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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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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How to Get Customers Excited to Shop Online

By: Sync Marketing | In: Marketing

While there has been a significant shift in consumer shopping habits due to COVID-19 as discussed in the Quantcast Blog, some consumers need more of a push to shop online. Today, I will discuss how to get customers excited to shop online by running a sweepstakes or contest.

Prizing

One of the most cost-effective ways to get customers excited to shop online is to incentivize them with a chance of winning a prize. What better way to do this than running a sweepstakes where your customers can win a gift card to your company or store? Many big box retailers have started  running sweepstakes to entice their customers to come online for a chance to win. While there, the hope is that they will see something they like and that it will translate into a sale.

In order to make the entry process “worth it,” it’s important that your prizing is up to snuff. We would recommend giving away several small gift cards (possibly one or more a day) with an overarching larger grand prize. This makes customers feel as though they have a better chance to win. Also, by giving away gift cards, you are encouraging them to shop online, and in most cases, they will buy more than what the gift card is worth. 

Surprise and Delight

Want to encourage more online sales? Offer a surprise and delight coupon to every person who enters the sweepstakes. Make the discount worth it at 20% or more.

Social Media Contests

Another way to get customers excited to shop online is to run a social media contest. Engaging with your customers is more important than ever.  Perhaps you can ask your customers to upload their favorite “lounge look” to Instagram for a chance to win. Julie Link Co-Founder of Sync Marketing wrote, 

“It’s not business as usual. Businesses are struggling to find ways to connect with their consumers while we are forced to “social distance” by staying home. So how do brands interact with consumers? How do they connect? A great way is engaging consumers with sweepstakes and contests.” 

Another way to encourage engagement is by including a call to action after entry. One way to share the sweepstakes and encourage engagement is to offer entrants extra chances to win by sharing on social media.

As we all try to navigate these times it’s important to continue to assess your goals and think of cost-effective ways to engage with your customers in a positive way. Sweepstakes have always been a great way to do that. If you want to brainstorm ideas on how a sweepstakes might benefit your brand, reach out to Sync today.

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Why Should I Run a Sweepstakes?

By: Julie Link | In: Marketing

Why should I run a sweepstakes? Running a sweepstakes (or contest) has a plethora of benefits ranging from increasing brand awareness to engaging new and current consumers. Let’s break down the main benefits to see if this marketing tactic is right for you and your brand or service.

Customer Acquisition: Are you looking to grow your email database? Sweepstakes are one of the simplest ways to do so. The sweepstakes should either have an auto opt-in or ask entrants if they want to opt-in. If you’re collecting entries in California, you will need to be aware of CCPA. You can learn more about that here. At the end of the campaign, Sync Marketing will securely send you the email opt-ins to use for future marketing outreach.

It’s Cost Effective: Sweepstakes are extremely affordable compared to other marketing strategies. Using a platform like TurnkeySweeps by Sync allows you to run a full-service sweepstakes at an affordable price. While brands can put money into ad campaigns on social media, a great way to get free advertising is to ask entrants to share the sweepstakes for extra entries. While sweepstakes are cost-effective and provide great ROI, this article gets into the specifics of the best solutions for running cost-effective sweepstakes.

It Boosts SEO: If you are giving away a big prize and your sweepstakes garners a lot of views, it can significantly increase your SEO. Go a step further and tie your sweepstakes to a hashtag for another significant boost. The Content Factory agrees that sweepstakes are good for SEO:

“When a popular website links to your company, your site’s search engine ranking is improved. Ditto for tweets and Facebook updates about the contest that link back to your website. When more people are finding your website when the search online, more people are buying your products.” – Content Factory

It Creates Positive Interactions with Consumers: This is probably the most important. Especially during these times, it’s important to have positive interaction with your consumers. By giving away either cash, an experience, or a gift card, your consumers will appreciate your generosity and will continue to engage with your brand. Contests are also a great way to have a positive interaction with your consumers. By creating a skill-based promotion to win a prize, they will feel connected and invested in your brand.

If you have any additional questions about if you should run a sweepstakes, contact Sync Marketing at info@syncmarketing.net. We will answer any questions, provide pricing, and examples. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Retaining Customers with Sweepstakes

By: Julie Link | In: Marketing

Retaining customers with sweepstakes is an extremely cost-effective marketing strategy you should seriously consider.

One of the most important benefits of running an online sweepstakes is retaining your current customers. Based on today’s current climate, now is a more important time than ever to retain your current customers. According to Business.com,

“Retaining customers is important for the long-term success of your business, because it is far more expensive and difficult to acquire a new customer than it is to retain a current one. For example, SignalMindreports that the probability of a sale from a new customer is only 5% to 20%, whereas the probability of converting an existing customer is between 60% and 70%. Additionally, repeat customers spend an average of 33% more than new customers.”

Sweepstakes are a cost-effective way to retain customers. How you ask? Try opting to run a sweepstakes that are marketing only to your email subscribers. This will make them feel special and connected to your brand because you are providing them this opportunity to win. This an easy way to spark the relationship and keep your clientele engaged in your company or brand.

