How to Create a Social Media Contest

One of the scariest parts of social media pages in engaging with the audience. Audience engagement is one of the most important aspects of running a social media page. Without it, your page will run flat and lack the personality that so many customers, fans, and followers crave. Interactivity is incredibly important in order to maintain your audience. Luckily for you, one of the easiest ways to engage your audience includes the use of contests! Here’s an 8 step guide on creating social media contests!

Step one: Know your audience!

In order to effectively engage your audience with a contest, you need to know your audience! What do they like, who are they, how old are they? This information is in order to know what you want to give away, how you want to give it away, and how you can grow through them. Discover who your audience is and you’ll be able to know how to include them in a social media contest.

Step two: What are you selling?

This is one of the most important questions! In order to know how to advertise or create a contest, you must understand what you’re selling. What product, service, or need are you filling for the audience?

Step three: How will you reach them?

Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? Youtube? Two or more? Which channel will you use to reach your audience? Social media contests can be a fantastic way to grow your brand through audience referral, but you must know which channel you’re reaching your audience with in order to effectively use their referral.

Step four: Who gains what?

You must understand exactly what you gain, and what the audience gains, in order to run a successful social media contest. This could include cheap advertisement, products, services, etc. For your contest to run successfully, the audience needs to gain something to give something. If you expect your audience to share your post, you must give them the incentive.

Step five: Call to action.

Every contest needs at least one call to action. Calls to action include likes, shares, comments, answers below, clicks, visits, watching, responding, entering, submitting, etc.

Step six: Set your parameters.

In order to run a successful contest, you must set rules and guidelines. Without them, you’ll fail. Setting proper rules and guidelines will help you when choosing a winner at the end. But don’t set to many! It can become hard to choose a winner out of those who shared, liked, commented, and watched when three quarters of the audience that interacted only commented on your post. Set reasonable parameters.

Step seven: ADVERTISE!

You must advertise your contest! Online advertising on most social networks is super cost effective, so choose your demographic and advertise your contest to help expand your brand!

Step eight: Choose a winner!

Any good contest needs a winner. Choose a winner and celebrate a successful social media contest where you, and your audience have gained!