How To Increase Engagement Through Sweepstakes

If you want to engage your customers or employees consider running a sweepstake program! If a sweepstake is implemented correctly and strategically, the benefits are significant. Sweepstakes are cost-effective ways to increase brand recognition, improve engagement, increase sales, and market your business.

Before we discuss the process of creating a sweepstake and what all that entails we should define what a sweepstake is. Additionally, it is essential to know the difference between sweepstakes, contests, and lotteries. Each type of program has it’s own uses and laws associated with it.

Sweepstakes require luck. A sweepstake is the most common type of giveaway promotion. Sweepstakes select prize winners at random, and there is no charge to participate in them.

Contests require skill. A contest chooses a winner based off of the participant’s ability to complete a specific task. An example of this could be a photo contest where the person who submitted the best photo gets the prize.

A lottery requires luck and money. Lotteries are pay-to-play. Like a sweepstake, a winner is chosen at random, but unlike sweepstakes, the participant must pay to enter.

As with everything, proper planning and good execution are essential for setting up your promotion. There are some crucial steps to take when creating your sweepstake which will help ensure success.

The first step to take is to develop appropriate goals. This could include things like improving brand recognition, generating sales, or increasing web traffic. Having clearly defined goals will help you decided how to implement the sweepstake.

You will want to consider all of the different factors that can affect your sweepstake’s success. How have your competitors conducted sweepstakes in the past? What legal considerations are there? Who is your target audience?  What will be the best time to start and end your sweepstake? Is there a holiday around the time you want to start your sweepstake? What are your budget constraints? Do you have access to the necessary sweepstakes technology? What Prizes will you offer and who will manage prize fulfillment? Who will be your sweepstakes provider and program’s administrator?

As mentioned above, it is important to know that there are specific rules and regulations for each of the different types of promotions. Ensuring that your sweepstake is legally compliant is an integral part of the process of designing and implementing your sweepstakes program.

Deciding on the right prize is another vital element of the sweepstakes creation process. Prizes could include gift cards, merchandise, subscriptions, prepaid cards, and so much more! In order to select the correct prizes, it is important to consider the interests and demographics of your participants, along with your organization’s budget.

It is worth considering working with a sweepstakes provider and administrator. A good administrator can advise with game mechanics, develop rules and handle legal requirements, manage prize fulfillment, winner verification, and notification, game piece production, micro-site development and hosting, sweepstakes drawings, sweepstakes technology, and prize fulfillment. Working with a sweepstakes administrator can allow you to focus on your business’s main priorities while still reaping the benefits of a sweepstake program.

All Digital Rewards’ team of sweepstakes experts can help you design and implement an effective sweepstake program to fit your organization’s needs. To find out more about how All Digital Rewards can help you with your next sweepstake, call us at 866-415-7703 or click “Schedule a Demo” below.