Looking for something to spice up your marketing mix? Why not try a contest? Contests are a powerful marketing tool to help brands gain new customers, reconnect with old ones and learn from, and about, all of them. Contests can help grow your email database, increase foot traffic and, most importantly, drive revenue.
Contests drive brand awareness.
Contests are a less sales-y way to promote your business. Today’s consumer is being sold everywhere we look – from the standard channels of TV, radio, newspapers, and outdoor to our social media feeds and retargeting.
It’s easy to turn off and tune out all of the typical advertisements we see in a day but there’s just something about the words “Enter to Win” that make people stop and take notice. People are innately competitive and contests playoff that competitive nature.
Contests encourage engagement.
Contests also offer a way for people to interact with your brand in a fun way without feeling like they are being sold. People often hesitate to complete a ‘contact us’ form because they are afraid they will be inundated with advertising. With a contest, many consumers let their guards down and will gladly provide their contact information and then some. For example, offer additional contest entries for a social media like or follow, and with a click of a mouse, you have just scored a direct connection with that potential customer.
Contests are a rich source of customer data.
Not only are people more willing to share contact information when there’s a chance to win something but you can also ask questions to get additional data. Your entry form can help gather standard demographic information along with more specific information about your contestants’ interests and habits. Want to know the age of your contestants? Ask for their birthday instead of the standard age range question (and follow up with a special offer on their birthday!). Trying to reach families with young children? Run a coloring contest. Looking for customers who need new living room furniture? Run the ugliest recliner photo contest. Need new leads for a financial planner? Run a quiz testing customer’s knowledge of financial terminology.
Contests deliver measurable results.
Contests have concrete, tangible results. Contests deliver qualified leads complete with contact information and demographic data. At the conclusion of your contest, you will know exactly how many people entered and these entries are leads served up on a silver platter. Not everyone is going to enter your contest to win a new set of hearing aids. But, the people that do enter are likely to be in the market for hearing aids. A few dozen qualified leads you can follow up with are better than 1000s of leads who have zero interest in your business.
Contests can be of benefit to companies of all sizes and all industries. Start thinking about what contest or promotion might make sense for you to help you reach your goals and grow your business.
