5 Ways to Avoid Legal Issues when Running a Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing

Running an online sweepstakes or contest is an effective tool to engage consumers and elevate your brand or company. There are many things to consider when including a sweepstakes such as budget, run dates, eligibility, and prizing. The most important and often overlooked items are the legal parameters of a campaign. If not addressed in advance, it could derail all your efforts. Below are 5 ways to avoid legal issues when running a sweepstakes.

Official Rules and Abbreviated Rules

Think of this as your sweepstakes’ user manual. The official rules should be a blueprint of your campaign and should clearly outline eligibility, campaign run dates, how and where to enter, prizing and the total ARV. It’s also important to include when and how a potential winner will be notified. Entrants should have a clear understanding of how the sweepstakes works and there should be no surprises. Abbreviated rules are a shortened version of the full rules that should give entrants a direct link to the full set of rules. Here is a helpful article of what should be included in the rules.

Bonding and Registration

Did you know that certain states require you to bond and register your promotion? Usually, it’s dependent on the total ARV of a campaign, but it varies by state. Neglecting to bond and register and not adhering to the timing deadlines for when you can submit your registration and bonding could amount to hefty penalties. Here are links to New York, Florida and Rhode Island that specifically addresses their requirements. 

Legal Review of Marketing Materials

You may have your official rules buttoned up, but did you know there are legal disclaimers that should appear on your marketing materials such as emails, POP and social media posts? Also, your marketing materials must not be misleading to entrants. A full-service sweepstakes agency can guide you on what is required to keep your promotion legally compliant.

Social Media Restrictions

Social media campaigns are fun and inexpensive, but they do come with legal requirements which are constantly changing. Each platform has their own guidelines that you must following in order to run a campaign. Guidelines change quite frequently so it is a good idea to consult with a legal professional who is up-to-date on all of the changes. If you can’t get outside help, it’s a good idea to go to each platform. Here are links to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram’s policy pages. 

Privacy and Collecting PII

Consumer privacy is a very hot-button item. There are many rules and regulations about collecting and storing personal identifying information (PII). Consulting the laws for each participating state and country if international is essential before running a campaign. For example, here is a helpful article about the CCPA law that affects promotions running in California.

While many companies opt to use inexpensive sweepstakes software to build and manage their campaigns, they often overlook the legal elements. It may be less expensive, but in the long run, you may end up paying heavily in fines and even have your promotion shut down mid campaign. Now that you know the 5 ways to avoid legal issues when running a sweepstakes, consider using a full-service agency like Sync to manage your campaign.

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4 Reasons to Run a Contest Now

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync Marketing, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing, sweepstakes company, User Generated Content

The last 12 months have been unlike anything any of us have ever experienced. 2021 is the year for companies to give back to consumers more than ever before. One of the best ways to give back is through running contests. Today I will discuss 4 reasons to run a contest now. 

People want to feel connected

Now more than ever, people want to share their experiences as a way to connect. This is a great opportunity for brands to ask their customers to share their story for a chance to win something truly helpful to them. Crate and Barrel is currently asking engaged or recently married couples to share their story for a chance to win everything in their registry (up to $2,500). In addition, Crate and Barrel will make a $1,000 donation to Feeding America® on behalf of each couple.

Feel-Good Content

People are ready to start getting good news again! What better way than to run contests that help share good news and create positive change. Aerie is continuing their Changemakers initiative for a second year to celebrate consumers who are making a difference and reward them with the necessary funds to continue their work. 20 amazing applicants will win $20,000 towards their personal missions. This campaign spreads good vibes while celebrating the efforts of people making changes in their community.

Consumers are on their phones now more than ever

Since you already have a social team trying to drive awareness and followers, why not add a contest? It’s a win for you and a win for consumers.  A social contest is a great way to garner user-generated content and followers. With consumers on their phones now more than ever, having them upload content all while promoting your brand along the way is a no brainer. This also builds awareness for your brand, allows you to learn more about your consumer, and leaves them feeling seen and rewarded. As stated in outgrow.com, companies who run contests get an average of 17,500 new followers through a contest: 

Have some Fun

Did you see the Big Game this year? If so, you probably saw the commercial for Mountain Dew’s Major Melon Bottle Count contest. Viewers were asked to tweet out how many bottles of Mountain Dew appeared in the ad for a chance to win $1 million dollars. Within minutes, there were thousands of tweets. Not everyone has Pepsi’s budget, but you get the idea. Offering consumers a fun contest will get them excited, engaged and will leave them with a good taste in their mouth about your company or brand (pun intended). 

