Are you planning your next Facebook contest?
Do you want it to seriously ROCK?!
Then you're going to LOVE this post. :)
Facebook contests are a great way to increase exposure of your page -- and doing them right can bring huge numbers of Likes and shares.
Plus, Facebook contests can help build fan loyalty & create ambassadors for your brand.
Yeehaw!
But... (and this is a BIG but)... do a contest the wrong way, and you risk losing fans or attracting the wrong type of fans.
Boooo!
So to make sure your contest goes off without a hitch, here are 4 tips you absolutely MUST follow to make your Facebook contest seriously ROCK!!
4 Ways to Seriously ROCK Your Next Facebook Contest
1. Give Away Your Products & Other Relevent Prizes
Your contest prizes should be from your business or industry.
I understand that prizes need to entice potential contestants, but that doesn’t mean you have to give away an iPhone, iPad or iAnything, for that matter.
Those prizes attract contestants who are interested ONLY in your gifts -- not in engaging with your page when the contest is done.
Give away something that a customer might buy from your company. For example, if you sell women’s apparel, make the prize a nice article of clothing.
You can also PARTNER with another company in your industry to give some of their products away.
A clothing company, for example, might partner with a store that sells shoes, cosmetics, or accessories.
Here's an example from Decal Drama, a decal company that recently hosted a Facebook contest with Jewelry In Candles By Sahrae:
This partnership helped ensure the contest pulled in potential customers as fans instead of those who just wanted to win an iPhone -- who will never engage with the business.
And contests like these appeal to present fans because they can win something they were already looking for.
2. Use an App
My second tip is using an app to host your contest.
You can organize a Facebook Timeline contest in minutes, but you won't receive much info from Facebook about the results.
You need to collect & track data from your contestants because they're part of your target market -- and this info is key to learning more about them.
Facebook also doesn’t offer the same viral elements as many third-party apps. App features may include:
- Fan-gating
- Incentives to share
- Growing an email list
- Detailed analytics
This is what a fan-gate looks like:
And here are some apps I recommend for your next Facebook contest:
3. Encourage Fans to Sign Up NOW
Deadlines are your friend!
Businesses often make the mistake of not building enough momentum during their contest -- ie. there's no time to get the contest off the ground because deadlines come too soon.
Though deadlines are key, setting them to come too soon is the wrong way to run a contest.
Make sure you provide Facebook users enough time to discover your contest -- then remind them that they only have a few days to sign up.
This will create momentum with just enough urgency to get people to respond.
Urgency is an important trigger for compelling people to take action!
And don’t worry about annoying your fans -- if you give away the right prizes, chances are they'll be interested in what you have to say.
4. Promote, Promote, Promote
Just in case you missed the part about reminding people about your contest, here's another notice for you:
Promote, promote, PROMOTE!!!
Some business owners complain that their Facebook contests don't get enough entries to justify the effort. That's when I ask them how they ran their contests.
Lo & behold, they announced their contest ONCE on Facebook & Twitter -- and then WAITED.
PLEASE don't make this same mistake!
Promote your contest!... I mean, REALLY promote it.
Here are some tips:
Get help
Post the contest on your Facebook profile & ask your friends to share. People love contests & they'll share it if the prize could benefit their family & friends.
Use your cover photo
A powerful way to promote your contest is broadcasting it loudly & proudly with your cover photo.
This prime location on your page immediately grabs attention.
Run Facebook ads
Use Facebook ads to dramatically increase exposure for your contest.
Ads extend your Facebook reach tremendously. They let you target fans, friends of fans & other people outside your social circle who may be interested in your page.
These articles will help get you started:
- How to Use Promoted Page Ads to Get Tons of New Likes on Facebook
- 3 Facebook Ad Strategies that Won’t Break the Bank
- 4 Kick-Ass Tips for Creating Facebook Ads that Convert
Conclusion
Let's review what we learned today about running a killer Facebook contest:
- Give away the right prizes to attract the right crowd
- Use a third-party contest app
- Provide a sense of urgency to sign up
- Never stop promoting
Do you have anything to add?
If you’ve organized a Facebook contest, please share some of your best tips in the comments below.
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