One of the most successful ways to get visitors to your site
- and keep them coming back - is to run an online contest.
Not only does a contest give you a special kind of visibility,
it gives you a method to 'capture' the names and email
addresses of the folks who enter. (Don't worry, I'm not
advocating that you spam them later - but there are legitimate
ways you can use that list of contest entrants that you'll have).
If you decide you'd like to run a contest, you need
to take the following questions into consideration:
1. What do you want the contest to accomplish for you?
I know, you're saying, "But we just answered this question -
to get people to my site, and to capture their email
addresses." Wrong answer! There's more - do you want to
get feedback for a new product or service you're offering?
Are you wanting to expand your market? Would you like to
start a newsletter? Once you've determined your 'agenda' for
the contest, this will help to clarify ways to achieve your
desired result.
2. What kind of prizes do you want to offer?
First of all, the prizes you offer should be in some way
related to your business. For example, if your goal is to
increase your customer base, then you'll perhaps want to
offer one of your products or services as the prize. This
helps to insure that you're attracting the audience you
want - your target market!
You may not have to offer the prizes yourself, either - many
merchants are happy to offer prizes in exchange for the
exposure to their product or service, or a link to their
site. This may be a perfect opportunity for you to work
with other non-competing merchants in ways that will be
beneficial to both of you.
For example, I know of a sightseeing charter company who
offered, as a contest prize, a 'day on the beach.' They
provided the boat cruise, but they approached other
merchants to include a barbecue, food enough for eight,
a beach umbrella, and some snorkels and fins and other
beach toys - in exchange for the advertising exposure.
Again, just make sure that the prize or prizes are
directly related to your business, and to what you
want to accomplish.
3. How do I do it?
The general rule of thumb is to 'keep it simple.' Write the
'rules' first, and post them on your site. Put an entry form
on a prominent page, and make sure you include any
disclaimers you may need.
Base the length of time you'll run the contest on the value
of the prizes - the more expensive the booty, the longer you
can run the draw. Decide whether the contest is time-frame
based (that is, it will end at midnight on such-and-such date),
or base it on a certain number of entrants (for example, "We
will only accept 1000 entry forms, so get yours in today!")
Look for an autoresponder that will do a lot of the work
for you - it can send the contestant an acknowledgment of
their entry, and send you a report at the end of the day
with those valuable email addresses.
4. How can I promote it?
There are several sites on the Internet that exist solely
for the purpose of promoting YOUR contest. Do a search on
'contest promotion' and see what you come up with. Of
course, there's nothing to stop you from promoting it in
your ezine, submitting the contest pages to search engines,
or running local print ads, either. Whatever it takes to get
visitors to your site to fill out the form!
Good luck building your contest - and get ready for a great
way to generate 'pre-qualified' leads for your service or
product!
About the Author
Trevor A. Lastoka runs successful contests for
his business on a regular basis. Check out his website
for more information, at http://www.tlastoka.com/travel