Pet Brand Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, sweepstakes management, sweepstakes marketing

Pet Brand Sweepstakes: A Smart Way to Engage Pet Parents and Build Loyalty

The old saying goes that there are two things you can always count on happening, even during a recession: weddings and funerals. As a parent to three fur babies, I’d argue there’s a third category to add to that list: pet care.

Pet parents love their animals—and they continue spending on them even when household budgets get tighter. In fact, the American Pet Products Association reports that U.S. pet industry expenditures reached $158 billion in 2025 and are projected to grow to $165 billion in 2026.

That means there is a huge audience of devoted pet parents out there. It also means there is a tremendous amount of competition for their attention.

Maybe I notice it more because I’m personally invested, but lately I’ve seen pet brand sweepstakes, giveaways and contests everywhere. My pet health insurance company, dog food brands, groomers, veterinarians, pet retailers, and even dog fashion and accessory brands are getting in on the action.

Yes, I said dog fashion. It’s a thing.

Why Sweepstakes Work for Pet Brands

The pet industry may be resilient, but brands still have to compete for customers. Pet owners have countless choices when it comes to food, treats, insurance, grooming, veterinary care, toys, accessories and just about everything else their pets could possibly need, or, let’s face it, not need at all.

That’s where a well-planned pet brand sweepstakes or contest can help.

Sweepstakes give brands an opportunity to create excitement and engagement without requiring an enormous marketing budget. More importantly, the promotion can be designed around a specific business goal.

A pet giveaway can help your brand:

• Build your email and CRM database
• Increase brand awareness
• Drive traffic to your website
• Grow social engagement
• Generate user-generated content (UGC)
• Introduce a new pet product
• Reward existing customers
• Attract new customers
• Create buzz around a seasonal campaign or product launch

And because people generally love sharing photos and stories about their pets, pet brands have a natural advantage when it comes to creating promotions people actually want to participate in.

What Type of Pet Sweepstakes Should You Run?

One of the first questions we ask clients at Sync Marketing is simple: What do you want the promotion to accomplish?

The answer should help determine the type of sweepstakes or contest you create.

Want to Build Your Email List?

Run a straightforward enter-to-win pet sweepstakes.

Consumers can enter through a branded landing page or microsite and opt in to receive future marketing communications. This gives the brand an opportunity to turn the excitement surrounding a prize into longer-term customer relationships.

Want More Social Engagement?

Create a social media promotion designed around the channels your customers already use.

Pet content is inherently social, making Instagram and TikTok particularly natural places for brands to encourage participation, conversation and sharing.

Just remember that social media sweepstakes and contests still need to be structured correctly and comply with applicable laws and platform requirements.

Want User-Generated Content?

This is where pet brands can really have some fun.

Consider a pet photo or video contest, such as:

Cutest Pet. Funniest Pet. Best Pet Costume. Biggest Personality. Best Before-and-After. Pet Who Looks Most Like Their Owner.

Or go in the opposite direction and find the ugliest pet. Sometimes ugly is adorable, too.

A contest can give your customers a reason to interact with your brand while generating entertaining content that can potentially extend the life of the campaign beyond the initial promotion.

Are Pet Sweepstakes Legal?

Yes, brands can run sweepstakes and contests, but the promotion needs to be structured and administered correctly.

A sweepstakes is generally a game of chance, while a contest determines winners based on skill or judging criteria. That distinction matters.

For example, the Federal Trade Commission notes that sweepstakes promotions cannot require participants to make a purchase to enter. Depending on the structure and geographic scope of a promotion, additional federal and state requirements may also apply.

That is one reason working with an experienced sweepstakes administration company can be valuable. The fun idea is only one piece of the campaign. Official rules, eligibility requirements, entry methods, prize structure, winner selection, required disclosures and fulfillment all need to work together.

Make Your Pet Giveaway Do More Than Give Away a Prize

The most successful pet brand sweepstakes aren’t simply about putting a great prize on a landing page and hoping people enter.

Start with the marketing objective.

Do you want to increase business? Of course.

Reward your current customers’ loyalty? Yes, please.

Increase visibility and drive traffic to your website? You read my mind.

Why not build a promotion that accomplishes several of those goals at once?

With the right strategy, a sweepstakes can become a customer-acquisition and engagement tool rather than simply a giveaway.

Looking for Pet Sweepstakes Ideas? Sync Marketing Can Help

And this is where I come in.

As both a slightly pet-obsessed pet parent (who does not buy dog fashion, I swear) and the owner of Sync Marketing, I understand both sides of the equation.

For more than 16 years, Sync Marketing has helped brands plan and administer sweepstakes, contests and giveaways from beginning to end. Our team can help develop the promotion concept and structure, create the Official Rules, manage compliance and administration, select and verify winners, and handle prize fulfillment.

Whether you’re a pet food company, retailer, pet insurance provider, veterinary brand, grooming company, pet accessory company, or, yes, even a dog fashion brand, we can help you create a promotion designed to get pet parents’ attention while supporting your larger marketing goals.

Because pet parents love their pets.

