February 20th, 2012 • Posted by Kathleen Gardenswartz • Permalink
Does your business have a Facebook page? Then you need a Facebook Sweepstakes to grow your social engagement!
Large companies like Amazon have been using Sweepstakes on Facebook to build their following and keep Fans engaged and now you can too. It's never been easier for local independent businesses to use social promotion to build their online presence.
Boom360 Facebook Sweepstakes are inexpensive and take only a few minutes to set-up on your Facebook Page. Once the Sweepstakes is ready it will be crucial to utilize our tips to get the best results for your contest.
Boom360 has learned a great deal from watching local businesses execute their Sweepstakes, so here are some recommendations for best results:
Market Your Facebook Sweepstakes
Once your Sweepstakes is set-up and ready, get the word out.
- Place POP at your cash register or front desk.
- Put a poster on your front door.
- Send a Sweepstakes notice in their bill.
- Make sure your employees are encouraging clients to participate.
- Ask customers to post on your wall.
- Create a QR code, linking to your Facebook Page, that will go on all promotional material.
- Send an email to your client base with a link to your Facebook Sweepstakes Welcome page.
- Promote your Sweepstakes in conjunction with a promotional holiday like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or Cyber-Monday.
Facebook Engagement Builds Over Time
The first time you execute a Facebook Sweepstakes, gaining 1000 new fans might be a stretch but the promotion will help extend social reach for your local business. It will establish trust, so make sure the Sweepstakes prize is publicly announced, and fans that might not have entered your first Sweepstakes will see a winner and will participate the next time.
Facebook Engagement is Key
Interact with your Facebook fans and manage the 'Likes' or comments that you receive - every communication should be acted on and generate a response from your business. During your Facebook Sweepstakes promotion be extra vigilant and enthusiastically communicate. It will build trust in your local brand.
The Prize Should Enhance your Local Brand
The Facebook Sweepstakes prize is your choice, from a dollar gift certificate to a coveted product, so be creative and strategic. Some of our most successful Sweepstakes have been giveaways from another local business - even in a totally different market.
Use Email to Increase Exposure
Your Sweepstakes promotion can spread quickly by utilizing your Sweepstakes in an email Campaign. It's an effective way to promote your Sweepstakes to your entire client base and extend your social reach quickly.
Extend Your Social Reach
The social component of Facebook Sweepstakes allows fans to increase their chances of winning by getting friends to enter, too. If a fan enters the Sweepstakes and invites 10 friends and they all enter your Sweepstakes, she increases her chance of winning because if an invited friend wins, she wins, too! That's a huge difference and worth mentioning when you promote your Sweepstakes. Remember the best possible new customer is the friend/family of existing customers so you want her to invite as many friends and family as possible to extend your social reach.
Engage From Your Existing Base
Its a great idea to encourage employees to enter the Sweepstakes and invite their friends. If an employee wins, there's nothing wrong with rewarding them for their enthusiasm. Your employee's friends are more likely to 'Like' your local business on her recommendation and build your customer base.
