is that we should be considerate to your next customer while satisfying the bragging rights of your existing ones.
Co-creation
Wordle’s cleverly designed social sharing feature stems from a fan’s contribution. In today’s creator economy, online marketing is a two-way street. Your audiences have the tools to be creative, and they will use those tools to make their voice heard if needed. You should, therefore, leverage this emerging trend of co-creation.
You don’t have to monetize
Wordle also owes much of its viral success to the fact that its creator has no intention of monetizing the game as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, despite the millions of visits the website gets daily. While there is nothing wrong with monetizing attention, the reputation that Josh Wardle has gained by choosing not to monetize his game is worth considering.
Less is more
As digital marketers, it has become a strategic impulse for us to always want to learn more about our audiences and try to hook them with gamified branded experiences. Wordle’s success shows us that sometimes, less is more. Doing away with the more annoying aspects of digital marketing may result in a far superior user experience that is sure to delight people and get them talking.
Build a sense of anticipation
As captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, Wordle is a daily game. Every day at midnight, a new board appears, and once you complete that board, that is it for the day. This set schedule adds a sense of anticipation as you know exactly what to expect and when to expect it. This is a lesson we can learn and apply to our marketing efforts.
Engage your audience
Wordle is all about engagement. When playing the game, you choose the words to guess. The actual game provides you with very little instructions, except for slight guidance as to which letters you have selected are correct or not. You should also engage with your target audience as a marketer, helping them out when they need help.
Don’t waste your audience’s time
Wordle is a game that is simple and straight to the point as already mentioned. Additionally, there is only one challenge per day, so players’ minds are focused. For us marketers, the lesson here is that prospects have a limited amount of time and we shouldn’t waste their time with our marketing messages.
Gamification
With Wordle, you have a singular focus and then you are done as covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. The lesson the game teaches us is that having a gamification approach allows for a simplicity that will help the prospect to remember content, instead of being overwhelmed by the content.
Learning can be fun
Wordle teaches us that learning doesn’t have to be dry. Studies have shown that multi-sensory marketing can increase comprehension by 500%. The ability to capture attention is critical. At the end of the day, Wordle is a word game. It is educational, yet still captivating, a lesson worth learning.
Luck and skill
Wordle is an activity that combines luck and skill, just like marketing as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Some approaches can be adopted to improve our odds of success when playing the game, but they don’t guarantee a good outcome. Over time, however, good decision-making should win out. The same applies to marketing.
How we start matters
In a game of Wordle, our fortunes will be heavily dependent on how we begin. A poor choice at the start, or some bad luck, will have a significant impact on our end results. Similarly, how your marketing videos start will have a big impact on whether your audience will continue watching or move on.
Offer new and useful information
Wordle is a small, stable game with a limited range of outcomes, where the new information we receive improves our chances. When it comes to marketing, you also want to offer your audiences relevant, new, and useful information that will enable them to see your brand as the best option for them.
It is not always advisable to go with your gut
When playing Wordle, the temptation is always to try and guess and go with our gut as to what the correct word is, once we know some of the letters and their position as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. However, this rarely works, showing us the folly of following how we feel as opposed to working to a plan.
The power of FOMO
Wordle has reinforced the feeling that humans don’t like missing out. We are social animals who want to do what other people are doing and hate to miss out. This can be seen in how this game’s popularity has gone through the roof. In marketing, leveraging FOMO in your campaigns is always a good tactic to use.
People enjoy showing off their success
As already mentioned, a key element of Wordle’s popularity is the ability to share our results on social media as outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. A marketing strategy worth employing is having your customers show off the success they have had using your product or service, and then share their posts to show social proof.
Always leave people wanting more
In addition to building anticipation as already discussed, the fact that the game only gives you one word per day, resetting at midnight, means it always leaves people wanting more, which is another marketing lesson we can learn from Wordle.
Don’t be afraid to target niche audiences
Andrew Wardle created Wordle for his girlfriend, who loved puzzle games but could never find an online one that stayed fresh after a while. Wordle was, therefore, planned, built, and published for a target audience of one person, yet it has been adopted and adored by millions of people worldwide.
These are some of the marketing lessons we can learn from Wordle, with more on this topic, and then some, being available over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.