Summary: Gamification uses game mechanics—like challenges, rewards, and interactive experiences—to enhance social media engagement, making orthodontic care more enjoyable while increasing brand loyalty and online participation.

Key Takeaways

Interactive social media features like Instagram polls and Q&A sessions foster patient engagement and increase online visibility.
Contests, giveaways, and gamified calls to action encourage participation while attracting new followers and potential patients.
By making the orthodontic journey more interactive, gamification strengthens patient-practice relationships and enhances brand recognition.

By Caylee Ashwell

It’s time to up your social game! Engagement is the currency of online success, and gamification is the key to getting rich in likes, comments, shares, and followers. Gamification is the integration of game mechanics into non-game environments to increase participation, and it has proven to be a powerful strategy in social media marketing. By incorporating challenges, rewards, and interactive experiences, your practice can enhance its social media presence, build stronger patient relationships, and ultimately grow your business.

Why Gamification Works in Orthodontics

Orthodontic treatment is a journey, and keeping patients engaged and motivated throughout the process is crucial. Gamification taps into the natural human desire for rewards, achievement, and competition, making the patient experience more enjoyable while keeping your social media channels lively. Below are some actionable ways to implement gamification into your social strategy:

Use Interactive Features

Instagram Stories are a great way to incorporate gameplay into your day-to-day social posting because of the platform’s native interactive elements. Create weekly series using the features below to familiarize your audience with the games, keep them interested, and encourage them to return week after week.

Polls – The polls feature is a quick, easy way to increase audience participation in your Instagram Stories. Create questions in a “This or That” format and ask your audience to weigh in on anything from the best braces bracket color [Blue | Green] to what the practice should order for lunch [Sandwiches | Burritos]. For the latter, follow up with a photo of the practice enjoying the “winning” lunch order so your audience sees that you’re taking their input to heart.
Questions – The questions feature on Instagram is especially engaging because it encourages two-way conversation. Ask your audience a question about the doctor—for example, Where did Dr B go to dental school?—and share some of the answers people submit. Instead of providing the correct answer on the next slide, link to your website to gamify more views and increase site traffic.

Games, Giveaways, and Calls to Action

There are more strategic and creative ways to generate participation online than old-school giveaways. Don’t let the idea of “giving something away” deter you from engaging with your community in this manner. People love to “win” even when the prize is just bragging rights—or in this case, online glory.

Games and Contests – Instead of hosting in-office contests that allow only one winner, digitize them so everyone wins. Patient Rewards Hub offers a constantly refreshed library of fun contests and games that patients can access anytime through the app. Everyone collects participation points, and a grand prize winner is selected once the contest wraps. Plus, you can promote your contests and games in-office with QR codes and on social media to drive participation.
Community Giveaway – To run a successful giveaway, partner with other businesses in your local community. This allows you to offer a bigger prize, connect with neighboring businesses, and attract followers who live in your general area.
Calls to Action – Gamify your giveaways even further by targeting specific audiences to gain high-quality referrals. For example, ahead of Mother’s Day, speak directly to the moms in your audience. Instead of just tagging anyone, encourage participants to tag other local moms. The winner and her tagged friend could each win a Mother’s Day bouquet, but the real winner is your practice—with a comment section full of local orthodontic decision-makers.

Gamification isn’t just a trendy buzzword—it’s a practical strategy that makes orthodontic care fun, engaging, and rewarding. By integrating challenges, games, and other interactive content into your social media, you not only enhance the patient experience but also build a stronger, more recognizable brand. OP

Caylee Ashwell is a social media strategist with 10+ years of experience in content, social, and influencer marketing. She has led campaigns across industries, driving 10M+ views and growing audiences to millions of followers. Currently, she serves as the marketing manager at Culturello.