Want to Run an Online Contest?

Want to Run an Online Contest

You can’t deny it. Social media has changed the way the world works, from our social lives to our business lives. Although sometimes overwhelming, social media has the potential for small businesses and their owners to level the playing field in an advertising sense. We at TACTIX5 have the experience and knowhow to get your online contest maximum exposure and generate a buzz online.

As I wrote about Roping in Customers with an Online Contest last time, I figured I’d talk about the rest of the series. The second article, Rules for Running an Online Contest contains a lot of good insight into what kind of competitions gain the most traction, and therefore, potential leads, customers and sales.

What kind of contest is best? Well, that always depends on your goals. Depending on how difficult entering your contest is can be a major factor in your overall entries. Consider these types of contests:

Simple to Enter (Email, Simple Forms, Liking a Page, Retweet, etc.)

• Easy to enter
• Can fail to leave an impression
• Remember to follow the rules of various social media sites!

Moderate Effort (Questionnaires, Simple written entries, Photo entries, etc.)

• Requires more time commitment
• With effective landing pages and incentives to share, possible to remember brand and message

Advanced Effort (Video Entries, Long written entries, etc.)

• Usually comes with set of criteria to meet, involving much time and effort
• Although you may receive less entries overall, the possibility of a favourable brand impression increases, and the more fun/exciting the contest can be

Remember, the right social channel and prizes also can make a huge difference… But you should keep in mind that a big prize may entice a lot of entries, but may fail to deliver the “right” types of customers. Want to run an online contest? Make sure you do it right.

For more information, learn how to develop a strategy for a contest, what kind of prizing to giveaway in a contest, and how to ensure your contest is legal. Or, read up on registration and bonding requirements, contest prize fulfillment, or other contest marketing services.