Continue with current browser

how about a quick update?

Like our philosophy at Sync Marketing,
we think a change will do you good.
Please take a few moments to update your browser
so you can view our site at its finest.

The design of our website shines on the newest browsers,
so please download the very latest versions
of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome
to view our site at its very best.

  1. Internet Explorer
    download
  2. FireFox
    download
  3. Google Chrome
    download

19 oct

Running a Promotion Directed Towards Children

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company

We are continually being asked by companies if they can run a sweepstakes or contest that includes entrants under the age of 13, and the answer is yes. However, if your sweepstakes or contest includes collecting the personal information from children under the age of 13, you must comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule. Understanding and interpreting the nuances of COPPA can be quite overwhelming. The FTC has put together a list of frequently asked questions on their website to help guide businesses through the Act. Below are a few of the most pertinent questions and answers to keep in mind when running a promotion directed towards children.

“Who is covered by COPPA?”

“The Rule applies to operators of commercial websites and online services (including mobile apps) directed to children under 13 that collect, use, or disclose personal information from children.  It also applies to operators of general audience websites or online services with actual knowledge that they are collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13.  The Rule also applies to websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information directly from users of another website or online service directed to children.”

The FTC requires that if you are going to be collecting personal information from children under 13 that you be sure to disclose what information you will be collecting and how it will be used. They also require that a verifiable parental consent be obtained.

“What is Personal Information?”

“The amended Rule defines personal information to include:

  • First and last name;
  • A home or other physical address including street name and name of a city or town;
  • Online contact information;
  • A screen or user name that functions as online contact information;
  • A telephone number;
  • A social security number;
  • A persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different websites or online services;
  • A photograph, video, or audio file, where such file contains a child’s image or voice;
  • Geolocation information sufficient to identify street name and name of a city or town; or
  • Information concerning the child or the parents of that child that the operator collects online from the child and combines with an identifier described above.”

“How do I get parental consent?

“You may use any number of methods to obtain verifiable parental consent, as long as the method you choose is reasonably calculated to ensure that the person providing consent is the child’s parent. The Rule sets forth several non-exhaustive options, and you can apply to the FTC for pre-approval of a new consent mechanism, as set out in FAQ H.14 below.

If you are going to disclose children’s personal information to third parties, or allow children to make it publicly available (e.g., through a social networking service, online forums, or personal profiles) then you must use a method that is reasonably calculated, in light of available technology, to ensure that the person providing consent is the child’s parent. Such methods include:

  • Providing a consent form to be signed by the parent and returned via U.S. mail, fax, or electronic scan (the “print-and-send” method);
  • Requiring the parent, in connection with a monetary transaction, to use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system that provides notification of each discrete transaction to the primary account holder;
  • Having the parent call a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained personnel, or have the parent connect to trained personnel via video-conference; or
  • Verifying a parent’s identity by checking a form of government-issued identification against databases of such information, provided that you promptly delete the parent’s identification after completing the verification.

If you are going to use children’s personal information only for internal purposes – that is, you will not be disclosing the information to third parties or making it publicly available – then you can use any of the above methods or you can use the “email plus” method of parental consent. “Email plus” allows you to request (in the direct notice sent to the parent’s online contact address) that the parent indicate consent in a return message. To properly use the email plus method, you must take an additional confirming step after receiving the parent’s message (this is the “plus” factor). The confirming step may be:

  • Requesting in your initial message to the parent that the parent include a phone or fax number or mailing address in the reply message, so that you can follow up with a confirming phone call, fax or letter to the parent; or
  • After a reasonable time delay, sending another message via the parent’s online contact information to confirm consent. In this confirmatory message, you should include all the original information contained in the direct notice, inform the parent that he or she can revoke the consent, and inform the parent how to do so.”

In most instances, when running any sweepstakes, entrants’ personal information is not disclosed publicly, so the “Email plus” method is very effective and less time consuming for the child entrant and the sweepstakes administrator. Another way around this is to have the parents enter on behalf of their child and award the prize to the parent. This way you know you are getting parental consent without having to do the extra step.

“I want to have a contest on my child-directed website.  Can I use the Rule’s “one-time contact” exception to prior parental consent?”

“Yes, if you properly design your contest.  You may use the “one-time contact” exception if you collect children’s online contact information, and only this information, to enter them in the contest, and then only contact such children once when the contest ends to notify them if they have won or lost. At that point, you must delete the online contact information you have collected.