And if there’s one thing many of us love almost as much as spoiling them, it’s having a chance to win something for them.

Planning a pet brand sweepstakes or contest? Contact Sync Marketing to start brainstorming your next promotion.

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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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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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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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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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5 Social Media Sweepstakes Ideas to Engage Customers

By: Jennifer French | In: Marketing

Running a social media sweepstakes or contest is an easy and cost-effective way to promote your brand or company. It is also a great way to create buzz and collect meaningful user-generated content from consumers.  Below are 5 social media sweepstakes ideas to engage customers.

#1 Photo Upload

A simple Instagram or Facebook photo upload contest is a great way to capture user-generated content all in the name of fun. Think cute babies, furry friends, or fabulous food creations as a few examples. Crate and Barrel ran a wedding registry sweepstakes where they asked entrants to upload a photo of their wedding prep. Daily prizes were awarded throughout the month of February. 

#2 Twitter Hashtag Sweepstakes

This is probably one of the easiest social sweepstakes you can run. All you need to do is post your message on Twitter and ask for entrants to tweet you back with your campaign hashtag.  Tide did just that in the fall of 2019 to promote their partnership with the NFL for their Tuesday Night is Laundry Night campaign. Select NFL players tweeted on their own Twitter accounts asking for fans to tweet back for a chance to win limited edition Tide PODS. 

#3 Like and/or Comment 

This is another easy and effective sweepstakes idea.  Entrants are required to like and or comment on your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post for a chance to win. Acer uses this sweepstakes concept to promote their partnership with the LPGA. Their yearly #AcedIt Sweepstakes offers entrants a chance to win an Acer lap top every time an LPGA pro hits a hole-in-one during the season.  The hole-in-one becomes a triggering event and entrants have 48 hours to comment on Acer’s Facebook or Twitter post for a chance to win. Due to the stoppage of all sports during their 2020 campaign, Acer got creative and worked with the LPGA to hold virtual golf matches pitting pros up against one another on a computer golf game.

#4 Tiktok Contest

Tiktok is the new gold standard for creating fun videos. Because proms were canceled this year, Claire’s Stores wanted to give high schoolers a chance to win prizes through a Prom-themed contest. They ran a PJs to Prom contest on TikTok asking entrants to show their PJs to Prom looks. 

#5 Vote to Win

A great way to gage consumers interest in your products is by asking them to vote on their favorite while offering them a chance to win a prize. Specialty Materials™ ran a Facebook sweepstakes where they asked entrants to vote on their favorite pattern of fabric for the chance to win a 20-sheet prize pack.

Now you have some social media sweepstakes ideas , but you are not sure which platform(s) to choose. Here is an article that may help you narrow it down. Also, before you decide to run a sweepstakes or contest on a social platform, you need to be aware of the rules and limitations of each platform first. Our Legal team has hands-on knowledge and experience running promotions on all social media platforms.  Here is a link to Sync’s legal services we offer to help you with your next sweepstakes or contest. 

Contact us today.

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How CCPA Law Affects Running a Sweepstakes or Contest

By: Jennifer French | In: Marketing

Today I will discuss how CCPA law affects running a sweepstakes or contest. If you have considered running a sweepstakes or contest, you have probably heard of CCPA, but what is it exactly? CCPA is a new law in California that went into effect on January 1, 2020 that is designed to give Californians more control over their own data. If your promotion excludes California, this is not something you will need to worry about. If you plan to collect personal identifying information (PII) from people in California, you may be affected. More specifically, if you will need to be accountable if your business falls within the following parameters:

• Business possesses the personal data of more than 50,000 California residents, households, or devices per year
• Business earns at least $25 million in annual revenue
• Business earns more than 50% of annual revenue selling the personal data of California residents

A good summary of what is considered PII under CCPA can be found here.

So, what rights do consumers have under the CCPA? In short, California consumers now have the right to request access to or delete any personal information you have collected from them. The CCPA also allows California consumers to request that a business not sell their personal information to third parties. The full information can be found here.

Clearly CCPA is something to consider when running a sweepstakes or contest in California since collecting PII is part of that process. Below are steps to ensure you are running a legally compliant promotion:

Right to Notice

Your business must inform consumers at or before the point of collecting PII what categories of PII are going to be collected and for what purposes this information will be used.

Right to access

You will be required to provide users a way to request access to the data you have collected. Essentially you should provide them with an easy way to contact you to submit a request for access to this data. Keep in mind you should respond in a timely manner.

Right to request deletion of PII

Consumers in California have the right to request deletion of all PII that you have collected.

Right to Opt-Out

Consumers must have the ability to easily request to opt-out of receiving correspondence from you.

Protection of consumer privacy and data is increasingly becoming more important so we should expect other states to follow suit. Consider contacting Sync Marketing for your next sweepstakes or contest. We will we navigate you through all the up-to-the-minute legal changes that may affect your sweepstakes or contest. We also, pride ourselves on our secure platform and will ensure your consumers’ PII is protected. Contact Sync today.

Disclaimer: This is article is not intended to be legal advice but is provided as general information. To learn the full impact of the CCPA, please consult with a legal professional.

