How to Use Giveaways to Build Your Social Media Following
Everyone likes to win, which is what makes contests on social media go viral so easily. Contests, competitions and random giveaways are an easy way for you to drum up shares and likes on your social media accounts. However, making an effective giveaway takes some planning. Here are some steps you should take to make your contests stand out.
Offer a Prize
Before you make your contest, think about what you’ll give away. You want to offer something that gets your social media followers into your business. A free appetizer or a 20 percent off coupon will get them to make further purchases later, or you could even offer free products.
Get the Timing Right
The key to a social media contest is timing. Contests bring many people to your social media accounts, so it’s a good idea to hold them when you’re offering new products or deals. Try holding one once every quarter or twice a year. If you can, monthly contests get people checking your page regularly.
You also want the contest to last for several days, so there are plenty of opportunities for your followers to join in. If they last too long, though, people will lose interest. Keep it under a business week.
Share and Tag
You’ll reach more people with your contest if you require competitors to like your page, tag friends and share on their own accounts. For example, if you offer a prize of a buy-one-get-one, ask your followers to tag the person they’d share the deal with. Just like that, you’ve expanded your reach to someone new!
If you want to drum up more comments and shares, give a prize to a randomly selected commenter. If it just takes a little luck for your followers to win something, everyone will try. That’s Internet marketing Las Vegas style!
Get Creative
Your followers have lots of talent, and they’ll be thrilled for a chance to get recognized. This is an opportunity for you to get some interesting and creative content for your page.
You could make a simple photo contest, or you could have them design something new for your company. For example, a sushi restaurant could ask its fans to create a new sushi roll. Get your followers to vote on submissions, and they’ll do the sharing for you.
Once you’ve done your first giveaway, you can simply repeat the formula every few months to reach more and more people. You might be giving away free products or services, but the return of visibility will make it all worth it.
