Running a prize draw can be a fantastic way to get people excited about your business. Whether you’re looking to generate buzz, grow your social media following, or collect customer emails, a well-organised prize draw can do wonders. But let’s be honest – it’s not quite as simple as throwing up a post on social media and waiting for the magic to happen. There’s a bit of planning involved, and if you do it right, it can really pay off.
So, let’s grab a cuppa and dive into some practical tips to help you organise a prize draw for your business. We’re talking everything from choosing the right prize to navigating the legal bits and making sure you’re reaching the right people. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
1. Pick a prize that your audience actually wants
First things first: the prize. This is the main draw (pun intended), so you’ve got to make sure it’s something your target audience actually cares about. It’s tempting to pick something generic, like a cash prize or a gift card, but you’ll get much better results if you offer something that’s specifically relevant to your business or your audience.
For example:
- If you run a beauty business, a bundle of your best-selling products could be perfect.
- For a local restaurant, a meal for two or a cooking class might be the ideal prize.
- If you offer services (like web design or fitness training), giving away a free consultation or session could work really well.
The key is to think about what would make your ideal customer excited. A relevant prize attracts people who are genuinely interested in your business – and those are the people you want to stick around after the prize draw is over!
2. Set clear goals for your prize draw
Before you start promoting your prize draw, it’s really important to get clear on your goals. What do you want to achieve? Having a clear objective will help you shape how you run the competition and measure its success afterward.
Here are some common goals businesses have when running a prize draw:
- Increase social media followers: Great if you’re trying to build an audience online.
- Collect email addresses: Perfect for growing your email marketing list.
- Boost engagement: Ideal if you want to create more interaction on your social media posts or website.
- Drive sales: You can use the prize draw to offer special promotions or discounts on top of the entry.
Knowing your goal upfront will help you focus your efforts and ensure you’re running a prize draw that works for your business. Plus, it’ll make it easier to track how successful it is once it’s all wrapped up.
3. Decide how people will enter
Now, let’s talk about entry methods. How people enter your prize draw is going to depend on what you want to achieve. If you’re looking to boost your social media presence, then asking people to follow your account and tag a friend might be the way to go. If you’re more focused on email marketing, you might ask them to sign up for your newsletter.
Here are a few entry methods to consider:
- Social media follows and shares: This is one of the most popular methods for online businesses, especially if your goal is to build a bigger following.
- Email sign-up: Great if you want to grow your mailing list. You can ask entrants to fill out a quick form to enter.
- Website engagement: If you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, ask people to enter by leaving a comment on a blog post or filling out a form on your site.
- Purchasing a product: For businesses looking to drive sales, you could offer a prize draw entry for every purchase made within a certain time frame.
Just make sure the entry method is easy and straightforward. The last thing you want is to overcomplicate it, which might put people off from entering altogether.
4. Make sure you’re following the rules
Here’s the less fun bit, but it’s essential: make sure you’re following the legal rules when running your prize draw. In the UK, there are certain rules and regulations that you need to stick to, and they vary depending on how your competition is structured.
The key difference is between a prize draw (which is based on luck) and a competition (which might require skill). Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Prize draw: Purely luck-based, like a raffle. No purchase is required to enter, and the winner is selected at random.
- Competition: This might involve skill or judgement, like answering a question or writing a slogan.
For a prize draw in the UK, you must provide a free entry route, even if you’re charging for other entries (like offering paid entries via text or purchase). This is why many competitions offer a postal entry option – it’s the free route that keeps them within the law.
And of course, don’t forget to include terms and conditions. You’ll need to lay out how the winner will be chosen, any eligibility requirements (like age or location), and the competition closing date. Being transparent about this protects both you and your entrants.
5. Promote your prize draw effectively
Now for the fun bit – getting the word out! If you want your prize draw to be a success, you’ll need to make sure people actually hear about it. Here are a few practical ways to promote your prize draw:
- Social media: Post about the competition on your social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.). Use relevant hashtags like #win, #giveaway, and #competition to reach more people.
- Email marketing: Send an email to your existing mailing list announcing the prize draw. It’s a great way to get people excited and involved.
- Your website: If you’ve got a website, make sure to feature the prize draw prominently. You could create a pop-up or add a banner to your homepage.
- Paid ads: If you’ve got a bit of budget, running paid ads on Facebook or Instagram can help you reach a wider audience and boost your entries.
- Collaborate with influencers: If there are influencers in your industry, consider partnering with them to promote your competition. They can share it with their followers, expanding your reach even further.
The key is to promote the competition regularly. Don’t just post about it once and hope for the best – remind people about it, and create a bit of urgency as the closing date approaches.
6. Engage with your entrants
Here’s a tip that lots of businesses forget: engage with your entrants. Running a prize draw isn’t just about getting people to enter and then forgetting about them until it’s over. Use the opportunity to build relationships with your potential customers.
For example, if someone tags a friend or comments on your post as part of the entry, reply to them! Say thank you for entering, or ask a follow-up question. This helps create a sense of community and shows that you’re genuinely interested in your audience – not just in collecting their details for a quick sale.
Plus, the more engagement your posts get, the more likely they are to be seen by others. So, interacting with your entrants can also help boost visibility for the competition.
7. Make the most of your prize draw data
Once your prize draw has finished and you’ve picked a winner, don’t just pack up and move on! The prize draw itself is just the start – now you’ve got a whole list of people who were interested enough in your business to enter. Use that data wisely.
Here are a few things you can do with the information you’ve gathered:
- Follow-up emails: Send a thank you email to everyone who entered and offer them a discount or special promotion for taking part.
- Build your mailing list: Add entrants to your email marketing list (as long as they’ve consented to it) and continue engaging with them through newsletters, product updates, or special offers.
- Create retargeting ads: If you’ve been using Facebook ads to promote the prize draw, you can create retargeting ads to show to the people who entered but didn’t win. This is a great way to turn entrants into customers.
8. Announce the winner publicly
Once the winner has been selected, make sure to announce it publicly. Not only is this good practice, but it also shows transparency and fairness. You could announce the winner on social media, send an email, or feature them on your website. It’s also a nice way to celebrate the end of the competition and wrap everything up.
And don’t forget to thank everyone who entered! A simple message of appreciation can go a long way in building goodwill with your audience.
Wrapping it up
Organising a prize draw for your business can be a brilliant way to boost engagement, grow your following, and connect with potential customers. By picking the right prize, promoting the competition effectively, and staying organised, you can create a draw that really works for your business – and makes your audience excited to take part.
Remember, it’s not just about the prize – it’s about how you use the competition to build relationships with your customers and grow your brand. So, go ahead, plan that prize draw, and watch the buzz build!