How To Run A Competition During Your Event
In today's competitive landscape of events, standing out from the crowd is more important than ever. One effective way to engage your audience and generate buzz around your event is through competitions. Competitions can help increase exposure, attract new followers and encourage participation. In this article, we will discuss the best ways to run a competition for your event, focusing on two primary methods: social media and data collection. We will also delve into why the prize you choose for your competition is a critical factor in driving participation. So, let's get started and explore how you can make your event a grand success with well-planned competitions!
Starting off, the prize is an essential aspect of any competition. It should be something of high perceived value to your audience and, if possible, something that money can't buy. This not only increases the appeal of your competition but also incentivizes participation.
Now, let's focus on the two primary methods of running a competition for your event: social media and data collection.
Social Media Competitions
Social media offers a valuable platform for hosting competitions. Depending on your objective, you might opt for a common mechanic such as liking, sharing, following or commenting on your post. This not only increases the reach of your post but also helps in gaining new followers. Furthermore, it encourages friends of your followers who have been tagged to also follow and participate.
For instance, a good example for your caption on an Instagram feed competition could be:
"WIN 4x guestlist by following the steps below to win 👇
Share this post to your story
You MUST follow @your_account
Tag your friends in the comments (each tag is a new entry)"
Another increasing trend is encouraging your audience to comment, send a direct message with a specific phrase, or tag your profile on Instagram. This method is often enhanced by using Manychat, a popular chat marketing platform, to automate the process. Manychat automatically starts a conversation with those who have interacted with you, aiding in data collection and building a relationship with the user.
When implementing this method, it's advisable to pair it with an announcement post that's likely to receive substantial organic interaction. If you're considering boosting the post, ensure it's a single photo or video, as Instagram doesn't allow boosting a carousel with the engagement objective.
Data Collection Competitions
Another effective competition method involves the collection of emails and/or phone numbers from those wishing to enter. For this, you would need to create a landing page, preferably with conversion tracking enabled. This allows proper registration of any conversions from the paid advertising you might do.
Additionally, it's not uncommon to offer everyone who entered the competition a discounted ticket as a runners-up prize if your ticket sales need an additional boost. You can also incentivise further actions in an email autoresponder sent to those who have entered, encouraging them to follow your social channels, join community groups, or engage with a specific post. Ensure you send regular emails to competition entrants with the aim of converting them into sales.
Other Competition Ideas
As well as the above mentioned, you could also:
Run a user generated content competition - encouraging users to send in content from a previous event, or create something new in order to win
Scavenger hunt: Organise a scavenger hunt in your city, where participants have to find and solve clues related to your event. The first to complete the hunt wins tickets or special privileges.
Remember, it's essential to announce your competition publicly at the specified dates. A well-planned and executed competition can significantly boost audience engagement and participation in your event.
Competition platforms
There also exists several platforms that will allow you to host viral giveaways and competitions where users have to complete specific actions to be in with a chance of winning. Check out Gleam, VYPER, Viral Sweep, and Woobox.