Tell someone they may win a prize for doing nearly nothing, and you will likely generate some interest and maybe even a few smiling faces. There are other reasons to set up a sweepstakes or a contest, such as:
- Increasing traffic to your store or Web site
- Researching the market and collecting information about customer preferences
- Generating longer-term enthusiasm about your company that will translate to more sales.
What are you trying to accomplish?
Do you want to get people interested in your product? Do you want to get them into the store or increase Web traffic? Do you want to increase sales? And, what message does the theme convey to contest participants? How will a contest or sweepstakes tie into your marketing and advertising strategy? Local or national? Who can enter?
Great local sweepstakes to enter:
Quaker State $10,000 Ugly Deck Makeover (PA Residents)
Set up the structure
Figure out what kind of contest it will be; you can do a random drawing or have a set number of winners for each prize category, for instance. Determine the prize or prizes, establish a timeline, think about your target audience, develop the rules and pick an entry method. Random or essay?
Know the law
There are many state and federal regulations dictating how companies can engage in these kinds of promotional activities. In particular, don’t solicit a payment for entering the contest – that makes it a lottery and only federal and state governments can run those.
Distribute free samples to customers.
Why do so many businesses include free samples of other products when you buy something from them? Because it can increase sales in so many ways. As the customer who bought the original product, I might try and like the sample of the new product and buy some of it, too. Or I might pass on the sample to someone else, who might try the product, like it, and buy that and other products from the company. At the very least, the original customer will be thinking warm thoughts about your company, and hopefully telling other people about your products.
Attracting new customers is a good thing. But attracting new customers is not the only way to increase your sales, and is, in fact, the hard way of going about it. Shifting your sales focus to enticing your current customers can make increasing your sales easier – and best of all, build the customer loyalty that results in repeat sales.
Hire a pro
Specialized firms can take on all the marketing and operation of your contest, promotion, or free sample giveaway. Most popular in 2010, Facebook App Sweeps. Facebook App Sweeps will not only expose your brand, but will gain you fans and great leads. You will also need to optimize your sweepstakes, get the word out. Hiring a specialist to do this can be the difference between 100 and 100,ooo potential new customers.
I recommend: Try Higher Images.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- • Avoid launching your contest in the holiday and vacation seasons when your target audience will likely be too distracted.
- • Use your own products or services as a prize to better your chances of attracting potential customers. Even better…electronics are huge. Use a large flat screen t.v. as the Grand Prize and your products and services as 1st and 2nd prizes. Prizes are best left to marketing experts that have done the sweepstakes research on your particular industry.