 If, however, you expect to contact the children more than one time, you must use the “multiple-contact” exception, for which you must also collect a parent’s online contact information and provide parents with direct notice of your information practices and an opportunity to opt out.  In either case, the Rule prohibits you from using the children’s online contact information for any other purpose, and requires you to ensure the security of the information, which is particularly important if the contest runs for any length of time. 

If you wish to collect any information from children online beyond online contact information in connection with contest entries – such as collecting a winner’s home address to mail a prize – you must first provide parents with direct notice and obtain verifiable parental consent, as you would for other types of personal information collection beyond online contact information.  If you do need to obtain a mailing address and wish to stay within the one-time exception, you may ask the child to provide his parent’s online contact information and use that identifier to notify the parent if the child wins the contest.  In your prize notification message to the parent, you may ask the parent to provide a home mailing address to ship the prize, or invite the parent to call a telephone number to provide the mailing information.”  

 And even with screening measures in place, you may run across the following issue:

“Am I responsible if children lie about their age during the registration process on my general audience website?”

“The Rule does not require operators of general audience sites to investigate the ages of visitors to their sites or services. See 1999 Statement of Basis and Purpose, 64 Fed. Reg. 59888, 59892. However, operators will be held to have acquired actual knowledge of having collected personal information from a child where, for example, they later learn of a child’s age or grade from a concerned parent who has learned that his child is participating on the site or service.”

 “What are the penalties for violating the Rule?”

“A court can hold operators who violate the Rule liable for civil penalties of up to $16,000 per violation.  The amount of civil penalties a court assesses may turn on a number of factors, including the egregiousness of the violations, whether the operator has previously violated the Rule, the number of children involved, the amount and type of personal information collected, how the information was used, whether it was shared with third parties, and the size of the company.  Information about the FTC’s COPPA enforcement actions, including the amounts of civil penalties obtained, can be found by clicking on the Case Highlights link in the FTC’s Business Center.” 

Reading through and understanding COPPA can be a daunting task for those not as familiar with the Act. With the possibilities of steep penalties for violating COPPA, it is advisable that you consult the experts to advise you if you choose to run a sweepstakes or contest aimed at children. Furthermore, Sync Marketing’s legal team are experts in the field and can guide you through your promotion to ensure compliance with COPPA. Here are some of the services we provide and don’t forget to contact Sync today for your next promotion.

Running a Promotion Directed Towards Children

 


10 oct

Updated Pinterest Guidelines for Running a Sweepstakes

By: Sync Marketing | In: Best Practices, Contests, Marketing, Pinterest, Sweepstakes

Running a Sweepstakes or Contest on Pinterest is a great way for a company to market themselves. They are able to encourage consumers to “pin” a variety of their products and pages, which in turn increases engagement. This also results in entrants’ friends seeing the pins and therefore leads them to the company’s website. But, before running any promotion on a social media platform, it’s important to know what is allowed by that platform. Recently, Pinterest has made some changes, so today I will discuss the updated Pinterest guidelines for running a sweepstakes or contest.

All of these updated guidelines can be found in Pinterest’s Acceptable Use Policy. Previously, their guidelines stated that companies were not permitted to “run a sweepstakes where each Pin, board, like, or follow represents an entry;” require that people “Pin from a selection;” or “require a minimum number of Pins.” Within the new guidelines, none of those restrictions appear in the Pinterest Acceptable Use Policy.

In addition, the new guidelines state that companies who run campaigns should, “encourage authentic behavior, keep Pinterest spam-free, and be sure to comply with all relevant laws and regulations.” What does this mean for you and your brand? Make sure your campaign hashtag includes, “sweepstakes” or “contest.” This way consumers are aware that their friend is pinning that particular image for a chance to win a prize.

The new guidelines also state that companies who are running campaigns should not require participants to Pin one specific image. Furthermore, they acknowledge that requiring consumers to Pin from a selection is now allowed. This is a benefit to your brand because the more options there are to pin, the more diversity of images of your brand will be on Pinterest.

“Give Pinners the ability to choose Pins based on their tastes and preferences, even if it’s from a selection or a given website.” – Updated Pinterest Guidelines

Lastly, Pinterest is now requiring that there is a limit of one entry per person. This new guideline may affect entry numbers slightly, but know you are getting more genuine content.

