2. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests - Best Practices
1. Awareness - Promo or paid media
2. Submit - User generated content, help
entrant self promote to network
3. Filter - How decide to narrow it down
to 10
4. Public Voting - only on top 10
5. Winner - Don‟t let voter pick final.
3. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests - Best Practices
Decide what kind of social contest
• chance-based (sweepstake)
– Something simple like a RT or follow @ to
enter
– Winner picked at random
• skill-based (contest)
– Set of criteria to follow
– May be narrowed down by public vote
– Organization/business may pick winner
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4. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests – Types of Contests
• Video contest
– inviting users to create a new commercial for one of your
products
• User-generated content contest
– awards the best „personal experience stories‟
• Photo contest
– Related to your product or service
• Product invention contest
– with a large cash prize
– For more examples, read How to Choose the Right Type of
Facebook Contest by Emeric Ernoult, Social Media Examiner
5. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests – Types of Contests
Sweepstakes
• Sweepstakes – easy entry picked at random
(like page or like-gated page)
• Deals/Offers – Liking a page for a discount
on a product, may have to share in your
newsfeed
• Both are great for brand awareness, but
lack engagement
– 4 Ways to Boost Your Facebook Engagement with Promotions by
Michael Gingerich, Social Media Examiner
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6. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests – Types of Contests
Sweepstakes
• 30 iPhones in 30 days
– Randomly awarded to users who included
#squarespace with their tweets.
– The campaign worked in getting exposure –
#squarespace was on top of trending topics for
several days in a row
7. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests – Types of Contests
Sweepstakes
• Win a Mac Book Pro Every 7 Days
– Moonfruit, provider of do-it-yourself web site building tools for
small businesses
– Offering up free Apple products for tweeting their company
name as a hashtag: #moonfruit
8. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests – Types of Contests
Sweepstakes
• Virgin America
• VXREDHOT: The company is using the “Red Hot”
tweet to give away promo codes (50% off of travel
itineraries of two guests) to the first 500 Twitter
followers that participate. They launched the
promotion at 1:30 ET today and as of 5:15 ET it had
sold out entirely.
9. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests – Types of Contests
Sweepstakes
• Virgin America
• Red: “#nowplaying Tell us what you‟re watching on
RED at 35,000 feet! (#nowplaying Avatar at 35,000
feet).” This Red tweet is less about promotion and
more about engagement. It‟s designed to get
passengers currently flying Virgin America to share
what their watching on Virgin America‟s Red
entertainment system while in transit.
• Best Geek Moments: This tweet (when live) will be
another super specific call to action for passengers
currently using Virgin America‟s inflight WiFi. They‟re
using this promoted tweet to encourage customers
to share their best geek moments via Twitpic while
up in the air.
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10.
11. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests– Types of Contests
Contests
• Contest promotion is skill-based and involves
submitting a photo, a video, etc in which
the winner is voted on based on criteria
• High engagement rate, but takes work to
manage and people may not want to exert
that kind of effort to enter a contest.
– 4 Ways to Boost Your Facebook Engagement with Promotions by
Michael Gingerich, Social Media Examiner
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12. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests
Jessica Simpson Photo Contest
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Trying to promote Fall Collection
Fans buy Jessica Simpson Fall Collection, take
picture in outfits, and upload to social media sites.
Agency picks best photos
Fan gets to fly out to NYC for a live xmas special
taping
14. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests
Summary of Engagement vs. Barrier to Entry
Orignal source http://www.slideshare.net/Sfathi/blog-her-onlinecontestssandra-fathi
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15. Promotions 2.0
Social Contests
Tips to Build Buzz
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Make it easy to share
Post regularly on Facebook (use “Pinned Post”)
Leverage other social networks (Twitter, G+)
Promote on your website
Email existing customers
Enlist sponsors to cross promote
Identify influential blogs (or other media)
Use UGC entries for content marketing
And in case you missed it . . . Make it easy to share
– Tips by Sandra Fathi from affect.com
– Orignal source http://www.slideshare.net/Sfathi/blog-heronlinecontestssandra-fathi
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17. Promotions 2.0
Social Contest Guidelines
Facebook
For the most up-to-date guidelines, go to this link:
https://www.facebook.com/help/411018158926396
18. Promotions 2.0
Social Contest Guidelines
Things to Think About
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Eligibility - 18 yrs or older, country?
Sponsor or Admin - disclaim who sponsor is
Timing - How long does contest last?
Rules for entering - How?
Prizes - list value
Release - personal injury
Publicity - agree to use pictures
General conditions - can cancel at anytime
Entrants personal info - how used afterwards
Winner list - must publish, not if under 18 yrs old
19. Promotions 2.0
Social Contest Guidelines
Blogger Guidelines
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Must be transparent
Must follow FCC regulation
Disclose financial relationship
Helps give people credibility & trust
