4 Awesome Reasons to Have Contests to Fuel Social Engagement

social engagement

1. Contests Are a Great Tool for Getting Fans

Whether you are beginning with 10 or 10,000 fans or followers, contests offer an exceptional way to increase your fan base. We have seen clients go from 50 to 1,000 and from 15,000 to 30,000 Likes in a matter of days or weeks when running a contest. Of course, this is not the only metric to think about, but it is one measure of the power of a promotion. A basic sweepstakes with a lower barrier to entry often provides the best option for those just starting out with social media contests.


2. Contests Allow You To Engage Your Audience

In addition to increasing the sheer number of people who interact with your brand, a contest provides a conduit to deepen the connection as well. A user-generated content (UGC) promotion such as a photo or video contest is a great way to do just that. UGC contests tap in to the human drive to compete, and they provide an opportunity for everyone to experience their 15 minutes of fame. Most importantly, when participants upload their personal content (e.g., a photo or story) to your promotion, they are naturally vested in your brand.


3. Contests Are an Amazing Source of Data

With the lure of a prize, many people are ready to share criteria with you as part of the entry process. You don’t want to introduce too many barriers, but don’t miss the opportunity to learn a bit more about your consumers (i.e., how they heard about your promotion, what their favorite product of yours is, etc.). Remember that what you ask should be relative what you offer in return. In addition to collecting data as part of the entry process, you can also learn a great deal from the interaction and conversation that takes place around your contest.


4. Contests Allow Consumers To Do Your Marketing

How would you like to have hundreds or thousands of your fans helping to spread the word about your campaign? It is important to have a promotion plan that encompasses multiple marketing channels, but thanks to sharing via social media, contests today enable an exponential amplifying of your marketing message that was never available before the Internet.

If your contest includes a voting aspect, participants will be inclined to share through their social graph, asking friends and family to support their entry. Some good rules to follow in voting competitions: You are likely to see ten voters for every entry (often many more) as well as ten clicks for every shared link. These numbers represent a significant multiplier of traffic to your contest site or application as a result of consumers marketing to other consumers.

Like other tools, contests can be extremely effective when used as part of an objective social media strategy. Any consumer organization, as well as many business-to-business enterprises, can take advantage of contests to realize the four benefits shown above.

Before you start a contest, though, be sure to familiarize yourself with local regulations. Every state has its own contest laws — and some can be dicey — so do some research to make sure your promotion is legal.

sourcing:  Mashable

How Internet Marketing Can Benefit A Business

In our current society,  the internet is an integral part of our existence. Almost everyone uses the internet in some way, shape, or form. It doesn’t matter what  type of business you’re in at this time, if you do  not include online marketing as part of your business strategy, you’re losing out to your rivals.  If you’re considering getting your company online, you need to understand a few of the major advantages of online marketing. The energy created by the internet is almost tangible and if you’re utilizing it properly  you are able to grow and expand your company rapidly and cost effectively.

One major advantage of online marketing for your company is enhanced communication channels. With online marketing, you are able to open communication lines with your clients 24 hours a day worldwide as long as you have an internet connection. Online marketing also offers your company an inexpensive selling tool that may increase your distribution network as it pertains to products and services. Increasing numbers of people are using the web to purchase whatever tickles their fancy. It’s very efficient simply because people can browse offerings without having to leave their home or office.  Another outstanding advantage of online marketing is that it is less expensive to advertise in comparison to traditional physical business advertising or traditional promotional initiatives.  You will find no paper pamphlets or fliers are necessary.  This enables you to conserve space for storage as well. Another online marketing benefit is that you’ll have the ability to reach an incredible number of potential clients every day with less effort than conventional methods.

The world will be your oyster. People can access your site and see everything with a few clicks of the mouse. Online marketing if done correctly will bring you plenty of clients and an elevated amount of sales. The constant maintenance of the online marketing campaigns can also be a lot cheaper in comparison with the traditional mode of advertising. For those who have a web-based store, then you’ve the benefit of being open every single day of the season. Online marketing has the benefit of your virtual storefront being open twenty four hours and seven days per week without resting.
If you wish to grow and expand your company without investing an arm and a leg, then you ought to be using online marketing. Should you not, you’re sacrificing lots of money that is up for grabs. However, before you decide to jump on the online marketing bandwagon, please make certain you are ready for the action.  Create a strategy and be ready for your business to grow.

407-378-7817