First, you need to figure out what type of prizing to award. There has not been a better time to offer gift cards for your products or services. You already know that your customers enjoy purchasing your products based on their behavior, but they just might not feel they can afford to  do so right now. This will incentivize your customers to enter so they can continue to use your product or service. In addition, another great incentive is to offer everyone who enters a surprise and delight discount coupon.

Business2Community agrees that sweepstakes and contests are an effective strategy if done right.

“Engagement, traffic, and now sales are low, which means you might be ending the month far worse than you started it. It’s time to come up with something quick and effective to recover your numbers: why not run a giveaway or contest? When giveaways are done right, they can bring massive results and even help your brand to go viral. One way to ensure your own giveaway does just that is to make it a foolproof lead machine.”

If you are thinking of running a contest or sweepstakes even if you have a small budget and/or short turnaround, Sync Marketing is here to help. Our TurnkeySweeps by Sync solution is fast, affordable, and effective. In addition, our TurnkeySweeps 2.0 has upgraded security features to keep all of your consumers’ data secure. Contact us today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sync Marketing 2019 Decade in Review

By: Sync Marketing | In: Marketing

What a decade it has been. Sync Marketing opened in January or 2011 with the goal to offer clients a specialized service with acute attention to detail. It makes me proud to look back and see that we are still providing this service and haven’t strayed from who we are.

Our Clients

2019 was another great year for Sync Marketing. As we close on this decade we can look back and see enormous growth for Sync both personally and professionally. From the creation of our Turnkey sweeps platform, to receiving new accolades, 2019 was a year for the books!

We enhanced PII security for TurnkeySweeps by Sync by creating a new sweepstakes platform

TurnkeySweeps by Sync got a complete overhaul. The platform is now even more efficient, but most importantly, secure. While Sync never collects social security numbers or credit card information online, we have upgraded our system to meet and /or exceed the latest standards to protect PII.

2020 Top Shop!

Sync Marketing is honored to be listed among the greatest in the business as one of the Top 200 Marketing Agencies for 2020 by Chief Marketer. This is our sixth year receiving this award. In addition, this year we were names Top 10 B2C marketing agency.

Continued our NWBOC certification

Once again Sync Marketing renewed our certification as a business owned and controlled by a woman by the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC), the first national certifier of Women Business Enterprises. The goal of the certification program is to streamline the certification process and increase the ability of women business owners to compete for contracts at a national level.

We are so excited to see what this new decade has to bring!

Sync Marketing 2019 Decade in Review

 

 

 

 

 

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Running a Sweepstakes to Boost CRM and Loyalty

By: Julie Link | In: Instagram, User Generated Content

One of the major goals of running any sweepstakes is to collect information about consumers. What you do with this information as a brand or company can have varying results. CRM (Consumer Relationship Management) and loyalty take on different roles with respect to brand-customer relationships. In this article, we will speak to the benefits of running a sweepstakes to boost CRM and loyalty.

Before we get into the benefits of running a sweepstakes, it’s important to know what the difference is between CRM and loyalty. Ultimately, it comes down to the expectations set between the brand and the consumer with respect to the relationship. When a brand invites a consumer to join their loyalty program, they are asking them to do more, so customers expect more in return for their efforts.With a loyalty program, a brand is looking for customers to be a  fan of the brand and is products; is willing to provide the brand with personal information, and in return wants more exclusive interactions. Conversely, when a company invites a customer to sign up for CRM, they are simply asking for an email address and the customer is promised nothing more in return than receiving non-exclusive promotional emails. Here is a great article that outlines these differences in more detail.

The tween retailer, Justice, recently ran a sweepstakes to offer their Club Justice loyalty members a chance to win a VIP trip to LA to attend their annual Club Justice Awards. This promotion was offered not only to reward their consumers’ loyalty to their program but to drive new consumers to join the loyalty program. One of the stipulations of the sweepstakes was that entrants must be enrolled in the program at time of entry. Part of Justice’s loyalty program is they offer of great perks including the opportunity to win this exclusive prize. This is a good example of a brand running a sweepstakes to boost CRM and reward consumer loyalty.

In order to help your company maximize its CRM and loyalty efforts, it is important to have a clear understanding on these two distinct disciplines. Sync will layout a plan to utilize sweepstakes to boost CRM and loyalty, maximizing the best digital consumer experience and ROI. Contact us for your next CRM or loyalty promotion. http://www.syncmarketing.net/

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Why You Should Consider a Double Opt-In When Running A Sweepstakes

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Contests, Marketing

The collection of personally identifying information (PII) is currently a contentious issue. Companies have been proactively taking steps to ensure that their customers’ information is secure. With recent changes in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the newly-passed privacy law in California, it is now a legal requirement to secure consumers data for anyone who collects information in the EU. This will also go into affect in California in 2020. The goal of most sweepstakes is to collect email opt-ins. This is why it is important to make sure you are following the guidelines. Below we discuss why you should consider a double opt-in when running a sweepstakes.

