Social media contests are a great way to gain exposure and have many uses beyond just garnering attention. In fact, the type of contest you hold will give you different results, all of which can benefit your company. In this quick guide to running social media contests, we detail different methods of social media contests and what they mean for your business.

 

The Quest For Engagement

 

Like any other type of advertising, the main goal is to engage customers and sell your brand. Social media contests can do just that. The two most effective ways to increase customer engagement is to hold the sweepstakes and the photo contests. Each of these methods are simple and easy to follow; simply take a photo, like and follow your instagram profile, or sign up with basic information and win some awesome discounts on your merchandise or services. Not only is it easy for customers, it’s also easy for you to advertise this contest. It’s a strategy that requires little work but shows results within days.

 

Searching For Loyalty

 

It’s one thing to look for engagement, and another to build a dedicated fan base. If you’re searching for a more solid connection with your customers, consider making your contests a little more challenging. Things like essays and videos may mean you’re looking at less contributions, but it also means you’re getting quality content. Ultimately, you’ll be looking at contestants who will remain loyal to you and your brand. You may decide to nominate one or more winners, but it’s also important to reward those who didn’t win, too. In the end, you can still award the losers with consolation prizes, creating the “everyone’s a winner” situation. In doing so, you not only satisfy everyone involved, you also show participants you care about them, something most people will reciprocate through the purchases of your products or services.

 

Building Subscribers

 

Instead of focusing on short term and long term choices, why not try a hybrid of both? Simply create an entry contest, where participants can do something on each of their social media platforms to gain one entry into your contest. For example, liking your post on Facebook will give the participant an entry into your contest, while liking you tweet will earn them two entries. There are several options you can include in this contest, one of the most important ones being email. Even after the contest ends, you are still able to reach the consumer through newsletters or posts on your social media platforms. It’s a smart and efficient way to build your brand AND gather data.

Have you run a social media contest before? What are your tactics?