Which is right for me, a Sweepstakes or a Contest?

A great promotion starts with a great idea.

Contests and sweepstakes are a great way to grow and engage your audience. Of course, some contests and sweeps are more successful than others, and a great promotion starts with a great idea.

If you’re already actively engaging your social media audience with frequent posts, timely questions and genuine interactions with your customers, you may be interested in trying something new and unique. Votigo’s new self-serve contests and sweepstakes are great for businesses of all sizes. A contest or sweepstakes can not only increase your number of fans and get people talking about your brand, it can also help reinforce your brand message and leave a lasting impression with fans.

So, how do you create a winning social media contest? As with all good marketing, it’s important that your contest represents your brand. Think about your audience and how they relate to your brand. What is your audience interested in? What does your brand stand for? Is there a seasonal event or promotion that could be transformed into a contest? Tying your contest into your brand story or product features is a nice way to remind your audience what makes you stand out. For example, if you are an outdoor brand focused on fashionable active wear, you might ask your audience to submit photos showcasing their love of fashion and the outdoors.

Remember, contests require entrants to actively participate and depending on the contest, can take a considerable amount of time and effort for participants to get involved. With that in mind, you can expect more participation the easier the contest is and the lower the barrier of entry.

Of course, the lowest barrier of entry is for a sweepstakes. Sweepstakes require minimal action from participants, and they can be a great way to grow your fan base. While less engaging than contests, sweepstakes should still tie into your brand and your messaging.

Whether you’re interested in contests or sweepstakes, a successful social media promotion is just a few steps away! Start with a good idea and the rest of the details will fall into place.