5 Little-known Brainy techniques for a success Contests & Sweepstakes

by Zsuzsa Kecsmar, revealed October 18, 2014

Do you run contests but your results are…duh?

Do you wish to have to capture extra emails with just a single campaign?

Contests, sweepstakes and giveaways in social media could be a great supply to gasoline your email listing.

on this article I’ll share 5 guidelines for maximizing the effectiveness of your lead-gen campaigns through viral sport mechanics.

we all know that these work. And we imagine in these a lot that we even built all of them in to our personal contest platform.

The kicker is that there’s no wish to spend extra or be pushy.

Why acquire emails as contest entries?

Social media can also be effective, nevertheless it’s a rented land, so there are insecurities and surprising eventualities that you just wish to be ready to care for.

for example the facebook organic reach has never been so low, and we simply misplaced the Like-gate.

then again, your e-mail listing is one commodity that you just personal, and it could possibly go hand-in-hand together with your social media efforts.

simply consider merchandising to your e-mail record on fb. Or emailing your fans whose e-mail addresses you captured with fb contests.

So listed here are 5 evolved techniques to attract extra publication subscribers to your contests and sweepstakes.

#1. Draw more than one, lower-price prizes

What do you assume, what’s extra horny as a contest prize? A car or considered one of 10 take a look at-drives?

neatly, in step with this research multiple, smaller price prizes may also be more sexy than a single, high-price prize.

the perfect is that if the 2 are blended: a higher worth prize with multiple, lower price prizes.

earlier than we knew the science behind this we saw an example with one among our consumers at Antavo. the corporate provided a car as a prize for his or her sweepstakes, however only 198 individuals entered.

In another case three simple chocolate hampers attracted hundreds of subscribers.

Why?

people weigh their probabilities. most people assume they would never win a car as a result of so many would participate for one of these treasured grand prize. subsequently, they really feel their possibilities of profitable minimal and decide to not enter.

Takeaway: as a substitute of providing a single, dear grand prize, supply more than one, decrease value prizes. It’s a bonus in case you provide the next worth prize too.

#2. mix balloting with a jury round

“Enter with a selfie together with your domestic dog! The selfie with probably the most votes wins!”

What do you consider this call-to-motion at a contest?

in the beginning sight it appears ok, however in case you assume extra about what it actually manner, you are going to see that it’s now not ideal. here is why.

The prerequisites are intimidating.

See, in order to win the prize your subscriber wants to assemble probably the most votes. If a subscriber has a adorable pet but now not many chums who’d vote, he would collect somewhat few votes. This makes him lose passion right in the beginning. to not mention the bitter feeling afterwards.

the best way is to contain a round of e.g. 15 entrants the place individuals can qualify by gathering votes.

then you definately both randomly pick the winners, or make a choice them with a jury round.

that you could nonetheless provide an audience’s possibility prize.

Takeaway: To protect pastime and avoid disappointment have a semi-spherical in your contest. folks can qualify through collecting votes, and a jury makes the ultimate choice.

#three. Incentivize voting

in case you handiest focus on motivating entrants to share their e-mail deal with by means of offering a prize, you’re missing out on an enormous supply of leads—your voters.

To seize voter leads, add a layer to your contest that asks voters to register with their emails in trade for being entered right into a related prize drawing.

To prime this which you could add another level. these individuals who vote each day (and grow engagement between themselves and also you) can increase their possibilities of winning.

Takeaway: To encourage participation and gather more e mail leads, draw a prize amongst voters too.

#four. Separate vote casting and entry rounds

Would you ever want to take part in a working race the place the next runner has a one-mile advantage?

smartly, neither would I. i will not run just to shame myself for being the final one!

See, that is why people received’t enter your contests in the event you don’t take note of a tiny but essential detail: timing.

With contests that require individuals to upload one thing (a picture, video, music or a story) you wish to have separate importing and balloting periods.

If these periods overlap an excessive amount of, or if they’re exactly on the same time you could pass over entrants who don’t enter as a result of others already gathered many votes.

Takeaway: to gain more subscribers – and keep away from considerations about entering your contest – have a separate importing and balloting periods. So when the time comes, everybody will start with the identical chances.

#5. supply bonus points to get social shares and referrals

“Thanks for coming into! Now share this with your friends!”

Do you assume this call-to-motion works?

now not truly.

I see marketers frequently making the error of putting sharing icons anyplace they can. as an example simply after someone enters a sweepstakes.

however why would any individual share a sweepstakes, if it handiest approach reducing his or her personal chances of winning the prize? when you ask for shares without different incentives, folks will simply not share.

simple as that.

the proper answer is to offer elevated probabilities after sharing and for invited pals who enter. It’s a win-win each for you and the subscribers.

which you could furnish points both after sharing, and having friends subscribe. (after all you want to have the technical history that can handle tracing referrals.)

Takeaway: To lend a hand your sweepstakes unfold, provide a carrot on a stick. individuals can receive bonus points after sharing and for invited friends who enter.