Set up your incentives

Incentives give learners a reason to show up consistently, not just at the start of a campaign. A well-chosen incentive creates a sense of fun and friendly competition that keeps participation high from launch through to the final day.

Yarno's leaderboard is built to support this. Learners can see how they rank against their teammates throughout the campaign, which is often enough on its own to drive engagement. Adding an external reward on top of that can lift participation further, particularly for your first campaign.

Choosing the right incentive

The best incentive is one your learners actually care about. It doesn't need to be expensive or elaborate. Some of the most effective incentives Yarno customers use are simple and low-cost.

One of the strongest approaches is a prize draw open to every learner who completes the campaign. Unlike a first-place prize, a draw keeps everyone in the running until the end, which sustains participation across the full campaign rather than just among the front-runners.

For top performers, public recognition tends to be more motivating than a material reward. A shoutout from a senior leader, a mention in a team meeting or a message that calls out the leaderboard standings by name can be just as powerful as a prize — and often more memorable.

Other common approaches include:

• A team lunch or morning tea for the highest-participating team
• A small gift card or voucher as a prize draw reward
• Recognition from a senior leader shared with the broader team at the end of the campaign

For burst campaigns, where the timeframe is shorter, a prize draw works particularly well. For longer embed campaigns, combining a draw with ongoing leaderboard shoutouts gives learners something to work towards throughout.

Communicating incentives to learners

Make sure learners know about the incentive from day one. Include it in your launch communication and mention it again in any mid-campaign nudges. If learners don't know what's on offer, the incentive has no effect.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Announcing an incentive but not following through — always award it promptly after the campaign ends
• Choosing a first-place prize only — this can demotivate learners who feel they can't compete with front-runners
• Making the incentive feel like a condition of participation — frame it as a bonus, not a pressure