What do the updated guidelines mean to companies running a sweepstakes on Pinterest? More brand exposure for you! Now that you can require pinning from a group of images, means your images will appear on entrants’ boards. With this change, you should definitely consider adding a Pinterest sweepstakes to your marketing plans. Not convinced? Here is an article giving five reasons why Pinterest is great for business.

As we’ve said before, social media platforms change their guidelines on a regular basis. Recently Facebook has taken out the language about not allowing shares for extra entries. This implies that this is now permitted. Here is a link to Facebook’s guidelines.

Regardless, it’s important that you make sure you’re up-to-date on all of these changes each time you run a social media campaign. Hiring Sync will help you with knowing you’re running a complaint promotion. Our team is in direct contact with the legal teams at all of the social media platforms. We are even alerted if there are any changes to their guidelines that could affect your upcoming promotion. Consider reaching out to Sync for your next sweepstakes or contest.

Updated Pinterest Guidelines for Running a Sweepstakes or Contest.


29 sep

Marketing to Millennials with a Sweepstakes

By: Julie Link | In: Advertising, Best Practices, Contests, Facebook, Instagram, Marketing, Sweepstakes, User Generated Content

Marketing to millennials can be a challenge. They are currently the largest living generation and that’s a lot of people to target with many different personalities and habits. So, if you are a brand, how do you get their attention and stand out among all the messaging sent their way? Surprisingly, marketing to millennials with a sweepstakes or contest is an extremely effective method. Below I will break down a few reasons why this method works.

They Love to Share

Millennials love to share with anyone and everyone who will like, retweet or view their messaging. Whether it’s Instagramming a photo of their lunch, snapchatting a reunion with their best friend, or tweeting their opinion on the election, sharing is their impulse reaction. Why not take advantage of that constant need to share by inviting millennials to share their talents by snapchatting a video for their chance to win a prize.

Here’s an excerpt from an article on Marketingland.com on the subject:

“I didn’t expect that my daughter and her friends were looking for coupons but was a little surprised that they were willing to actively engage with the brand and even enter into a traditional sweepstakes (albeit via sharing a picture).” For the full article, click here

They Love to Engage

This is the next step that organically occurs after asking millennials to share. They in turn engage with your brand. When running a sweepstakes or contest, think about engaging with millennials rather than focusing on selling your product or service. Have your prospective customer tell a story with your hashtag. The more you engage with them by having them organically spread content about your brand, the better your content and relationship with that millennial will be. American Eagle’s latest #WeAllCan campaign is a great example of this.

They Love to Reach People

The natural step of sharing a photo on Instagram and an opinion on Twitter is to reach the masses. Prizing is an important component when running a sweepstakes geared towards millennials. Make sure that the prizing is something that will resonate with them. If your prize is an experience trip, have your winner share their experience through social media by using the campaign hashtag. Get them excited by telling them the winner’s experience on their trip will be featured on your social media channels. This is a great way to spark the interest of millennials. Knowing their experiences will be shared with thousands to millions of people is reason enough to enter for them.

If you’re interested in marketing to millennials with a sweepstakes, reach out to us today for a quote.

 


25 aug

Prize Fulfillment Solutions for Your Next Sweepstakes

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

There are a lot of factors that go into running a successful online sweepstakes or contest. One of the most important ones is the prizing you award to the winners. A lot of companies who decide to run a campaign without the help of a sweepstakes agency often find that the prize fulfillment portion of the campaign can be very time consuming and costly if not done correctly. Below I will talk about prize fulfillment solutions for your next sweepstakes or contest.

Before I go further into the prize fulfillment solutions, I think it’s necessary to first touch on the importance of prizing. You may have great online creative and a healthy marketing budget, but if your prizes aren’t compelling, you run the risk of receiving low entries. Here are a few tips on the types of prizes to offer. But what really constitutes a compelling prize to consumers? A lot of times it simply comes down to the odds of winning. The more prizes you award, the better chance the entrant has of taking home a prize. This makes consumers feel like they have a better chance to win, resulting in increased entry numbers.

Okay, great, you’ve listened to your consumers and want to award a large number of prizes. Where do you start? What does that look like? This is where prize fulfillment solutions come into the picture.

