The actual gold medal will go to whichever platform works finest for you. However Fb undoubtedly will get destructive factors for it’s more durable restrictions.
So that you’re able to launch your first social media contest on Twitter, Fb or Pinterest. It is a nice strategy to have interaction extra along with your clients and improve your on-line profile. There’s nothing worse than having your competitors sink into obscurity.
Right here’s a step-by-step information to social media contest success:
1. Social Contest Concepts by Platform
Listed here are some examples of the varieties of contest you might maintain on every platform:
Pinterest is primarily a visible website, which makes it nice for photo-based contests. Typical Pinterest contests embody:
- Pin it to win it – the place folks pin or repin a picture out of your website to get an entry – read how to run a pin it to win it promotion
- Pinning sweepstake – the place you determine what’s to be pinned and customers let you could have the hyperlink to enter a sweepstakes contest
- Photograph contest – the place followers should pin a picture round a theme
- Feedback – the place followers remark in your picture and also you select a winner at random
- Likes and repins – the place customers create a board beneath pointers and the winner is the individual with probably the most likes or repins
See some good examples of Pinterest contests right here.
Twitter works effectively for the next varieties of contests:
- Verbal contests – resembling these the place it’s important to fill within the blanks, full a phrase or reply a query.
- Sweepstakes contests – the place you tweet or retweet one thing to enter a draw.
- Retweet to win – like a sweepstake, you’ll randomly select a winner, this time from the checklist of people that retweeted you – it has virality constructed proper in. Regardless of this, not everyone’s a fan.
With a Twitter contest it’s important to make use of hashtags and mentions to trace contest entries.
Extra information in Mashable’s HOW TO: Launch a Successful Twitter Contest, and this submit from Jeff Bullas weblog goes into extra depth about the types of Twitter contests.
Fb
Fb works effectively for a number of the similar sorts of contests as Pinterest. These embody:
- Sweepstakes – be sure to use a Fb app to stop getting burned by their strict guidelines (to not point out the foundations governing sweepstakes in numerous nations and U.S. states). WildeFireApp is great at setting up sweepstakes on Facebook.
- Photograph and video contests – posting and sharing images for likes and feedback
- Polls and quizzes – the place customers reply the query and depart feedback
Learn this checklist of successful Facebook contests for extra inspiration.
After all, there’s no purpose that you just even have to decide on. Many firms enable folks to enter the identical contest on totally different social media platforms. Relying on the competition, this is perhaps an possibility for you.
It’s additionally essential to determine on how the competition shall be judged and to make this course of clear within the guidelines. You may need a panel of judges, a single choose or simply choose a winner at random. If the final is your most popular possibility then you have to a randomizing software to select your winners.
2. Don’t Get Banned
Earlier than you determine on a contest and platform, it’s helpful to know the foundations. In any other case you might find yourself banned from the identical social website you are attempting to make use of. Right here’s a fast information to the foundations on social media promotions.
Of the three platforms, Pinterest has the fewest guidelines. The truth is, the positioning doesn’t appear to have any contest particular guidelines in any respect. As a substitute, your contest should persist with Pinterest’s common guidelines. Which means:
- Pins and boards which can be a part of a contest should credit score their sources
- Customers should be genuine and respectful
You may learn the remainder of the Pinterest etiquette right here.
Twitter’s pointers for operating contests are pretty easy. They embody:
- Following the Twitter rules (which implies avoiding spam and complying with pointers referring to emblems, copyright, privateness and extra)
- Discouraging your followers from creating a number of Twitter accounts for the aim of successful the competition
- Discouraging them from sending the identical tweet a number of occasions
You may learn the total checklist of Twitter contest guidelines right here.
Fb
Of the three platforms, Fb has probably the most stringent guidelines. In addition to complying with all relevant legislation, folks operating the competition should:
- Use permitted Fb contest and sweepstake apps to run the competition (there’s a superb information on Social Media Examiner)
- Indemnify and disassociate Fb from the competition
- Keep away from utilizing Fb as the only real consideration for entry right into a contest
- Keep away from utilizing Fb for winner notification
Learn the total set of Facebook promotions guidelines right here.
3. Decide Your Prize and Entry Methodology
If you would like folks to enter your contest you have to have a terrific prize or prizes. It may very well be associated to your small business (editor’s observe: upgrading your clients and many others. though I’ve discovered from expertise that this generally is a little lackluster when it comes to inspiration). You can too give folks the primary probability to attempt one thing new. One other strategy is to companion with different folks and supply a spread of prizes. The partnership strategy has the benefit that your companions may even assist promote your contest.
