One way that companies reach out to those on social media is by offering contests.
There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind when holding a contest. First, you don’t want to fall under the label of “lottery”, which would be illegal. According to
- Some type of prize
- Chance – the winner is chosen randomly
- Value from entrants – this can be something like forcing them to join your mailing list or go to a website to enter
So, to run a sweepstakes campaign that is not an illegal lottery, you must either not offer a prize (you won’t get many entrants), not leave it to chance or not require anything at all from the entrants in order to enter. The easiest thing to do is to not require anything to enter the contest. In addition, states have laws about contests, so be careful. It is also best to avoid alcohol, tobacco, firearms or any other regulated items. When in doubt, check with an attorney to be sure you aren’t violating state or national laws.
Tip #1. A Prize Worth Having
You’re running a contest, so the first thing you need to do is figure out what your target demographic would like to win. Are you aiming your contest at teenagers? Think electronic gadgets. Perhaps your target demographic is men 55 and older who play golf. In that case, you’ll want a prize that golfer would enjoy.
Of course, there is also the tried and true prizes, such as gift cards, free credits for online sites such as Amazon or other items.
Perhaps the best prizes come from your business, thus giving you promotion by offering the contest and promotion by the sheer giving of the prize. Let’s say you own a car detailing business. A prize you could offer would be a free car detailing. Or, if you own a jewelry business, you could offer a free jewelry item or a gift certificate for a set amount of jewelry of the winner’s choice from your store.
Keep in mind that you want the prize to be worth at least or most people won’t bother entering.