I hope these 4 reasons to run a contest now, were helpful. There are an assortments of ways to run a contest, and this year is the time. Let’s give back to our communities and let their voices be heard. Contact Sync today for help brainstorming your next campaign.

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Including Sweepstakes in Your 2021 Marketing Budget

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, User Generated Content

So, 2020 just happened…Let’s try to quickly put it behind us and begin planning for all the positives 2021 will hopefully bring. With more certainty of a better year ahead, marketers can now put more of their focus on finalizing a marketing plan and budget for the new year. Today I will discuss three reasons why including sweepstakes in your 2021 marketing budget is a good idea. 

1. Effective ROI

With a turbulent 2020 in the rear-view mirror, you should look forward to what will give you the best return on your investment in 2021. Low cost, high reward campaigns are a great starting point. Sweepstakes are known for being an affordable yet effective marketing strategy. Sweepstakes and contests allow you to engage with your consumers, obtain new email subscribers, and leave them both feeling appreciated. 

“… marketers might prioritize ROI over other metrics and avoid high-risk options. Flexibility is key, and it’s time to reevaluate your marketing budget so that it actually meets your company’s needs.” – Hope Horner from Business2Business

2. Social Reach

Running a social media sweepstakes or contest can greatly increase your follower base, create buzz and produce usable UGC. And in a year people are using social media platforms to connect now more than ever, it’s a simple and effective way to build your base and connect with those already in your base. In the article, 23 Mindblowing Statistic on Giveaways and Contests in 2020, Outgrow mentioned that 34% of new consumers are acquired through social contests and brands gain an average of 17,500 new followers through organizing these campaigns on their page. 

For 2021, I would recommend running social media campaigns where you ask your consumers to tell their story. People want to share and want to connect, so give them a platform to do so. If you’re still in need of ideas for what type of social media sweepstakes to run, check out this Sync article where we discuss the top 5 social media sweepstakes ideas to engage consumers.

3. Consumer Loyalty

There’s never been a better time to reward your loyal and dedicated consumers than after a year where a majority of people’s budgets were stretched thin. If they have stuck with you, now’s the time to give back. When running a sweepstakes or contest, we always recommend giving away many smaller prizes and a larger overarching grand prize. The large prize will attract consumers and the smaller prizes will give back to more people. In addition, for 2021 we highly recommend surprise and delight offers to every consumer who participates. This is the time to give back and thank your consumers for hanging in there with you. Here, Clickz discusses why customer marketing is important for 2021. 

While we could list many more reasons as to why including sweepstakes in your 2021 marketing budget is a good idea, we feel that after a crazy year, simple is better. Connection is key…so connect, listen, and give back to your consumers.

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5 Reasons to Run a Quiz with a Sweepstakes

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync Marketing, Marketing

Taking a personality quiz or participating in a poll is all the rage these days. Who doesn’t want to be told if you are an introvert who likes to cuddle up next to a fire or an extrovert who is always keeping busy? Quizzes are very popular, especially on social media sites, so it makes sense to take advantage of this marketing tool. While running a quiz on its own is a great marketing tool, in this article I outline why adding a sweepstakes component  has exponential benefits. Here are my 5 reasons to run a quiz with a sweepstakes.

1 Data Collection

You can learn so much about consumers and potential consumers when running a quiz. The information you receive from the quiz can be used for future marketing opportunities for your brand. And, you can target all of the new email subscribers you obtained through the sweepstakes and tailor your messaging to their specific likes. Second street also believe data collection is a benefit as they mention in this blog post.

