It is one of the most interesting formulas that exist to improve visibility and reach more users, we are talking about sweepstakes. With a Twitter sweepstakes you can get many followers to be attracted by the prize you offer and, by participating, this generates interest on the part of the algorithm, which will see that something is moving in that account.
Sweepstakes allow you to promote a product (such as virtual) or service (like “write my paper for me free“) and attract users in an entertaining and fun way. But be careful, to achieve the desired objective, it is necessary to organize an action that is easy to execute, that does not imply an excessive effort for the rest of the tweeters.
In general, the sweepstakes that work best are always the simplest ones, those in which the steps to be taken are few and accessible. We find actions of this type in all social networks, from Instagram to Facebook, through TikTok or Twitter, and even on platforms such as YouTube or Twitch.
Sweepstakes vs. contest
In the end, a sweepstakes is a promotional action carried out by a company, or a profile with many followers, to improve its visibility on social networks. However, it is important to distinguish between sweepstakes and contest.
In the case of contests, the participant must carry out a series of established actions to win the prize, which he or she will win on his or her own merits. It is common, for example, to reward the publication that adds the promotional hashtag that generates the most reactions during the campaign’s duration. The obligatory action is to include that hashtag and the merit lies in creating attractive content for other users.
Sweepstakes are different, as they work randomly, they are the result of chance. You do have to meet certain basic requirements, such as following the account that carries out the sweepstakes, liking the post related to the promotional action or mentioning several friends in a comment. As we pointed out, these are simple actions that facilitate more users’ participation.
What steps must be followed to carry out a sweepstakes in networks?
Once we know that sweepstakes and contests have the same final objective but a slightly different dynamic, let’s move on to the tasks to be completed in order to achieve a successful promotional campaign. The first step is obvious, we must make clear what are the parameters to be met to participate in this action.
Normally, people who wish to receive the prize are required to be followers of the account that organizes the sweepstakes, under the notice that this phenomenon will be checked. From there, actions are established to be fulfilled depending on how desired the prize is.
Years ago, when Twitter was just becoming popular, Casa Tarradellas awarded a small batch of pizzas to users who guessed the results of some soccer matches, including the number of goals. It was not a raffle, but a contest. It serves as an example because it multiplied the account’s visibility by having to use a specific hashtag, and the prize was also economic for the company.
What prize are you going to put up for grabs?
Another aspect to control is the prize. We have already seen the case of Casa Tarradellas. Still, even without leaving the world of soccer, we remember an action that the television channel Gol Play carries out every week.
This channel broadcasts free-to-air La Liga matches, both first and second division. In many of these matches, a sweepstakes is launched that consists only of following the platform on Twitch. As it is a free-to-air TV channel, they can also broadcast their content on this platform, then if they use a particular hashtag or watch that content from Twitch, they enter the sweepstakes, which in their case consists of an official jersey of one of the two teams.
The idea at this point is to offer a product that is sought after by users and that requires little work. There is no point in offering an unattractive prize, since it will not cause demand among participants. Another point is to make sure that the prize is sent at no cost to the winner.
Best practices in promotional actions on social networks
Social network Games and contests help generate brand impact and multiply customers. But for this action to be successful it is important to take into account some recommendations.
The first is to select the platform well. For example, Twitter sweepstakes is a good action for channels with a wide presence in this social network. Soccer teams, for example, often resort to this practice, since the traffic generated every time, a match is played accelerates the conversion of users.
Along with this, develop creative activities with simple texts clarifying the rules of participation. As for the prize, link it to the brand, make it closely related. A soccer team should raffle a jersey or two tickets for the next game than for the prize to be a weekend getaway. And finally, clarify at all times the requirements for participation and the way in which the gift will be received, without forgetting to comply with the legal bases.
