Getting the Most From Your Contests

Have you already tried running a contest or giveaway and been disappointed with the results? Or are you a bit nervous about pulling the trigger on your first one?

A tempting prize goes a long way in getting people to flock to your campaign – that much is always true – but there are a few simple rules you should keep in mind to get the most from your efforts. We’ll cover three of them here.

1. Target the Right Demographic

Yes, giveaways are a powerful tool but – before you throw away your life’s savings on a fancy gadget for your winners – you must carefully consider the type of visitors you’re hoping to attract.

If it’s sales or subscriptions you’re after, you want people with clear buying intent. If it’s a brand-building effort, you need to be certain you’re zoning in on people with an existing interest in your area. Fail to get specific and you’d be better off burning your money to keep warm rather than wasting it on running random, untargeted contests.

Once you’ve got your demographic in mind, find prizes that will be especially valuable for them. For example, if you’re running a photo contest, offering an expensive camera might cast too wide of a net. A free portfolio site or specialized lessons could attract a more selective crowd.

By taking the time to target your contests properly, you’ll be ensuring a better return on your investment and an increase in traffic that won’t plummet back to nothing once the gift-giving season is over.

2. Tie Contests in with Your Email List

If you’ve got the demographics dialed in, targeting emails is the next logical next step. A contest gives you permission to talk with an entrant a couple of times at best, a newsletter sign-up gives you permission to talk to them for months and possibly years.

Asking for an email address is essential for running most types of contests but that, of course, doesn’t give you permission to repeatedly pester the person or use their email in any context outside the competition.

You want to be sure you’re tying things together via integration with a permission-based newsletter provider of your choice. AWeber, MailChimp, and Get Response are all excellent options and integrate easily with several of the plugins we covered.

3. Increase Interaction with Skill-Based Contests

The Photo Contest plugin we mentioned earlier is a perfect example of what a skill-based contest should look like.

They aren’t perfect for every situation – and aren’t necessarily as prone to go viral as good old-fashioned giveaways – but, by forcing contestants to actually make some effort to join a contest, you increase their level of personal investment in proceedings.

This can boost their overall engagement with the competition and, if you’re following up on social as you should be, can be a great way to get real conversations going with your audience.