2 Engagement

Quality engagement is so important when running a sweepstakes. If a consumer is willing to go to the effort to fill out a quiz, you know they have some curiosity for your brand. An effective add-on to any quiz with a sweepstakes is to offer a surprise and delight coupon after entry. This will lead to further engagement and traffic to your website, ideally leading to a sale.

3 Reach

As previously discussed in my post, “5 Ways to Increase Email Subscribers with a Sweepstakes,” people inherently want to share things about themselves to others. A quiz in no different. After you get your result, it’s common to want to share it with the world. This is an effective way to increase your reach when running a sweepstakes. You can even offer entrants extra entries for sharing their result with their friends on social media.

4 Reward

Make sure the prize is grand. At Sync Marketing, we always recommended including several smaller secondary prizes and a larger overarching grand prize. The smaller prizes give entrants the feeling that they have a better chance to win and the larger prize can be eye catching and tend to motivate people to participate. Whether it’s cash, a trip or a gift card for your site, make sure it’s worth the effort for your consumers to enter. As with all the reasons, great prizing is a fantastic way to increase the number of people who enter your sweepstakes and take your quiz. 

5 Fun!

Since quizzes and sweepstakes are so popular, offering them allows consumers to have a fun and positive association with your brand and/or products. Plus, the more memorable engagement you have with consumers, the higher chance they will return to your site again and hopefully purchase something while there.

In conclusion, running a quiz with a sweepstakes is a fun and effective way to gather consumer information, email opt-ins and create a positive interaction with current and potential consumers. Here is a current quiz Sync is running. For more information on Sync Marketing’s quiz with a sweepstakes feature, contact us today.

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Sweepstakes Rules and Legal Requirements

By: Jennifer French | In: Marketing

Running a sweepstakes is a highly effective way to grow your email database, reward your current clientele, and promote your products or services. There are many things to consider when adding a sweepstakes to your marketing plans. Not only do you need to identify the type of campaign you will run, prizes you will award, platform where the promotion will live, but you will need to ensure it has accurate sweepstakes rules. While we always recommend that you speak with a legal professional before running any sweepstakes campaign, below are some basic sweepstakes rules and legal requirements to consider.

Official Rules

The official sweepstakes rules are essential to create for all campaigns. This document is the outline of the sweepstakes or contest. It should contain the campaign eligibility such as age requirements, participation areas, entry method, the dates of entry, prizes and values and how the winners will be selected, notified and verified. The sweepstakes rules are where entrants will find all the required information. Here is some additional information on official rules. 

Eligibility

When setting up the eligibility for the sweepstakes you should consider what the age of majority is for each state. There are also several states that deal differently with respect to marketing and collecting information for people under the age of 13. There are also states that have different requirements for alcohol companies. A sweepstakes agency can guide you on what each State’s Attorney General requires.

Marketing Materials

You want to ensure that all the marketing materials you produce to advertise the sweepstakes are accurate from a legal standpoint and that they are not misleading. You also want to be sure to always state that no purchase is necessary. Here is a good reference from the FTC.

Campaign Platform

Will you be hosting an online entry form and collecting people’s personally identifiable information (PII)? You will need to consider what you do with the PII and how you keep it protected. There are also laws in states like California (CCPA) that require you to delete a person’s PII if they request for it to be deleted. Here is a reference about CCPA. What if you are you planning to host an Instagram contest? Social media platforms have their own promotion guidelines, and they are constantly changing. Here is the most current for Instagram for example. 

Bonding and Registration

Depending on the total ARV of your prize, some states require that you bond and register the sweepstakes. In addition to this, some states require you to file a final winners list at the end of the promotion. Knowing each state’s requirements and timing is critical to avoid being fined and/or having your sweepstakes removed.

Creating well drafted sweepstakes rules and following all the legal requirements is crucial when running a campaign. We would highly recommend consulting a sweepstakes legal expert like Sync Marketing to guide you through the process and make sure you are following all of the requirements. Contact us today. 

