#SproutChat: Running a Social Media Campaign, Event or Contest

Running a event, campaign or contest is exciting for your social community. They get a chance to win something of value and engage with your brand and in a new and exciting way. This week at #SproutChat we discussed the why and how of running a social media contest.

Benefits That Go Beyond Exposure

A contest will undoubtedly provide a brand with more social media engagement and increased awareness. Prior to launching your contest, take the time out to really understand what drives your audience to participate. What do they value? Go beyond exposure and monetary prizes and include incentives that set your brand apart from competitors.

@SproutSocial IMPRESSIONS. ENGAGEMENT. NEW FOLLOWERS. TRAFFIC. ADVOCACY. #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/hHbt85wcWd

— Azad Abbasi (@azadabba) October 26, 2016

@SproutSocial A1: Contests can be great for building followers. #SproutChat

— Richard Hostler (@CNXN_Hostler) October 26, 2016

A1. higher engagement rates, increased brand awareness, you'll begin to learn more about your audience, what they value, etc #sproutchat

— Caitlin Waters (@Cait_Waters) October 26, 2016

A1: It's another touch point on the customer journey & another opportunity to convert leads #SproutChat

— Searcy Sledge (@SearcySledge) October 26, 2016

A1: can be great for building up user-generated content, too #SproutChat

— Jessie Brown (@jbrownsocial) October 26, 2016

Choose Your Entry Format Carefully

At the end of the day, driving awareness and reach on social is great but you really want to impact the bottom line. Consider entry type and which will garner the most qualified prospects or leads.

@SproutSocial A2. Ones that ask quality questions! Keep it simple, but ask why someone wants to win = a glimpse at who they are. #SproutChat

— Jordan Bath (@jbath13) October 26, 2016

@SproutSocial A2: Know your audience, make sure the prize is something they would want and want to tell their friends about #SproutChat

— 👻Ryan Tarantulas👻 (@NoWayRyanTatum) October 26, 2016

A2. Contests that require some sort of form fill / story for entry. #sproutchat

— Alex Romero-Wilson (@anthrofoodie) October 26, 2016

A2: Essay type, where the contestant has to think and write something. This does hold down number of entries. Photo next. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) October 26, 2016

A2: Create a contest that will appeal directly to your ideal audience. Choose a prize they'd be interested in to start. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) October 26, 2016

A2b anything that showcases your audience let them have the spotlight #SproutChat

— Michelle (@michelletweet) October 26, 2016

Promote Your Contest Across Social Networks

After you’ve solidified a contest type, it’s time to focus on the logistics. Hosting your contest across multiple channels is great for exposure and ensures you reach each of your different audience types. However, a contest with such a large scope may be tough to manage. There’s no right or wrong answer and what your brand decides to do will be heavily influenced on budget, time, resources and your audience.

A4 I think all channels. Send traffic where you want it. Insta, Twitter, send them to be Facebook fans where they link to site! #sproutchat

— Linda Mann (@TalentExch_Biz) October 26, 2016

A4: I like to stick to one platform. Although it doesn't hurt to promote across multiple channels if you want to drive traffic. #sproutchat

— Ryan Eisenacher (@ImAGirl_YouKnow) October 26, 2016

@SproutSocial A4 Run a contest on 1 site vs. many depends on your range. For us Facebook is local, while Twitter is ranged #SproutChat

— Goodmanson Const. (@GoodmansonConst) October 26, 2016

A4. It depends on the goals. I prefer one contest per channel – it's easier to track and follow. #SproutChat

— Reva Minkoff (@revaminkoff) October 26, 2016

Get Inspired

Before you launch your contest, take a look at these campaigns for inspiration:

@SproutSocial A6 It's more than a contest 🙂 a combination between UGC and contest https://t.co/mmerpvBEJ9 via @bannersnack #SproutChat

— Robert Katai (@katairobi) October 26, 2016

A6 @visitnorway had a great hashtag contest #SproutChat #SheepWithAView @mayflowertours

— Goodmanson Const. (@GoodmansonConst) October 26, 2016

A6 #babies Gerber photo contests. Get me every time. #sproutchat

— Michelle (@michelletweet) October 26, 2016

A6 I'm a big fan of @theskimm's contests, especially what they do with their #Skimmbassadors #SkimmLife #SproutChat https://t.co/7Lu6s5gwwa

— Natasha Kristina (@hitheresunshine) October 26, 2016

Next week, we’ll be releasing a calendar that outlines all of November’s upcoming #SproutChat topics. In the meantime, be sure to join our Facebook community to continue the conversation on social media contests and other industry related news.

This post #SproutChat: Running a Social Media Campaign, Event or Contest originally appeared on Sprout Social.