Businesses that build and nurture online social communities create deeper connections. Successful communities foster participation, interaction and, ultimately, loyalty.

A critical ingredient for any successful community is engagement. The more time users spend interacting with your site, and with other community members, the deeper the relationship they will build with your brand.

When correctly applied, gamification is a key element in ensuring user engagement. It allows you to subtly reward participation, and create incentives for user interaction. With gamification, you're not creating games, but instead offering the same experience that playing a game provides: rewards, competition and a sense of achievement.

Getting smart about gamification can turn a group of members into a thriving community. This infographic illustrates how gamification helps sites thrive.