Successful Contest Tips

Contest marketing is a great tool you can use to gain interest and generate buzz about you or your brand. But, how can you ensure that your contest will be successful? There is never one best option for everyone, but there are some guidelines everyone should follow when organizing, running or completing a contest. Here are some successful contest tips:

Before the Contest

When organizing your contest, there are a few things to keep on your mind in order to maximize your success. For example, knowing ahead who you are marketing to will dictate certain terms such as the rules, the length of the contest, and the prizes to be awarded. Preparing contest rules, while also familiarizing yourself with the different policies of various social networks, is essential to making sure your contest will be easy to find and easy to enter!

During the Contest

During the actual contest period, there are a few things to keep in mind. Use your network and web presence to cross-promote. This is a major step if you want people to be aware of your brand and your contest. Don’t forget to include great content when promoting your contest… Post, Tweet, Pin, and Blog – anything to get your message out.

After the Contest

Follow up. This is the most critical, often forgotten step of running a contest. You’ve generated buzz, gathered information and engaged people, then go silent. Don’t! Following up is mandatory. Ensure each person who entered, and was interested in your brand or product, is treated like a prospect and properly followed up. Don’t risk the Big Zero.  Contest marketing provides you a starting place for “What’s Next?”