Relating to selecting an entry technique, keep in mind this rule: The easier it’s to enter your contest and the extra locations you publicize it, the extra doubtless it’s that individuals will enter it. If coming into your contest is just too sophisticated, then it can flop. And if folks don’t even comprehend it’s there … ’nuff mentioned!
Earlier than you get on to letting folks learn about your contest, there are a couple of extra items to place in place.
4. Construct Your Contest Touchdown Web page
To make a splash along with your contest, there are a couple of parts you have to prepare prematurely. These embody:
- A consideration grabbing title. Decide a reputation that’s enjoyable and makes folks need to share it (we’re speaking social contests in any case).
- An amazing graphic to model your contest. Embody the title of your contest in a picture of your prize. (Share these with contest companions to put on their websites.)
- Clear particulars of the right way to enter. Embody dates for entry and extremely easy steps contributors have to take.
- Directions for the right way to simply share the competition. Make it social! Bonus factors if this helps them to win not directly (like getting a double entry).
- Prize particulars How the winner shall be chosen and contacted – that is what folks actually need to know.
- The nice print: Specify cut-off dates, limitations and guidelines.
Contest Touchdown Web page Examples
The Life and Canine Twitter Tuesday contest doesn’t have a flowery touchdown web page, however you may inform that it’s a Twitter contest and the primary guidelines are specified by the submit.
The WSS Fb contest is a greater touchdown web page, clearly displaying the prize, time limit and a number of the guidelines.
Boojee Beads’ Pinterest contest lets you understand what sort of contest it’s, makes use of Pinterest pins as a part of the touchdown web page and descriptions a number of the guidelines.
5. Selling Your Contest
With the platform, contest kind and touchdown web page all determined, it’s time to advertise your contest. Listed here are some strategies to attempt:
- Create a Fb advert, promote a wall replace or use Fb occasions to advertise your contest.
- Develop a tweet schedule for the weeks main as much as your Twitter contest deadline growing frequency as your contest attracts to a detailed – individuals are forgetful.
- Ship out an electronic mail to your mailing checklist encouraging “ahead to a pal”.
- Write about your contest in your weblog and encourage others to do the identical (yet one more doable strategy to achieve additional entries).
- Create a contest button or badge and ask others to apply it to their blogs if they’re coming into the competition.
- If it’s a big contest and you’ve got sponsors, function their badges and encourage them to submit concerning the contest. You can too ask them to advertise the competition to their very own lists. You’ll want to supply hyperlinks again to their website as a thanks.
- Hyperlink to your contest in your electronic mail signature (a good way to let lots of people learn about it with out an excessive amount of effort).
- In case your prize is giant sufficient (like a automotive), ship out a press launch.
- Create a pin in your contest, ask for repins (this may be a strategy to enter).
- Add your contest to a number of the websites that checklist and promote new contests. There are various of those websites and two helpful comparatively up-to-date listings can be found on Faithful Bloggers and A Blog of Goodies.
- Don’t neglect about off-line promotion too – in case you are attending a networking occasion or have a bodily point-of-sale, handing out a flyer may also be a great way to get extra curiosity in your contest.
This text by Jenny Finke seems at ways to promote your Facebook contest however many of those concepts work for any social media platform. Fb Guru Mari Smith additionally has some wonderful ideas and a case study on promoting contests on Facebook.
6. Monitoring Your Contest
Earlier than you begin your social media contest it is best to know what you’re hoping to attain with it. Chances are you’ll be making an attempt to get extra followers or followers on Twitter, Fb or Pinterest, to construct model consciousness or you will have a broader aim of participating along with your followers extra. Deciding on this prematurely will assist you understand what kind of contest is finest for you. As soon as you understand your objectives, you have to monitor the competition to see in case you are assembly them.
Methods to observe your contest embody:
- Utilizing hashtags and mentions on Twitter
- likes and feedback on and mentions Pinterest, Twitter Fb
- Arrange Google Alerts for mentions of your organization, model or contest
7. Prizegiving and Past
Ideally, your contest ought to have a clearly posted end date and entrants ought to know when they may obtain the prize. However even when the competition is over, you may nonetheless use it for promotion. For instance, you may:
- Video the prize draw to create extra pleasure and present authenticity
- Profile the winner in your weblog
- Do a roundup of the very best or most fascinating contest entries
- Share your plans for a future contest
All of those hold the momentum going and drive extra folks to your chosen social media platform. Working a social media contest is a good way to interact extra along with your clients and improve your on-line profile.
So what are you ready for?