If you have an online store, you probably run a social media campaign or at least know the huge impact of running a social media campaign, and you’ve also likely seen giveaways or contest campaigns.
And in this blog, we are going to discuss how to run a contest on social media the right way, do you want to know? Let’s start!
But first, let’s explain how important are running contests to your brand!
With awards and some marketing effort, an online contest can help your business:
- Increase your email newsletter subscription list.
- Raise awareness of your brand.
- Drive buyers to your online store.
- Collecting accurate data from current and potential customers.
- Gain more followers on social media.
- Get rid of excess stock as awards.
Now, let’s jump to the track you will go throw to run a flawless online contest.
Set a goal from your contest and decide on the giveaway.
Your objective from your contest is your success benchmark, So you need to determine a clear and possible goal that you want your campaign to achieve.
Your goal might be to drive sales of a new product, increase traffic to your website, or get a set number of mentions of your brand on social media.
It’s also important to make sure that your campaign success can be traced back and that you’re willing to check this data throughout and beyond the contest period.
The success of the contest basically depends on the award you offer. The higher the prize, the more encouragement you give people to enter. Of course, this will result in additional costs to your company. But the results are worth it.
Ensure that the prize is of sufficient value to generate interest and excitement in the competition. Something like a 30% off coupon won’t make you go viral.
Set Your Contest Rules and conditions
It is important to have a clear set of rules and conditions for your contest. They must be clear to your audience in order for your contest to run properly.
You must ensure that your contest’s rules are obvious to participants and that it is totally legal. Here are some questions to ask before getting started:
- Who is fit for your contest?
- You will not accept any entries.
- How will a winner be chosen?
- The day and time on which the winner will be announced.
Set up the campaign.
Keep in mind that when preparing for the online contest, it is best to keep things simple. Make it easy for customers to participate – One of the main reasons people don’t enter the contest is that the entry process is too complicated. Many people leave the admission process because they are required to fill out a form that is too long. Keep your goal in mind and ask for the minimum information required to achieve it.
Launching your contest.
Now that everything is set, it’s time to start your contest on the social media channels of your choice.
For better participation, try to run the contest when your audience is most active on the platforms you chose. You can also promote the post to reach a larger audience and get more relevant responses. One of the best things about social media is that the platforms collect a lot of user data, allowing you to very accurately identify your target demographic.
Select the winner and announce it.
It’s time to pick the winner once your promotion ends. This must be done in accordance with the directions you set at the beginning of the competition.
Let the winner know they have won by sending them an email. Then, on social media, tell your followers that the contest is over and a winner has been chosen.
Review and Measure the Results of Your Contest.
Finally, evaluate the competition results to see if they helped you achieve your primary goal. The right Contest Plan will allow you to effortlessly track all contest entries and provide you with the information you require about your contest results. This may help you see what worked, what didn’t, and what you can do differently in the future to improve your competition.
Online contests are an ideal way to encourage loyal customers, enhance existing customer interaction, raise brand exposure online, and attract new customers.
Use the appropriate timing for social contests and follow the above steps, and you will be able to run a powerful contest campaign that will help increase your sales. This is one of the easiest ways to make a huge marketing impact on e-commerce.
Bonus Tip: this is the best timing for running a contest, black Friday season is about to start.
If you’ve just launched your online store or have questions before launching, feel free to contact us at zVendo.