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5 Things to Consider When Hiring a Sweepstakes Administration Company

By: Jennifer French | In: Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, Turnkey Sweepstakes

Your company has made the decision to include a sweepstakes or contest in your marketing plans, now what? You need to find a sweepstakes administration company. There are a lot of elements to consider when running a campaign and it can be overwhelming. You may feel your team is able to handle the promotion in house, but before you make that decision, it’s wise to know some of the pitfalls of going it alone. As I reference in this article, it’s a smart business decision to hire a sweepstakes administration company to guide you through the process and ensure your campaign will run seamlessly. But there are other factors at play as well. Outlined below are 5 things to consider for when hiring a sweepstakes administration company. 

Size

Bigger isn’t always better in this case. Companies tend to work with large agencies because they feel they are “safe” – they have the infrastructure, resources, and experience. Small agencies actually offer the same skills as larger ones but have the advantage that they can work more closely with you to achieve your specific goals all at a fraction of the cost. You often speak to the owners of the company who have extensive experience in the area and a pride of ownership. 

Specialties 

Consider working with a company that specializes in sweepstakes and contests only. Specialized agencies tend to offer focus that some larger agencies often lack. Large agencies work with a variety of clients, and, as a result, tend to use a one size fits all approach which can be diluted. A company that has a grasp on a particular specialty will lead to better results for your campaign. 

Client Relationships

This is a key component when selecting a sweepstakes company. The first test is how quickly did someone respond to your inquiry? Larger firms may have bragging rights when it comes to their roster of clients, but we’ve found that sometimes this leads them to neglect their other clients that aren’t on the “A Team.” Chose a company that feels like an extension of your team and that wants to see you succeed. You should hire a company that is just as invested in your campaign and results as you. 

References

Who better to give you insight on a sweepstakes company than their client references? In addition to speaking to their current clients, I would also recommend asking for a few names of clients that no longer work with the sweepstakes administration company. Also ask for a reference from a client that has or had a similar scope or size to your upcoming project. It’s sometimes helpful to ascertain performance with an apples to apples comparison. Here is an article that lists key questions to ask when talking to an agency.

Portfolio of Work

Does the work speak for itself? Who are their past and present clients? A company should wow you with their most impressive work. Set up a Zoom call and ask to see a capabilities presentation. Also, ask for any current projects that you can explore.  Successful creative campaigns are not limited to agencies with a large staff and big budget. Small agencies are usually more willing to explore creative ways build your business and aren’t afraid to do things differently.

We hope the above 5 things to consider when hiring a sweepstakes administration company helps guide you to find the perfect team. Here is some additional reading to consider before you set out to find the perfect fit. 

Why not consider Sync Marketing for your future sweepstakes and contest needs? Sync is a boutique, award-winning sweepstakes administration company that is ready to help guide you on all the best practices to run a successful sweepstakes. 

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5 Ways to Increase Email Subscribers with a Sweepstakes

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Contests, Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, User Generated Content

Sweepstakes are a cost-effective tool for increasing your email subscribers. It’s important to note that not all subscribers are created equal. You want people who are truly interested in your brand to sign up. While the number of email subscribers is important, it’s also more important that you obtain subscribers who are truly interested in engaging with your brand. Today I will discuss 5 ways to increase email subscribers with a sweepstakes.

Know Your Audience

Running a sweepstakes specific to your brand will increase engagement and build your email subscribers list with authentic and quality opt-ins. A recent example of this was a dog food company that ran a photo contest where they asked entrants to upload a photo of their dog dressed up in a Halloween costume. The fact that it was very specific to dog owners and thematic to a holiday, lead to quality engagement. It also created fantastic user-generated content as well as increased email subscribers.

Incentivize

Incentivizing entrants to share the opportunity for more chances to win is an effective and free way to promote your sweepstakes. While this could be a separate blog post all on it’s own, it’s important to consider a few factors if you want to incentivize entrants. People inherently want to share things that tell others more about them. That share could be from a quiz result, a charitable cause they hold dear, or anything else that evokes emotion. Try to tie one of these reasons for entrants to share into your sweepstakes concept. One example is to consider running a sweepstakes with a quiz component. People love sharing their results. And if it’s for an extra chance to win, this will increase tenfold. Here is an example of a quiz Sync recently completed for Aerie. 

