Competition is fierce to catch the eye of prospects and can turn them into customers. To capture an ounce of attention and interest, there are some particularly effective tools. Contests are one of them… Let’s see why and especially how to take advantage of them.

The objectives of a contest

As with any action, it is important to know precisely why you are setting it up and, above all, what the benefits will be. This is the role of communication objectives.

These devices allow to development of the notoriety of a brand or a point of sale. Indeed, the buzz effect generally works well if the prizes offered are interesting. Moreover, these events enrich your prospect database thanks to the collection of addresses and other contact details of the participants.

To ensure the profitability of the contest, it is essential to define indicators to verify that your objectives have been reached.

The playing field: communication media and channels

Social networks are the best channels to set up your machine. Indeed, there are countless contests on Facebook, Twitter, and other networks. With the tools offered by many startups, organizing your game is within everyone’s reach. By integrating your website in the mechanics, you can develop a particularly effective device! Community managers excel in using these tools to boost the acquisition of new fans.

Contests are not only for digital channels. Stores, stores, and other points of sale can also benefit from them by using the traditional ballot boxes and coupons. Attracting potential customers to your store to participate offers sales opportunities for the merchant.

A regulation or nothing!

Although since the beginning of 2015 it is no longer mandatory to file the rules with a bailiff (see articles below), it is still essential to write down the rules of the game.

The heart of the matter: attractive rewards

It’s all about balance. You need to offer prizes that are sufficiently attractive to make people want to participate while remaining within your budget. An economical solution is to find partners who, in exchange for certain visibility, will provide prizes. To reduce costs, don’t hesitate to rely on your resources. For example, a restaurant can offer a cooking class to be won.

Allow time, sometimes a lot of time

The design, implementation, promotion and follow-up of such an event often require a significant human investment. You must take this into account in your organization, otherwise, you risk jeopardizing the success of the event.

Make contests part of your digital marketing strategy

1. Offer clear, simple rules

Once the objective is defined, create a game mechanic that can be understood by as many people as possible to promote it on a large scale. Be concise and straightforward in the game’s statement.

2. Offer a real reward

Really address the participants by offering prizes that appeal to the greatest number of people and that do not “force the adhesion” by requests for sponsorship or compulsory purchase. Evaluate the number of prizes and the logistics of rewarding the winner(s) at the creation phase.

3. Host the game on multiple platforms

Choose the media on which the login and email collection platform will be hosted. It can be a landing page associated to your website or a dedicated mini site optimized for natural referencing around the theme of the game. You can also decline the support in a mobile application.

4. Make registration easy

Propose pre-filled form fields (for your customers) and with a minimum of mandatory fields (for prospects). Specify if there are any technical specificities to connect or legal obligations to participate.

5. Promote the contest

Use all digital promotional channels to maximize the number of participants. Promote the SEO of your game support, invest in online advertising (SEA ads, display…), send an e-mailing to your customers and prospects, announce it in the signature of your e-mails, on the intranet or the CSR of the company.

And of course, use social networks to promote your contests which are by definition fun and naturally find their mode of expression on these platforms. Take advantage of the virality resulting from the resonance chamber activated when the game is shared on these networks.

Finally, animate your communities by speaking to a large, qualified audience focused on the game. Pass on your innovation messages and highlight the dynamism of your brand by publishing content around the messages conveyed by the game: product demos, white paper extracts, infographics, podcasts, event videos, etc.

Would you like to get more information about contest building? Contact us today.