Are you awarding physical prizes? If so, there are a few things you will need to take into consideration. You will need to securely warehouse, package and ship the prizes. A benefit of using a sweepstakes agency that handles prize fulfillment is that they will do all of the work for you. And, because they ship prizing on a regular basis, you will be guaranteed to have the lowest possible rates. Plus, packing and shipping hundreds of prizes can be a very time consuming job, which will in turn costs you money. Check out a list of prize fulfillment services offered by Sync Marketing.

Are you awarding digital prizes? This is definitely a more cost-effective way to award a prize. But, do you have the manpower to follow up with hundreds or even thousands of winners to make sure they’ve received their prizing via email? Leave it to the experts who have the proper programs in place to quickly and efficiently deliver your prizing and take this daunting task off of your plate.

Another thing to consider are the steps that need to take place before prize fulfillment; winner selection, notification and verification. This can also be a very time consuming process. And, if your prizes are valued at over $600, you will need to report this to the IRS and provide a 1099 for each winner. Hiring a sweepstakes agency to oversee this portion of your campaign will take the worry out of the project for you and ensure that it is being handled correctly.

Finally, no matter what the type or quantity of prizing you chose to award to your winners, consider contacting Sync Marketing to handle your prize fulfillment solutions. We will put together a cost-effective and time saving plan for your next campaign and do the “heavy lifting” so you don’t have to.

Prize Fulfillment Solutions for your next Sweepstakes

 

 


16 aug

Looking for the Best Sweepstakes Platform

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Contests, Facebook, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, Turnkey Sweepstakes

When looking for the best sweepstakes platform, it’s important to consider a few things before picking one from the first company you see. I get it. You want to run a sweepstakes fast and affordably, but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality. Today I will discuss what to look for when choosing a sweepstakes company and platform.

Does the company offering the sweepstakes platform also offer legal services?
Chances are, if you’re using a sweepstakes app company, they don’t offer robust legal services to support your campaign. Make sure you are hiring an agency who also specializes in promotion law, not just in building apps. Why? Because the company providing the legal support will take on the liability in the official rules and will act as the administrator of the promotion.

Did you know that Facebook has changed their policies three times in the last two years regarding allowing social shares for extra entries in a sweepstakes? Our legal team has direct connections at each social network to make sure we’re constantly getting the latest updates on new policy changes directly from their legal teams. When you hire an agency that specializes in promotion law, you know that all the components provided with the sweepstakes platform will be legally compliant.

Do they also run custom campaigns?
If a sweepstakes company creates more than just turnkey apps, chances are they also know a lot about sweepstakes. If a sweepstakes company also runs custom campaigns, then there is a good chance that they can run instant win games, partnership promotions and video contests. This will reassure you that the sweepstakes company you’re using understands the latest trends and best type of promotion to run for you to receive the best ROI.

Can you quickly and easily reach someone at the company?
Some of these sweepstakes platforms are “do-it-yourself” apps that don’t allow for customer support. There are so many aspects to consider when running a sweepstakes from the official rules, winner release forms, bonding and registering to winner selection. It’s imperative to hire a sweepstakes company that provides a designated project manager to oversee and run your promotion.

If you’re looking for a fast, affordable, and effective sweepstakes platform, check out TurnkeySweeps™ by Sync and contact us today for a customized same day quote.

Sweepstakes Platform


13 jul

Finding the Perfect Sweepstakes Company

By: Jennifer French | In: Best Practices, Contests, Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company

Not all sweepstakes companies are the same. They come in all shapes and sizes and offer different services, platforms and pricing. This article will touch upon finding the perfect sweepstakes company for your next promotion.

Identify your goals

The very first thing you need to do to determine the type of campaign you want to run is to consider your goals. Do you want to capture consumers’ email addresses? If so, then a turnkey sweepstakes on a microsite would meet your goals and give you exceptional ROI. Or, do you want to gather user-generated content? If this is the case, then an Instagram sweepstakes would be the right route to go because you will receive UGC and build your follower base. Determining your goals will help you in finding the perfect sweepstakes company because you need to first know if the company offers these specific services.

Budget

This is a key factor to consider when finding the perfect sweepstakes company because it will determine the type of promotion you are able to run and will narrow down the sweepstakes company based on their capabilities. If you are looking for a quiz or gaming element, you should make sure the sweepstakes company offers these types of platforms and clearly outlines pricing. If you have a smaller budget, but want the benefits of a sweepstakes, then a turnkey sweepstakes might be right for you.