Offer an Exclusive Opportunity

It’s often all about the prize. Offering an exclusive opportunity is a great way to get many quality entries. This could be a VIP experience at the Super Bowl, a meet-a-great at an awards show, or a red carpet experience at a movie premiere. Last year our client Paul Stewart offered exclusive prize packages. They partnered with a home rental company to give away weekend trips to different locations in New York and added on a custom fitting to their Paul Stewart store in New York.

Share Share Share

A great way to increase engagement and therefore increase the chance of signing up email subscribers is to offer multiple chances to win. Try offering weekly entry periods with an overarching grand prize. When an entrant first enters, give them the opportunity to opt-in. You can also offer them the chance to receive email reminders about the sweepstakes. Each week you will have an opportunity to tell them about that week’s prize, getting them to continuously engage with your brand.

Create a Landing Page

While running a social media sweepstakes is great to collect UGC, you won’t have the opportunity to collect email opt-ins. Therefore, we always suggest running a sweepstakes that has a dedicated landing page vs. a social sweepstakes. Whether potential email subscribers enter on your landing page or just get information about the sweepstakes, a landing page allows you to have a dedicated spot for consumers to get all of the information they need. It also increases traffic to your site. If you are running a social sweepstakes, you can still have a landing page with all of the information in one spot. On the landing page, give entrants the opportunity to opt-in directly on your page to get more information about the sweepstakes and other opportunities.

In conclusion, there are several effective ways to increase email subscribers with a sweepstakes. If you need some ideation help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for some ideas! 

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Run a Sweepstakes to Help Sell Products Online this Holiday Season

By: Jennifer French | In: Marketing

Let’s face it, the 2020 holiday shopping season will not be like any we’ve seen in the past. With ever-changing local and national restrictions on crowd capacity at big box stores, retailers will need to entice their customers to do the lion’s share of their holiday shopping online. An effective way to capture their interest is to run a sweepstakes to help sell products online this holiday season. 

The key thing a sweepstakes will accomplish is to build and/or strengthen your email marketing efforts. Email is one of the most effective ways to directly reach your ideal audience. When someone opts-in to be on your email list, they are personally welcoming you to reach out, so you will want to be sure to take advantage of their attention. According to Constant Contact,you can expect to receive an ROI of $42 per $1 you spend on email marketing. Here are some additional email marketing statistics.

But, to convince consumers to join your email list so you can ultimately sell products online, you’ll have to first give them something they can get excited about.  This is where running a sweepstakes comes into play. An online sweepstakes gives your audience a fun, interactive experience offering them the chance to win great prizes. This interaction can be incredibly useful because it creates a bond with the consumer and puts you in a good light.

They’ve signed up for emails, now what? This is your chance to reap what you sow, so to speak. The content of your email must be enticing and attention-getting. Here are a few tips from Campaign Monitoron how to leverage your email marketing. 

Consider running a sweepstakes during the holiday shopping season to keep consumers engaged.  Offer a daily prize giveaway that coincides with a theme; 12 days of Christmas, Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Also consider offering a surprise and delight element like a discount coupon or free sample after each person enters. Free shipping is also a huge incentive to drive sales so you should consider it if feasible to your business. 

Reach out to Sync who will help best strategize how to run a sweepstakes to help sell products online this holiday season for your business.

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Retail Sweepstakes: How to drive consumers online with a retail sweepstakes

By: Julie Link | In: Marketing

This post is a continuation of my previous post about how to drive consumers in-store with a retail sweepstakes. Due to the current pandemic, retailers have had to shift most of their focus to online sales. Today, I will discuss how to help drive consumers online with a retail sweepstakes. Something retailers need to do now more than ever.

CTA:

At Sync, we always recommend a simple sweepstakes microsite to create the best ROI and traffic to your website. Big Commerce also discusses how simple online sweepstakes are a great way to drive traffic to your website. No hoops, just a simple entry form and a great prize. If you want to go a step further and prompt entrants to shop online, create a call to action after entry. Perhaps it’s a surprise and delight discount coupon good for 25% off a pair of jeans or a code for free shipping. 

