Looking to increase brand engagement, boost awareness and grow customer loyalty? It might be time to run a brand sweepstakes! By offering participants a chance to win a fun prize through this type of consumer promotion, you can create excitement for your brand, attract new customers and keep existing consumers coming back for more.
But to plan a successful sweepstakes, you’ll need more than just an enticing prize. Below are five steps you should take when you decide you want to run a sweepstakes. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your sweepstakes will run smoothly, resonate with your audience and achieve your campaign goals.
Before diving into the steps, let’s make sure we’re clear on what exactly a sweepstakes is.
What Is A Sweepstakes?
A sweepstakes is a type of consumer promotion that is based on chance, where every entrant has the same opportunity to win. In a sweepstakes, participants enter to win a prize, typically by completing a specific action like submitting their contact information or purchasing a product. Sweepstakes are often used by brands to promote products and create buzz.
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Note that sweepstakes are different from contests, which require entrants to demonstrate some kind of skill to enter.
5 Essential Steps to Take When Running A Sweepstakes
Let’s walk through the five steps any brand should take when deciding to run a brand sweepstakes.
1. Figure out the goal for your campaign.
Before diving into the logistics of a sweepstakes, it’s important to clarify what you want to achieve with your campaign. Are you hoping to grow your brand’s email list? Increase website traffic? Drive awareness for a new product line? Different goals may align well with different types of sweepstakes, or require different promotional strategies.
For example, if your brand’s goal for the promotion is to build its social following, you might require participants to follow your brand on social media in order to enter the sweepstakes.
Setting clear campaign goals will keep your sweepstakes focused and measurable, helping boost your brand marketing efforts.
2. Determine the type of sweepstakes that makes sense for your goals.
Sweepstakes come in many shapes and sizes. The structure of the sweepstakes you choose should align with the campaign objectives you decided on in step one. For example, maybe your brand is hoping to boost awareness for a new product, so you choose to go with a Purchase-Based Entry for your sweepstakes.
Choosing the right type of sweepstakes is crucial for maximizing participation and meeting your goals.
3. Decide on your prize/prizing strategy.
Step three involves the most exciting part of your sweepstakes — the prize! The prize you offer is the key motivator for most participants to enter your sweepstakes. When choosing your prize, make sure to pick something that 1) appeals to your target audience, 2) is relevant to your brand, and 3) will help you achieve your campaign goals.
This is the fun part, so don’t be afraid to get creative! At the same time, make sure to keep in mind your campaign budget, prizing regulations and prize fulfillment. Think through every aspect of your prizing strategy carefully to make sure your prize aligns with your goals and you’re able to deliver your prize to the winner easily and legally.
While you can choose to handle prizing on your own, you may decide to work with a vendor partner that can handle all this for you, leaving you to focus on the creative side.
4., Choose how you will promote the sweepstakes.
Once you have your goals, promotion type and prizing strategy all figured out, it’s time to promote your exciting sweepstakes! After all, you need to get the word out so people know to participate.
There are many different ways you can advertise your promotion. Maybe you’ll take to social media, sharing on Instagram, TikTok or wherever else shoppers find your brand. Perhaps you decide to email your subscribers to get the word out, or send out a press release to spread the good news.
Overall, your promotion strategy will depend on your target audience. When deciding where to promote your sweepstakes, make sure to choose the avenues where your audience actually hangs out.
5. Examine legal considerations.
The not-so-fun part of sweepstakes is that they do come with legal requirements, including official rules, eligibility requirements and guidelines to avoid your sweepstakes becoming an illegal lottery. You’ll want to make sure you have a clear list of official rules, comply with federal and state regulations, and add an AMOE (Alternative Method of Entry) if necessary.
Because of these complexities, many brands may elect to work with a vendor that specializes in sweepstakes and consumer promotions. This may be an option to consider to give your team peace of mind and allow you to focus on the creative elements of the campaign without stressing about legality.
Conclusion
When done right, running a brand sweepstakes can be a fun and effective way to connect with shoppers while achieving your marketing goals. By following these five steps, you’ll set yourself up for success as you launch a promotion that will draw in your audience and make a lasting impression. So what are you waiting for? Set your goal, pick a prize, and give fans a chance to win big with your brand!
Chris O’Grady serves as the EVP of Sales and Partnerships at Breaktime Media. Throughout his decade-long journey at Breaktime, O’Grady has been instrumental in cultivating relationships with over 50 clients, including respected names such as MDLZ, General Mills, Mars, Clorox and Unilever. He’s known for his innate ability to understand client needs, proficiency in crafting innovative solutions through Breaktime’s offerings and talent for building meaningful partnerships. Beyond his professional achievements, O’Grady is a proud father to two amazing kids and two delightful canine companions.
