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We've all been there, trying to organize a contest on social media and ending up in total disaster with only a dozen subscribers and an prize that was wrote off as an expense rather than investment in traffic and conversions.
What happened in these cases?
It's quite clear actually – Their contest was probably designed to fail from the start. The truth is, contests on social media can be a great way to boost the subscribers number, drum up the excitement and trigger the loyalty in your best and most potential customers.
But how to do them right?
Today, we are sharing our best kept secrets.
1. Set Goals Right from The Start
Is there a goal you want to achieve with your contest? Write it down. However, make sure that your contest goals are S.M.A.R.T. What does this mean?
Essentially, a SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Not to mention that this rule absolutely applies to contests on social media. So, make sure to define your contest's goals before even planning it.
Want to promote your product or service? Or maybe grow your email list? Social media contests can generate traffic for any of these goals.
2. Choose the Type of The Contest
Many contests fall short because it’s the wrong type of contest for their fans & followers. But that’s mainly due to lack of planning and preparation. Choosing the right type of contest is the first step. And there’s plenty that like gangbusters. For example, there are caption-based contests, photo-vote contests, video-vote contests as well as sweepstakes, which are always a great choice for Facebook.
Offering some kind of prize for the winner will typically get the best engagement – and is referred to as a giveaway.
3. Choose the Right Software
You’re not planning on running the contest, manually are you? Unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands, using contest software like from Hootsuite or Rafflecopter for your social media contest is probably the best way to manage it.
The truth is, software programs come with built-in voter verification features and other tools that will let you collect Facebook user numbers and name from everyone engaged with your post. And the best part?
Whatever type of contest you choose, you can always use the information you collect for any of your future marketing campaigns. Insights you can use to market to your audience better.
4. Set Your Time Frame
Do you have an idea of how long will your contest actually last?
One of the first things your audience should know is the start and end date of your contest.
The best-case scenarios for contests are typically one day contests for products and goods - and weekly or monthly contests for more valuable prizes (ex. higher value services, hotel stays, yearly prizes etc.)
5. Create Your List of Rules
How will you choose the winner? By random - or the community votes?
Your rules should be clearly displayed for everyone who enters the contest.
Make sure it’s clear that voting is only part of the process, and that a judge or panel of judges will determine the final winner. Also, in the case of suspected fraud scenarios (yes, it happens unfortunately) - you have the right to choose the winner.
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6. Determine Who Can Enter
If your local business wants to increase the foot traffic to your physical location, you should know that specifying an age requirement goes a long way when you are establishing your contest rules.
7. Make Sure Your Prize Is Relevant and Attractive
This pretty much goes without saying. But just in case we didn’t emphasize this point enough just about every successful social media contest offers up an appealing prize for the winner. Without it, you won’t attract any contest entrants.
Make sure to stay relevant to your business and your audience and choose relevant prizes. If you own a hotel, offer a night for two. An art dealer could offer a limited-edition reprint. If you run a spa, you might offer a free 1 hour massage. The key is to offer something that attracts the most amount of people. Make sure to include a photo of your prize to give people even more reason to enter.
8. Create Your Custom Hashtag
If you have ever wondered why brands choose personal and custom hashtags when running social media contests, there is a science behind it. Coming up with a unique hashtag that reflects your brand and your contest can be used to extend the reach of your contest across all social networks.
For example, there are tools like Hashtagify.me that can help you find trends related to your industry and potential gold mines in terms of hashtags.
So, there you have it - you now know our best kept secrets to running a perfect social media contest. However, you should know that not every social media is the same. The demographics, type of content and a ton of other variables can play a role in how successful your contest ends up being. But following these rules will definitely give you an edge, especially if you’ve never run a contest before.