So, you’re thinking about running a competition. It sounds like a great idea, right? A perfect way to get more attention on your brand, bring in new customers, and maybe even boost those social media followers. But before you jump in and start offering up prizes left, right, and centre, there are a few things you really need to think about. Trust me, running a competition can be fantastic, but if you don’t plan it properly, it can be a bit of a headache.
Here are five questions you should ask yourself before you get started. Grab a cuppa, and let’s go through them!
Table of Contents
1. What’s your goal?
This might seem like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how many people rush into running a competition without really thinking about what they’re trying to achieve. Are you looking to grow your email list? Boost engagement on social media? Get more traffic to your website? Or maybe it’s about building brand awareness?
Knowing your goal will help you decide how to structure your competition and what kind of prize to offer. If you’re trying to build an email list, for example, you’ll want to make sure that entering the competition requires an email sign-up. If it’s about social media engagement, then maybe you’ll focus on getting people to like, comment, and share a post.
Practical tip:
Tools like Rafflecopter and Gleam are great for helping you create competitions that are tailored to your goals. Both of these platforms allow you to choose actions that participants need to complete to enter—whether that’s following you on social media, signing up for your newsletter, or visiting your website. They make it easy to track entries and ensure everything’s above board.
2. Is your prize exciting enough?
We’ve all seen those competitions with prizes that make you go, “meh.” It’s usually something like a branded pen or a discount voucher for a store nobody’s heard of. If you want people to get excited about your competition, you need to offer a prize that’s actually worth their time. But, at the same time, it needs to be something that attracts the right people—your ideal customers.
For example, if you’re a beauty brand, offering a skincare bundle is likely to attract people who are interested in your products. If you’re a tech company, maybe it’s a new gadget or a subscription to your service. The trick is to offer something that’s valuable enough to encourage entries, but also relevant to your audience.
Practical tip:
Before you settle on a prize, take a look at what your competitors are doing. Websites like Loquax and ThePrizeFinder list all sorts of competitions, so have a browse to see what kinds of prizes are popular in your industry. You don’t need to go overboard—sometimes a simple but well-thought-out prize can be just as effective as a big-ticket item.
3. How will you promote it?
A competition is only as successful as its promotion. You could have the most amazing prize in the world, but if nobody knows about it, you’re not going to get the entries you’re hoping for. So, how are you going to get the word out?
Social media is an obvious choice, and depending on where your audience hangs out, you’ll want to focus your efforts there. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (or X, whatever they’re calling it these days) are all popular for competitions, but don’t forget about platforms like Pinterest if you have a visual product, or LinkedIn if your competition is more business-focused.
You should also consider working with influencers or partnering with another brand to extend your reach. Influencers can help you tap into a wider audience, and collaborating with a brand that complements yours can be mutually beneficial.
Practical tip:
When promoting your competition on social media, be sure to use relevant hashtags to increase visibility. Hashtags like #win, #giveaway, and #competition are always popular, but also think about more niche tags like #UKgiveaway or #FreebieFriday if you’re targeting a specific audience.
If you’re willing to invest a bit of cash, consider boosting your competition post on Facebook or Instagram. Even a small budget can give you a big boost in entries, especially if you target your ad carefully.
4. Are you following the rules?
This is where it gets a bit more serious, but it’s really important. Competitions in the UK are subject to certain rules and regulations, and if you’re not careful, you could land yourself in hot water. One of the key things to remember is that all competitions need to have a free entry route. This is to ensure you’re not running what’s considered an illegal lottery, which could happen if people are paying for the chance to enter without an alternative.
You’ll also need to make sure your competition terms and conditions are clear. These should outline how the competition works, who is eligible to enter (for example, over-18s and UK residents only), the closing date, and how the winner will be chosen and contacted.
Practical tip:
Use a free tool like TermsFeed to generate your competition terms and conditions. It’s quick and easy, and you’ll be covered if anyone tries to dispute the outcome of your competition. You should also take a look at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines on promotions, just to make sure you’re on the right side of the law.
5. How will you manage the entries and pick a winner?
This is where things can get tricky if you don’t have a plan in place. If you’re expecting a lot of entries, you need to think about how you’re going to manage them. Manually tracking hundreds (or thousands!) of entries can become a bit of a nightmare, so it’s worth using a competition tool to help keep things organised.
As I mentioned earlier, platforms like Gleam and Rafflecopter can help you automate the entry process. They also have random winner selection tools built-in, which takes the pressure off when it comes to picking a winner. You want to make sure the process is as fair and transparent as possible, especially if you’re asking people to invest their time in entering.
Also, think about how you’ll announce the winner. Will you do it live on social media? Will you email them directly? Make sure you’ve planned this out beforehand, so you’re not left scrambling when the competition closes.
Practical tip:
If you’re planning on running multiple competitions, it might be worth looking into a paid tool like Woobox. It offers more advanced features, including detailed analytics, which can be helpful for tracking the success of your competition and planning future ones.
Final thoughts
Running a competition can be a brilliant way to engage with your audience and grow your brand, but only if you’ve got everything in place beforehand. By asking yourself these five questions, you’ll set yourself up for success and avoid some of the common pitfalls that people fall into when they’re rushing to get a competition live.
So, take your time, plan it out, and get ready to enjoy the buzz that comes with a well-executed competition. Oh, and don’t forget to have a little fun with it, too!