Just like any new endeavor you are embarking on – be it business or personal – the more organization and planning put in ahead of time can increase your chances of success. This thinking absolutely rings true when it comes to promotional planning. While it is great to be able to quickly implement an idea in market, you could be taking a risk if you haven’t properly thought through the process.
With all of the do-it-yourself tools in the market touting how quickly and easily you can set-up and run a contest or a sweepstakes it can be easy to skip the planning and jump right in. Before you take the dive, here are a few steps you can take in order to prepare and plan for an effective and meaningful promotion.
1. Define your goals
- Set your business goal (e.g. new product or offer, build fans/engagement, or compile a data list) and research what type of promotion suits your needs best.
- Select the type of promotion you want to run: a Sweepstakes (game of chance) or Skill Contest (video, photo, or essay).
- Keep the overall promotion concept simple and create a clear and easy to understand call to action.
2. Pick a 3rd party application
- When researching the different applications, check to see if it offers the features and customization you desire.
- Is it mobile and tablet friendly?
- See if the tool includes any added bonus features within the cost. For example within the flat fee for Zeus, you are not only getting the technology, but you are getting a full set of legally compliant Official Rules. This service is an added cost and responsibility for most of the other promotion builders available and working with a lawyer to have rules authored for you can be very expensive and time consuming.
3. Know the rules
- Always be sure to include a full legal set of Official Rules on your promotion site so consumers can read and agree to the terms. This provides clarity for the consumer as well as coverage for the Sponsor running the promotion if anything goes wrong down the road.
- If you chose to run a sweepstakes and the total prize value is over $5,000, make sure to abide by State regulations.
- If you are offering any prize that is over $600, plan ahead for collection of the winner’s Social Security number as IRS reporting is required.
- Always follow Facebook’s most current promotion guidelines as they are constantly being updated.
4. Make sure your prize is relevant to the target audience
- iPads are great but does it have anything to do with your brand?
- A highly-coveted prize can really impact the success of your promotion and number of entries.
- Use smart messaging to make sure you are speaking to the appropriate target.
- Facebook ads and promoted posts increase your visibility beyond your fans.
- Include easy friend-to-friend sharing buttons and links to help spread through word of mouth.
5. Always follow up with your fans
- Respond in a timely manner to legitimate consumer inquires throughout the promotion period.
- Announce your cleared winners on your newsfeed to keep excitement alive even after the promotion has ended.
- Be sure to thank your fans for participating and let them know of future promotions and opportunities.
Image courtesy of pakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
