How to successfully run a Twitter contest?

Twitter, a microblogging site, has become a major platform for marketers after Facebook. Currently, there are 332 million active users, which act as a big platform for brands to advertise and reach their target audience. If you are thinking to increase your audience reach, then running a Twitter contest is an ideal option. A twitter contest is a simple way to engage followers, increase engagement and also develop relationships for long term customers. Setting a Twitter contest is very easy, you need to follow below steps and there you go!

5 Steps to follow

1. Identify a goal/objective
This is one of the important elements for successful marketing which applies not only for twitter, but also for other social platforms. In order to prepare a contest, you need to identify the objective. What are the desired outcomes that you want to achieve from the contest? It can be increasing the number of followers, increasing engagement, to get new emails and leads or to increase your brand visibility. Remember, a contest can run for various purposes, so it is important to decide the objective to get the end results.

2. Select the contest type
After you decide the objective, the next step is to select the contest type. It can be a photo contest, essay contest, sweepstakes or giveaways. While choosing the type, consider the barrier to entry for the contest and how it will affect the number and quality of entries. For example – A contest with a simple retweet as a call to action will have more participants than one that requires uploading a photo or answering a question/quiz with it. An additional level of effort will give you followers who are really interested in your brand or product.

3. Choose a prize
The prize you choose for winners is directly proportional to the success of your contest. Thus, select a prize that relates to your company or services or represent it in some way. A trendy prize like an iPhone will only be useful if it’s your brand or you provide services related to it. However, you can decide a prize, which could be exclusive, seasonal yet useful. If you are a brand then it’s easy for you to give prize that you offer. At the same time, if you are a service provider, you can give a discount or definite prizes like training materials, books, memberships, etc.

4. Hashtag
Hashtags play a crucial role in contests. They highlight your brand and the contest you are running. Create a unique hashtag that is closely related to your brand/ services to enter a contest. You could also use hashtags related to contest like #contest #giveaway #valentinespecial, etc., or some season based hashtags if you are conducting a contest during a specific season.

5. Promote the contest
Promoting the contest might give you an increased number of audience and engagement. You can start tweeting about the contest (not the contest itself) before a week or two to build up the audience and create an enthusiasm among them. Create teaser tweets and tweet it a week before your contest. You can also boost your contest (twitter advertising) and get an increased audience.

The above steps will help you run a successful twitter contest. However, follow the twitter guidelines and include an image to attract attention and increase engagement. Don’t forget to choose a clear call to action along with terms and conditions. After your contest has ended, you need to announce the winners and thank everyone for participating in the contest.

On Target provides social media marketing consulting and campaign management to companies in diverse sectors, including education and training, healthcare, online retail and hospitality. To find out more about how we can help you with your social media campaign, contact us now!