 

 

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Solutions for Running Cost-Effective Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, Turnkey Sweepstakes, User Generated Content

When running a sweepstakes, there are a lot of factors to consider. As you start to plan, think of your objectives, target audience, timing, and theme. A major factor that can determine the entire scope of the campaign is your budget. Many marketing teams have the fortune of having large supporting budgets to run their campaigns. Some on the other hand have limited budgets. Regardless, all are in search of running a quality campaign which achieves their goals. Below are a few suggestions for running cost-effective sweepstakes.

Social Media

One cost-effective sweepstakes idea would be to offer your method of entry on one of your social channels. This will require you to create a campaign hashtag to track your entries. It will also require that a full comprehensive set of official rules be created. The benefit of running social sweepstakes is that it can increase your social following and allow you to collect fun user-generated content. These types of sweepstakes however are not ideal for a brand who is only looking to increase their email database. This is because there is no personal data collected from the entrants.

Here is an example of a social sweepstakes that is currently running for REI. In this sweepstakes, they are asking entrants to take a photo of themselves enjoying the outdoors. In order to be eligible, entrants must use both #OptOutside and #Collegesweepstakes when uploading their photo on Instagram or Twitter. Here are some additional reasons to run a social sweepstakes.

Prize Provider

You may not have the actual funds to run a sweepstakes, but you may have plenty of compelling merchandise, travel elements, or services to trade with a company who is already planning to run a sweepstakes. Companies are often looking for a partner to provide the prizing. This allows them to save money, offer compelling giveaways, and it helps their sweepstakes. A lot of time, the prizing that you can offer is at cost so it is less of an investment for your company. In exchange for providing the prizing, the company can feature the merchandise you are providing along with your company logo and link to your website. You should also ask them to collect and provide email opt-ins on your behalf. In exchange, you can promote the sweepstakes on your social media channels and marketing pushes to help promote the sweepstakes. If you are looking to utilize the cost-effective sweepstakes idea of becoming a prize provider, contact Sync Marketing today. We can put you in touch with companies who are looking for this type of partnership.

TurnkeySweeps by Sync

If you are looking for a cost-effective sweepstakes option that is full-service, you should consider our TurnkeySweeps by Sync platform. These turnkey sweepstakes are an affordable solution that can launch within one week of receiving approval on creative. With TurnkeySweeps, not only will you receive programming, design, legal and prize fulfillment at a very competitive rate, our price also includes Sync’s personalized customer service and management. They are a low-cost solution that offers exceptional ROI. Here is some additional information about TurnkeySweeps by Sync.

We know that budget can be a concern for everyone who is considering a promotion. With that in mind, reach out to a team member at Sync Marketing who will be happy to discuss your options and provide pricing that will work for you.

Cost-Effective Sweepstakes

 

 

 

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Different Types of Sweepstakes to Run on a Mobile Device

By: Jennifer French | In: Contests, Facebook, Instagram, Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, Text Message Sweepstakes

Mobile phones are such a big part of our daily life that it’s hard to remember a time without them. If you are anything like me, you are constantly checking email, looking at social media, searching things online and of course sending text messages. And we are not alone.  Marketers are counting on the fact that one’s smart phone is a direct extension of their user. When a company decides to include a sweepstakes as part of their marketing strategy, it is imperative that they make the site optimized for mobile devices. Results show that large numbers of people who enter a sweepstakes do so from their phone. With that in mind, below are different types of sweepstakes to run on a mobile device.

Text-to-Win

An SMS or Text-to-Win sweepstakes is one of the easiest ways to enter a sweepstakes as it doesn’t require much from the entrant. These types of campaigns tend to work well at events where people can quickly and easily text in for a chance to win. Here is a blog article that discusses the benefits of running a text message campaign.

Social Media Campaigns

Twitter and Instagram sweepstakes have become increasingly popular. For companies, they are very low in cost to run and easy to enter. A common sweepstakes has entrants snapping a photo on their phone, including the campaign hashtag, and then posting to enter. Because these types of campaigns typically produce a lot of fun user-generated content, they’re popular among brands. Running a sweepstakes on a social platform is also a great way to get your promotion viral. Here is a post on tips for running a promotion on a social media channel.

Enter by Using an App

More and more brands of all sizes are offering apps to their consumers to make their mobile experience even better. Apps are an effective tool to increase brand loyalty and reward consumers for their frequent purchases or using their app. Adding a sweepstakes component to the app is an additional way to increase consumer engagement and drive sales. McDonald’s has run several sweepstakes to promote their app, most recently the “Shake a Gift Game” in December. Consumers were invited to use their app daily for the chance to win food and prizes. Here is a link to McDonald’s app.

Lastly, one thing to keep in mind is that with any sweepstakes you must have a set of official rules for the campaign. Among other things, the rules must clearly outline how to enter the promotion. If you are considering the different types of sweepstakes to run on a mobile device, Sync Marketing can help. We can guide you on the best type of mobile-optimized promotion for your needs. Contact us today.

Different Types of Sweepstakes to Run on a Mobile Device

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