Get Trending:

As we all know by now, social sweepstakes are a fantastic way to create user-generated content. In addition, it’s a great way to get trending via hashtag. People are home now more than ever and ready and willing to provide content. Some are begging for it! So why not create a contest that asks consumers to showcase their quarantine style? This is a great way to connect with your consumers and reward them in the process. The more the hashtag trends the more eyes you will have on your brand or products, which in turn will translate into more online sales.

E-gift Cards for the Win:

Prizing is key to drive consumers to enter for a chance to win. While we have discussed prizing many different times, if you are really focusing on online sales, provide e-gift cards as prizing. If budget allows, I would recommends giving away as many gift cards as possible and then having a larger overarching grand prize. We have found this makes a sweepstakes very enticing to enter. Consumers feel as though they have a real chance at winning and the larger grand prize is always appealing. 

With the holidays around the corner, now is the time to run a sweepstakes and drive online sales. Contact Sync today if you want to set up a brainstorming call.

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Common Mistakes When Running a Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Marketing

Running a sweepstakes is an effective way for a business to obtain new customers. It’s also a great tool for staying connected to current customers and rewarding them for their loyalty. It’s a very cost-effective marketing tool when done correctly. When contemplating running a sweepstakes, there are important things to consider. Below I will discuss some common mistakes when running a sweepstakes.

No Official Rules

This is probably one of the most important mistakes to avoid. We find that many company’s in-house legal teams do not necessarily specialize in marketing law, so a lot of times, this critical element is neglected. There are a lot of intricacies, especially when it comes to running a sweepstakes on social media platforms, which change their policies frequently. There are also state regulations to also be aware of that may affect your promotion. They are also crucial for entrants as they outline the details of the promotion such as in eligibility, run dates, prizing, etc. Here is an article on the importance of drafting sweepstakes rules. 

Weak Prizing

Nothing kills the excitement of a sweepstakes than an insignificant prize. Would you take the time to enter for a branded water bottle or beach ball? Well most likely, neither will other consumers. If you are going to ask people to do something, give them something worthwhile in return. Consider a cash prize or shopping spree if you are in the retail sector. Also, awarding multiple prizes gives people the sense that the have a better chance to win.

Over Complicated 

You may be promoting an exciting brand or product, are offering amazing prizes and have your legal buttoned up but you are asking entrants to do too many things. The more you ask from the entrant, the higher the risk of drop off. This is especially true in the age of online scams and hacking. People are just not comfortable providing their personal identifying information (PII). Consider just asking for name and email address. This is also true about the entry process. We’ve seen promotions asking people to upload photos, answer essay questions, create a video, etc. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, sometimes less is more.

Choosing the Wrong Platform 

If your goal is to obtain email opt-ins, a simple online entry is the best way to go. You wouldn’t want to run a social promotion in the instance because emails are not typically collected. The opposite runs true if you are looking to get your message to go viral. A social sweepstakes would be a good choice in that case. Again, it’s important to keep in mind the different policies on each social platform. Here is a good reference. 

Poor Timing

It’s always a good idea before running a sweepstakes to check the calendar for critical dates that may conflict with your promotion.  Knowing that a lot of people with children travel during spring break, you may want to wait until afterwards to run a promotion aimed at that sector. The length of campaign is also important.  Too short and you run the risk of people missing the promotion. Too long and the momentum may be lost. Typically, a two-four-week campaign is ideal.

Poor Marketing

If you build it, they will come does not always apply in marketing. You can have the coolest sweepstakes concept, but if people don’t know about it, your entry numbers will be low. This article gives helpful suggestions for promotion your sweepstakes. 

No Follow Up

So, your campaign was successful, and you obtained a good number of email opt-ins. If you don’t follow up with these potential clients, it’s definitely a missed opportunity. Consider sending a thank you email after they enter. You can even include a “Surprise and Delight offer like a discount coupon or free sample.

When done correctly, there are many great benefits to running a sweepstakes. Consider hiring an agency like Sync Marketing, who can guide you through the process and help you prevent making common mistakes when running a sweepstakes. Contact us today. 

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