Looking for contest and sweepstakes ideas?

Looking for Contest or Sweepstakes Ideas?

 March 1, 2019      Jesse Bickerton

We at RAVEN5 are experts at contests, sweepstakes and promotions. Recently, a client asked us what options were available to them when planning an upcoming campaign. Here’s what we came up with. For a little background, the client was looking for nominations from either the entrant or someone they knew. Are you looking for contest or sweepstakes ideas? Look no further!

Why Run a Sweepstakes?

Sweepstakes are often preferred by brands simply due to how simple the winner selection and verification process can be. Sweepstakes pull random submissions to be chosen as a winner which equalizes the opportunity for everyone. There is a low barrier of entry which could allow for a large amount of entries, but there is a chance engagement will be limited as well.

Why Run a Contest?

Sweepstakes can offer a great opportunity to win, but they don’t gain the kind of engagement that contests can. A contest is a type of promotion where the winner is selected based on some kind of skill. A good way to encourage engagement is to allow voting on entries in a public gallery. Contests often require more effort on the entrant, but since the winner is chosen either by votes or by some other criteria, there is more opportunity to keep people engaged.

User-Generated Content Contest and Sweepstakes Ideas

  1. Form Submission + Essay Entry

Using a customized microsite, allow entrants to nominate themselves or someone else. Entries must include an essay of why the person being nominated should win. There is an option to include a gallery of entries but would require some kind of moderation.

  1. Form Submission + Photo Entry

Using a customized microsite, allow entrants to nominate themselves or someone else. Entries must include a picture of the person being nominated. There is an option to include a gallery of entries but would require some kind of moderation.

  1. Form Submission + Video Entry

Using a customized microsite, allow entrants to nominate themselves or someone else. Entries must include a video explaining why the person being nominated deserves to win. There is an option to include a gallery of entries but that would require moderation.

  1. Essay Submission via Social Media

People can enter by posting a short story and including the contest hashtags (often #contest & one for the campaign) and tagging the client’s social media account. This can be done on a specific social media platform or on all of the major three (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and adding a microsite for the rules and a possible gallery of submissions is an option.

  1. Photo Submission via Social Media

People can enter by posting a photo and including the contest hashtags (often #contest & one for the campaign) and tagging the client’s social media account. This can be done on a specific social media platform or on all of the major three (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Adding a microsite for the rules and a possible gallery of submissions is an option.

  1. Video Submission via Social Media

People can enter by posting a video and including the contest hashtags (often #contest & one for the campaign) and tagging the client’s social media account. This can be done on a specific social media platform or on all of the major three (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and adding a microsite for the rules and a possible gallery of submissions is an option.

Things to Consider

  • Moderation – entries should be moderated for inappropriate entries or those not meeting specific criteria. Depending on the number of entries, this could be moderated at some regular interval or before entries are published in a gallery. This can be mostly avoided by using hashtags on social media because posts are already semi-moderated on these networks.
  • Judging Criteria – Having well established entry criteria and judging criteria for a contest is important to ensure that entries will follow the theme of the contest.

Whether you’re planning to run a contest or sweepstakes, remember that user-generated content can have several benefits for a brand. When presented with an opportunity to have fun and win something great, people will find it hard to resist. What are you waiting for? Get started on your next contest or sweepstakes today! Need help getting started? We at RAVEN5 are experts at contests, sweepstakes and promotions. Need help in coming up with contest or sweepstakes ideas? Contact us today.

Want to know more? Here’s a Sweepstakes Checklist for planning your next sweepstakes. How do Contests Create Content?

Jesse Bickerton, RAVEN5, March 2019

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