Timing

Do you need your promotion to launch within a tight turnaround? Not all agencies are able to accommodate quick timing and require long lead times. Consider using TurnkeySweeps by Sync for your next promotion. Your sweepstakes can launch within one week of receiving approved creative. For more information, check out our latest blog article on the subject.

Legal Expertise

This is a very important factor when finding the perfect sweepstakes company. You should make sure that the agency’s legal team specializes in promotion law and stays up-to-date on all of the latest actions and changes in the field. Need more convincing? Here is an article on tips for hiring an agency for your legal and prize fulfillment needs.

Customer Service

If you are looking for one-on-one personal service, you should consider working with a boutique agency. At a minimum, you should always work with a sweepstakes agency that thinks of themselves as an extension of your team and holds your services to the highest standards.

Campaign Metrics

Campaign metrics are some of the most important aspects of a sweepstakes as they are the true indicator of whether you’re getting a return on your investment. When finding the perfect sweepstakes company it’s important to look for these services on their website. Some sweepstakes companies, including Sync Marketing, will provide campaign metrics as often as the client prefers. Or if the client wants access at any time, we offer a 24/7 password protected website to view metrics at a moments notice.

We hope these few tips will help you when finding the perfect sweepstakes company for your promotion. Consider contacting Sync for all of your upcoming sweepstakes needs.

Finding the Perfect Sweepstakes Company

30 jun

Turnkey Sweepstakes Services

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Marketing, Sweepstakes, Turnkey Sweepstakes

More and more we’re hearing our clients say that they are looking for more turnkey sweepstakes services for their promotions. They want their sweepstakes to launch fast and to be affordable while still being able to collect the same information they have in previous campaigns. That’s why we’ve created TurnkeySweeps by Sync. These full-service, cost-effective turnkey sweepstakes can launch within a week and are very affordable. In addition, this promotion platform still includes our personalized customer service and management.

How does this promotional platform work you ask? Well, if you have an in-house creative team, we’ll provide you with detailed wireframes and site specs to create your new sweepstakes. Then, you provide us the layered PSD files and we’ll get started. If you don’t have a creative team, no worries, we can design the site for you with photos and logos you provide. Just choose design as an add-on option to your turnkey sweepstakes services. One week later, your sweepstakes is ready to launch. During the week, we’ll make sure you have two rounds of reviews prior to the site going live.

In addition, our turnkey sweepstakes services include everything we’ve offered in the past, but now through a more streamlined process. For those clients wanting the freedom to add on games, multiple extra entry options, quiz features, etc., don’t worry. If you want a completely custom campaign with all of the bells and whistles, we still create those as well. You can find a full list of our sweepstakes and contest services here.

Some of the turnkey sweepstakes services included in our base price are as follows:

  • mobile and tablet optimization
  • programming and development
  • backend management
  • 24/7 password protected client access to sweepstakes metrics
  • social sharing
  • email capture
  • all administrative and legal service for rules development and winner release forms
  • marketing material review for legal compliance
  • prize fulfillment

Not only are our turnkey sweepstakes fast, effective and affordable for you, there’s no better tool when it comes to acquiring new consumers and engaging with your current consumers, than Sync Marketing’s turnkey sweepstakes. By providing engaging content and targeted prizing, you will capture new consumers’ information and build your brand equity. And the price is right! If you want to learn more about our turnkey sweepstakes services and receive a quote, contact us today.

Turnkey Sweepstakes Services


26 may

Sweepstakes are Making Waves in the Digital Space

By: Julie Link | In: Facebook, Instagram, Instant Win, Marketing, Sweepstakes, Twitter, User Generated Content

It’s no surprise that the digital age is becomes more of a prominent fixture in our daily lives. This is especially true for millennials. As such, marketers are doing everything they can to break through the clutter to reach their consumers. One of the best ways for marketers to increase their ROI and engage with consumers through digital, is by running sweepstakes. This cost effective promotional tool is a win-win for consumers and brands. Below I discuss the three key aspects as to why sweepstakes in the digital space are becoming increasingly more popular.

1. Content is King

User-Generated Content (UCG) is an effective tool for marketers to gain authentic usable content for free. Once way to get UGC is with a video dance contest hosted on a microsite. Or, a cutest puppy photo sweepstakes held on Instagram. By running these types of campaign, brands are able to gather this UGC for free and use it on their website and social media channels.

