With ecommerce sites booming in comparison to traditional brick-and-mortar stores, you’re probably wondering how to market your online business. There are many different ways, including harnessing the power of social media contest.
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Social media is a growing industry most people encounter every day. Simply put, people like interacting with each other online. They like interacting with businesses as well. Hosting ecommerce social media contests that really work builds a reputation for your company, while simultaneously engaging your audience.
Retailers may be wary if they hear stories about businesses hosting contests on their social media sites in which the campaigns don’t work. With the right information, though, you’ll be able to launch a contest in the most successful way.
Reasons to Start a Social Media Contest
Here’s why ecommerce social media contest can work:
- It is perfect for driving engagement and generating revenue
- You have unlimited access to products to give away
- People love freebies
- Contests allow you to engage customers at any point during the year
- You can align them with your business’s events (sales and product launches)
- Contests can be a cost-effective form of acquisition
How to Make a Social Media Contest
Here’s where to start with social media contest.
The Right Networks
A strong social media contest can generate real value for your business. If you’re selling primarily to women and your product is jewelry, Pinterest is the right fit for you. If you want to sell electronics, perhaps Facebook or Instagram are more fitting choices.
Either way, choosing the platform wisely will ensure your contest’s success and a positive ROI. Once you choose your outlet, it’s time to consider what kind of contests you want your customers to join.
Social Media Contest Public Voting
A simple way to start an ecommerce contest is public voting. Ask your followers to submit a photo, video or essay demonstrating how they use your product. This gets customers who already use your product to interact more with the business.
Select winners based on the number of votes each submission earns. Meanwhile, you’re getting other customers, including new ones, to weigh in on the product. This gets participants to share their entries with friends throughout the voting period. This generates interest in the contest, urging online users to vote and check out your site. The more shares it gets, the more the cycle continues. The resulting shares and comments will raise your brand awareness and drive fresh traffic to your website.
Free Product Giveaways
Another excellent way to market via a social media contest is through free product giveaways. Everyone likes free stuff. Product giveaways are pretty common—so you have to make sure yours is unique. If you do free giveaways regularly and run them from a dedicated landing page on your store, you’ll make it easy for your customers to access the information they need.
This type of promotion will drive people from the various social media platforms to your URL. Happily, you can also do free product giveaways throughout the year. With every entry you’ll collect valuable information and establish relationships. It’s also incredibly useful to launch these types of giveaways during the holidays.
So, there you have it. Hosting ecommerce social media contests that really work, gets existing customers involved with your ecommerce site, and brings in new customers. Just make sure you’re using the correct platforms for your target audience, utilizing public voting and not skimping out on free giveaways. Using this guide, you’ll be sure to net positive ROI for your business.