Using Contests as Part of Your Marketing Strategy

You may be thinking, “How is running a contest where I give something from my business away for free to the lucky winner marketing?” Good question. Running a contest is a way to indirectly market your business to contestants. And when you approach running a contest for your business in a very strategic way, it can also be a very effective way to bring attention to your business—attention that you may not have otherwise gained.

It’s Free Marketing

Before unraveling the logistics of running a contest to market your business, sit down you’re your favorite magazines and leaf through the pages until you hit a contest page. Most of the major magazine publications run contests to give away fabulous products to their readers. When you find a contest page, take a look at the product(s) or service(s) that are being given away. Hopefully, you’re sitting down while reading this because all of the products and services being given away in the contest were donated by the companies for FREE.

The reason? Companies donate their products and services for contests free of charge because it is FREE publicity for the company product or service (except the cost of the product itself). To take it a step further, not are you garnering attention from the readers of the publication, but you can also promote the contest on your own website as press ore media coverage for your company. How much credibility could it lend your business if you are able to put on your website that your company has been featured in a major publication?

Run it Online

If you run a contest only online, then you’re increasing your marketing efforts without increasing your marketing spending or budget. Not only can you add a contest page to your website, but there are a multitude of blogs, directories and websites where you can submit your contest. This can drive thousands of new visitors to your website, which in turn provides you with thousands of leads for your business. Submitting your contest to these sites can also help you to build links to your website, which is also a great way to gain rankings in the major search engines.

When you run a targeted contest that speaks to your niche market, contests can be one of the best free marketing methods available. You can also target websites and blogs that review products and services and offer readers a chance to enter a drawing for one of your products or services as the prize, you’re getting in front of your audience without spending a dime (again, except for the cost of the product or service). Bloggers and website owners are always on the lookout for content and are usually more than willing to review your products and services and run a giveaway on their site for your business.

Running a contest is one of the most effective ways to market your business for free. Running a contest can be used as an effective way to gain attention for your product, service or business. It can also be a great way to build your database list so that you can communicate with them and convert them into paying customers. If visitors are interested in winning your product or service, then they are probably potential customers too. Also be sure to promote your online contest as much as possible through all of your online marketing efforts—email blasts, social media networking, on your blog, on your business website and in the signature block of your emails. Contest can attract new leads but it’s also a great way to reengage old ones.

About the Author

Copywriter and marketing consultant, Kristie Lorette, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses create copy and marketing pieces that sizzle, motivate, and sell. She is also the author of Action Marketing: A Step-by-step Guide to Launch Your Business Marketing Plan. For more information, visit http://wp.me/ptLrh-1.