Legal Alert: Keep in mind that specific language needs to be included in the official rules and winner release forms to be able to utilize this content in your future marketing. That’s why hiring an agency that specializes in promotion law is key to running a legally compliant promotion.

Some of the most memorable and talked about commercials and campaigns in recent years are completely customer created. In the past, brands shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce and run a commercial spot.  Now, they can award an eager fan an exclusive experience prize and in turn receive an exceptional ad. The most well-known example of this is the promotion that Doritos ran. Here, they asked consumers to submit their own Doritos commercial for the chance to have their spot aired during the big game’s half time show.

2. Social Media

Every type of company, especially retailers, are running social media campaigns. That’s because it’s not only an inexpensive venue to run a promotion, but an invaluable tool to engage with consumers. Even if a brand is running an online sweepstakes, social sharing is a great way to spread the word about the brand. There is no better person to share your content than a consumer. That’s because they are already interested in your brand and therefore excited to share with their friends.

The use of hashtags in promotions has seen a dramatic increase this year as well. Not only is it a way to track entries, but if you create a clever hashtag (that of course must include sweepstakes in the tag), the viral possibilities are endless.

3. Mobile

For large brands, creating a well adaptable user-experience focused app is a great tool to increase brand loyalty and exposure. With apps comes the easy addition of layering on a sweepstakes component. This allows brands to reward consumers and increase engagement. Last summer Sync Marketing was a part of a Slurpee instant-win campaign that rewarded those who used the app and purchased a Slurpee to be entered for their chance to win from thousands of prizes. This was a great way to layer on a sweepstakes, drive sales and bring exposure to the app.

In addition, because digital has become a fixture in our daily lives, sweepstakes now must be mobile-optimized so that the user experience is seamless and enjoyable. As a result, this leads to a good ROI for the sweepstakes.

 “So many consumers these days are on the go so you want them to have a good user experience on their phones,” says Julie Link, from a recent Chief Marketer article.

As sweepstakes in the digital space become increasingly popular, there is no better time to add them to your marketing plans. If you’re a brand considering adding a sweepstakes to increase your digital reach, you are on the right path. This is because it’s one of the most affordable ways to spread the word, engage consumers, and create quality content.

Sweepstakes in the Digital Space

 


22 apr

Reasons to Hire a Sweepstakes Agency for Your Next Campaign

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

If you’ve never run a sweepstakes or contest before and you are considering adding one to your marketing plans in the near future, it is important that you do your homework on the subject before you begin the process.  There are many things to first identify when planning a sweepstakes. Budget, timing, target audience, goals, etc., (see tips for running a successful sweepstakes), are just a few. You will also need to figure out how the overall process works, and for that, we recommend working with an agency that specializes specifically in sweepstakes and contests.  Here are a few important reasons why you should hire a sweepstakes agency for your next campaign.

Strategy

With anything, you need to start with a plan. Consulting an agency to help you determine how to build the best promotion to meet your goals, all while staying within your budget, is a great place to begin. With these goals in mind, a sweepstakes agency can present a plan for the overall concept of the campaign and determine the best platform to showcase your promotion. Some of these types of campaigns could include; social media, sweepstakes microsite, or an iFrame on your company’s website. They can also brainstorm creative and cutting edge concepts offering you a one-of-a-kind sweepstakes.

Management

There are a lot of moving parts to think about when running an online sweepstakes. Working with an agency who has experience with the process who can take on the management of the promotion is imperative for busy marketing teams.  Not only do they have the expertise, but they are dedicated to the project and will make sure that it is running successfully so that you can focus on other tasks at hand.

Design

A lot of companies have internal creative teams, but do not have teams that specialize specifically in sweepstakes creative. It’s imperative to know how best to design a mobile-optimized sweepstakes. Understanding this ensures that the functionality and flow works from a consumer standpoint. In addition, when you hire a sweepstakes agency, they will be able to design all of the supporting creative such as web banners, in-store POP and social media.  It’s a one stop shop for your promotion, which will save you time and money in the long run.

