How to better use sweepstakes

To make your sweepstakes more effective, consider trying the following:

• See if your satisfied past customers would be willing to pass along your name to their friends (they may have done so already!). Mention that you have a new promotion, giving them more of a reason to bring up your name to their friends.
• You'll not only get more exposure to the sweepstakes, the exposure is going to someone already qualified. In addition, that person may trust you more now that someone they know recommended you and your sweepstakes. So they will be more likely to make the trip to sign up...and check out your services.
• Consider reprinting existing customers' portraits. Imprint your sweepstakes promotion on the back or put it together like a postcard/poster. See if those customers would be willing to hand them out to friends.
• If you do promotions in malls, schools, ext., provide giveaways. Something as small as a keychain or a mint imprinted with your name is often enough to bring attention to your booth. Most people that take the free giveaways feel obligated to at least sign up and probably inquire about some services. That's your chance to convince them to both sign up for the sweepstakes and discuss what you do.
• If you are just starting out, you coulld offer a discounted package to people who send referrals. Perhaps you could offer to use that customer's image on a card with the sweepstakes information, giving it to them to hand out.

As you can see, the trick is to get people's attention. You need to make it easy for people to sign up...such as at the promotional event booths with giveaways. To actually bring people in or drive them to your website, a solid referral might do the trick. The trust is partially established through that referral, helping the prospect believe that the sweepstakes (and you) are not gimmicks.

Incentive Marketing

• Referrals can be a great way to market and grow your business. How can you encourage referrals? Along with keeping your products and services at the excellent mark, consider using incentives for those customers that refer your business. Wendy Maynard offers creative ways to use these incentives, explaining why they are important. And remember, sweepstakes are another type of incentive…and they give your customers yet another reason to refer you to friends.
• Examine this case study of how The Cartoon Network used a contest promotion to increase a show’s ratings.
• Examine this case study of how Odyssey Network drove visitors to their website and promoted a show (targeting a specific market) with an online sweepstakes.

Creating and Using Different Marketing Types and Media

• Read Wendy Maynard’s full article to get an overview of media planning and how an effective advertising plan can help you select they most effective media for your marketing. You’ll learn marketing terms and the pros and cons of different types of media.
• Powerhouse Marketing with Persuasive Postcards
  Referring to the postcard as a “mini billboard,” Wendy Maynard describes 10 reasons to use this marketing media…”generating a big response without spending a lot of money.” And remember, you can use the sweepstakes as the incentive to drive people to your website, learning more about your business as they do.
• Viral Marketing Tips
  Learn what this form of marketing can do for you, and get some tips on how to do it right.
• The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing
  When you want to get the word out on your company’s name, a sweepstakes you are running, or a new product/service. Consider viral marketing, an inexpensive marketing technique with the potential to increase your audience. Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, E-Commerce Consultant, explains what he sees as 6 elements of an effective viral marketing strategy.
• Promotional Products
  In this study, researchers found that promotional products can be very effective, especially when used in conjunction with other marketing materials. For instance, such promotional products helped develop participants’ positive outlook towards the ad and the brand. Although this study focuses on advertising food, such promotional items might do well combined with school photography (or other specialty) marketing materials.
• Effective Use of Press Releases
  A press release is not the end-all, be-all of publicity. It is simply a tool, and if you don’t use it well, it will not be effective. Bill Stoller, the “Publicity Insider,” explains 4 steps that need to occur before the press release reaches that true effectiveness.
• YouTube Viral Marketing
  Check out this blog article on Pronet Advertising about using YouTube to drive traffic to your website. And don’t forget to check out the Marketing Guide section on viral marketing (we talk about promoting your company and the sweepstakes on YouTube and similar sites).