How to Run an Effective Social Media Contest

Are you looking for a creative way to boost event registration numbers? Are you hoping to get your audience excited about an upcoming event? While there are many ways to make this happen, here is one that you may have overlooked: a social media contest.

Social media is hot. Just how hot, you wonder? Here is what Social Times has to say: “Did you know that there are more than two billion active social media users worldwide, representing a global penetration rate of 28 percent?” This statistic alone proves that you are missing the boat if you aren’t using social media to the fullest extent.

Now that you understand the reach of social media, from Twitter to Facebook, among other platforms, it is time to consider the process of setting up, managing, and benefiting from a contest.

(You may also like: Tips for Snapchatting Your Next Event)

Five Tips for Success

Before we dive into the five easy to follow tips, here is something to remember: organization is the key to success. There is more to a social media contest than announcing it and hoping for the best. You have to remain organized and dedicated, from start to finish, to achieve the desired results.

1. Know what you are trying to accomplish. For example, you may be interested in driving traffic to your event sign-up page. Or maybe you are looking for others who are willing to share event information with their audience. It doesn’t matter what goal you have set for your contest, as long as you know what you are trying to accomplish.
2. What prizes are you giving away? A contest is only a contest if you are giving something away to the winner. Let’s put it this way: the more valuable the prize the easier it will be to attract participants. For example, giving away an iPad will make your contest attractive. Make sure to make the prize attractive to your audience. Be sure that you are attracting the right niche.
3. Choose a platform(s). This isn’t something we have to discuss in great detail. You know the many social media platforms. You can focus the growth on one or grow all of your accounts simultaneously with one simple giveaway.
4. Set a timeline. Generally speaking, this includes a start date and an end date. Be sure that all participants are aware of the start and end date (and time), as you don’t want anybody to have sour grapes because they were not aware of the schedule. Also, make people aware of how many times per day or week they can enter, which can draw more attention to your giveaway.
5. Follow through on your word. The last thing you want to do is run a contest that is considered a scam by outsiders. If you promise a particular prize, award it at the appropriate time. Take this one step further by announcing the winner to all participants. This will give you credibility.

A social media contest may be just what you need to boost your event registration total. Use the tips above to get started.