Programming

In your research you may have come across a sweepstakes app that can build a basic entry form and capture online entries at a low cost.  If that is your only goal, then this could be a valid option for you. If you want to have any customization to your promotion, you will need to hire a sweepstakes agency for programming.  An agency’s programming team can add an instant win component, award extra entries for completing tasks such as sharing on social media, or even collect photo and video uploads.  The sky’s the limit on the possibilities.  They are also able to collect and deliver email and mobile opt-ins. This is typically a big reason companies run sweepstakes. Lastly, if budget is an issue, reach out to us about Turnkey Sweepstakes by Sync Marketing.

Legal Compliance

This is probably one of the most important reasons to consult a sweepstakes agency.  Most companies have in house legal counsel that has a general background in the field of their company’s specialty (i.e. retail, manufacturing, automotive, etc.). With a sweepstakes agency, the legal team specializes in promotion law and stays up-to-date on all of the changes in the field.  If you hire a sweepstakes agency, not only will they create the necessary official rules, affidavits of eligibility and release forms for you, but they will review all of your supporting marketing materials to ensure legal compliance.  Here’s a recent article which outlines Sync Marketing’s legal services.

Prize Procurement and Fulfillment

Does your marketing team have time to select, notify and verify all of the sweepstakes winners?  And after that is complete, do they have time to arrange winner travel, ship out prizing, and/or file tax documentation to the IRS?  If the answer is no, then you should definitely hire a sweepstakes agency.  Not only will they provide these types of services, they will also make sure that all of this is done in compliance with the official rules.  Speaking of prizing, here is an informative article on types of prizing you should consider for a sweepstakes.

Analytics and Reporting

How do you know if your sweepstakes was a success?  The analytics. When you use the services of a sweepstakes agency, they will work with you before the campaign begins to identify the types of metrics you are looking to receive. In addition these metrics can be provided as often as necessary or on a 24/7 password protected website. Without metrics, you cannot clearly determine your ROI.

Running an online sweepstakes is a cost effective way to reach and reward your consumers and promote your company and brand. As we have outlined here, without the proper guidance, mistakes can be made along the way.  We hope the information provided today gave you some better insight on why you should hire a sweepstakes agency for your next campaign. While you’re at it, consider reaching out to Sync Marketing for your next sweepstakes campaign.  Contact us today! Jennifer@syncmarketing.net or 323-596-7962.

Hire a Sweepstakes Agency like Sync Marketing for your next campaign.

 


31 mar

Questions about Running a Successful Contest

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

So you’ve decided to add running a sweepstakes or contest to your marketing plans this year, but you are not really sure where to start or which one will work best for you to reach your goals. Below are a few questions about running a successful contest from fellow marketers.

What are the benefits of running a contest?

We are always upfront when someone comes to us who is considering running a contest. The truth is, in most cases, you will not receive as many entries as you would if you chose to run a sweepstakes. The reason being is that with a contest, you are typically asking people to complete an extra step beyond just filling out a simple entry form. When running a contest for example, you might ask people to upload a photo or video of themselves completing a particular outlined task, or to write an essay, or even name your new product. If you want to run a buzz-worthy campaign, make sure you are reaching your true customers and collect fun user-generated content, a contest is the way to go. A contest will provide you with much more QUALITY entries. Here is a helpful article touching on the differences between sweepstakes and contests.

Are there any legal parameters to consider when running a contest?

Yes, and they change frequently, especially on social media platforms. That is why we always recommend that you consult an expert like Sync Marketing, when putting together any contest or sweepstakes. One of the most crucial elements is to make sure that you clearly outline the contest criteria and judging parameters in the official rules.  Here is an article that was written to give advice for contest entrants that might help give you additional insight.

Does one contest theme attract more entries than another?

Theme is certainly one of the factors for consumers when deciding if they want to enter a contest. Although it isn’t the only thing that might pique their interest. You will almost guarantee that you will have a good amount of entries if the contest is offering a new or fun twist or has a “cool” factor, but we find that prizing is what really drives entries. If you offer a fun experiential prize, or something that the consumer can’t obtain on their own, they will take the extra steps to enter. Another great option is build a contest around a philanthropic cause that is close to your company’s heart. Here is a case study of a contest campaign that Walmart and some of its vendors partnered together to run to a contest to support the cause to fight world hunger.

If done right, contests are a fun way to create positive interaction with your consumers and possibly create some exciting buzz for your company online and beyond. If you have any additional questions about running a successful contest contact us today at 323-596-7962 or info@syncmarketing.net.

Sync Marketing – The Sweepstakes and Contest Experts