Contests are not to be feared, they are your friend. When a new product pops up, you’ve launched a new service, or you’re hosting an event, a contest is always a fun way to achieve some—if not all—of your marketing goals. And best of all, it can be a very inexpensive and effective way to get the word out there and spread brand awareness across social media.
The next time your business is hosting a fabulous soiree, make time for a little contest fun with your potential guests. Here are a few ideas to spark inspiration.
Retweet the Promotion Poster
Weeks or even months leading up to the event—depending on how big or small—you’ll make your big announcement about the event. Once that happens you can also double the excitement with a contest asking your audience on Twitter to retweet your promotional post. You can also do this on Facebook, and tell people to share the post with their friends.
Tag a Friend and Like the Page
This is a surefire way to get more awareness of your event and brand. You can even get people to tag more of their friend by enticing them with a higher chance of winning. Everyone can’t win, but there’s a chance that some people would be interested in going to your event anyway. There you have it—free promo!
When it comes to contests, you set the rules, so don’t forget to do whatever it takes to get the most out of your entries. Share on XAsk the Audience
Let’s say you need content for blog posts and social media. Who better to get this from than the people who interact with you and buy into your brand? Contests are great ways to indirectly ask for reviews, stories, what people want to see next and etc.
Host a Hashtag Contest
This one can happen during your event and can work if you’re going on an event tour, you host multiple events throughout the year or you hold this event annually. Ask people to take post pictures at your event and provide a branded hashtag, then choose a winner at random or the most creative photo. You will easily be able to find these photos and reuse them for content later. It will also be helpful for future promotion because you’ll have evidence that your parties truly have been a blast in the past. [Pardon the rhyme.]
Post a Survey
Let your guests plan your event by letting them decide certain details. Who wouldn’t want to attend an event after volunteering their input? Consider participation their entry into the contest and choose three winners to get the VIP treatment at your— excuse us—their party
When it comes to contests, you set the rules, so don’t forget to do whatever it takes to get the most out of your entries. Whether you need more engagement, intel on your audience, or user-generated photos, your entry rules won’t let you down. Just ask and you shall receive.