In the previous article, we talked about how you can use the model of incentivized following in social media to create a contest that can help you gain publicity and leads for your business. Here are a few tips specific to running the contest.
1. Set up clear, easy rules for entry and giving away the prize. Keep it as simple as you can – the more rules there are, the fewer entries you’ll get. Do just enough to prevent someone from cheating.
2. Dedicate a page to describing the prize in as tempting a way as you can, almost like an information/sales letter. Then at the end let your readers know they could win this item and how to enter. Publicize that page when promoting the contest.
3. Eliminate as many negative experiences as possible – as we mentioned in the contest traffic tip, some may not enter because they think talking about this in their status updates may be spam, or at least irritating.
Of course, some people have the kind of audience that won’t care, but give the others an alternative way to respond. Perhaps they can send you a link to where they saved your contest page in Delicious via DM for you to verify.
4. Give reasonable odds to win. If you have an audience of 20,000, limiting the contest to the first 100 entries can condition your group to respond fast, pay more attention, and see more value in participating the next time around. Fewer people enter contests that they see as a shot in the dark. Think about what you did with your last Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes letter.
5. Give a second prize to everyone who doesn’t win. Sometimes I don’t even announce that there’s a second prize until after they’ve entered, or even after the contest is over, in the interest of under-promising and over-delivering.
6. Publicize the contest on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, or whatever venue you chose, while it’s happening, but don’t make it the ONLY thing you ever talk about. Try adding it to your bio, or mentioning it just twice a day, when you sign on and off.
7. Announce and congratulate the winner in public and make sure they have no problem getting their prize.