What is a double opt-in? When entering a sweepstakes, consumers have the option to receive emails from the sponsor. With a double opt-in, after choosing to opt-in during the entry process, the entrant will receive an email with a link that they must follow in order to confirm that they are indeed interested in receiving future email communications from the sponsor.

While some brands may not like the idea of a double opt-in, there are some benefits:

Compliance

Most importantly, the double opt-in process will ensure you are following the data privacy regulations set forth by the EU with the GDPR and the new law in California. Keep in mind even with the double opt-in process, you must make it easy for your subscriber to opt-out at any time.

Increases the value of your email list       

Compliance is important, but not the only benefit. When consumer takes the extra step to confirm their email address, it strengthens your email list because you know this person is legitimately interested in receiving your emails. It also leads to less email bounce backs and opt-outs.

Leads to Increased click throughs           

Building on the value of the email list, when a person chooses to follow through with the double opt-in, it leads to increased opens and click throughs for your emails. Why? Because they are indicating that they are truly interested in your company and products/services.  Click throughs lead to sales, period.

As mentioned, compliance is the most important reason why you should consider a double opt-in when running a sweepstakes. Laws often change so it’s important to know what is legally required. That is why it’s a good idea to consult the experts. Consider reaching out to Sync for your next sweepstakes and we will guide you on all things relating to the collection of PII.

Why You Should Consider a Double Opt-In When Running A Sweepstakes

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Brand Loyalty Sweepstakes

By: Sync Marketing | In: Advertising, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Prize Fulfillment

Sweepstakes and brand loyalty marketing go hand in hand. It’s an easy and cost-effective way to reward your customers all while strengthening the relationship you have with them. Today we will discuss the best types of brand loyalty sweepstakes to run and why.

Start slowly

We always suggest to our clients to run at least a few straight forward enter-to-win sweepstakes before running a loyalty sweepstakes. First and foremost, it will allow you to collect new opt-ins to add to your email list. Also, you will see how sweepstakes resonate with your consumers before you launch a loyalty-based campaign.

It’s all in the email

A brand loyalty sweepstakes starts and ends with email communication. Consumers are interested in your brand and have already signed up to receive emails from you. Now, reward them with the chance to win a great prize. Be sure to put the sweepstakes CTA within the email you send out to your consumers.

Reward, reward, reward

When it comes to a brand loyalty sweepstakes, we think having all entrants win something is a great way to optimize the relationship you have with your customer. To achieve this, you can run an instant win sweepstakes. Here the customer either wins a prize or a discount coupon with a percentage or dollar amount off of your product. If you are a subscription-based service, another way to reward your consumer is to automatically enter them into a sweepstakes for signing up. Here is an example of a recent sweepstakes. Stitch Fix entered all entrants who scheduled a Fix for delivery in the month of June for a chance to win. However, keep in mind, if you require a purchase like this sweepstakes did, you must offer a free alternate means of entry.

Have fun and gather more info

Polls are fun for everyone! People love to give their opinion! And you love to get information on your product, right? Why not ask your loyal customers a question about which new fall look they like best for a chance to win? They are rewarded with a chance to win, and you gather insightful information about your product line for the fall.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to brand loyalty sweepstakes. Whether you’re reaching out to a newly acquired customer or one of your more loyal fans, reach out to Sync to help you strengthen your relationship with you customer by offering unique and engaging ideas.

Brand Loyalty Sweepstakes

 

 

 

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How to run an effective sweepstakes

By: Sync Marketing | In: Advertising, Best Practices, Contests, Facebook, Instagram, Instant Win, Marketing, Prize Fulfillment, Turnkey Sweepstakes, User Generated Content

There are many ways to run a sweepstakes, but which one is right for you? From straight forward enter-to-win’s, to UGC collection sweepstakes, to photo contests, the possibilities are endless. Today we will discuss the questions you need to ask first on how to run an effective sweepstakes that will produce the best return on your investment.

What is your goal?

Let’s start with the basics. What is the goal? Do you want to capture user-generated content? Do you want to increase your loyalty program? Or do you simply want to increase your email database? Once this question is answered, you can get started on the ideation step for setting up your sweepstakes or contest.

What is your theme?

Is this campaign a one-off to drive a new product? Do you want to offer sweepstakes quarterly to attract loyalty from your consumers? Do you want to center the sweepstakes around a holiday? Themes will help give your sweepstakes or contest a focus and will feel more organic for your brand or service.

How are people going to hear about it?

Promotion is key. Do you have a large social media following? This is a cost-effective way to promote a sweepstakes, but it’s always important to put some advertising dollars behind any promotion. Depending on how much money you want to put towards the promotion of your sweepstakes will also affect how long you should run your sweepstakes. If you have a small budget, try to pack a punch and run it for only a few weeks to get the best bang for your buck.

What do you do with the information once the promotion is over?

An integral part of making your sweepstakes or contest have a lasting impression with your consumers, is what you do once the sweepstakes is over. At Sync, we always encourage our clients to share the winner information on their social media pages after the sweepstakes is over to reinforce their messaging. One idea is to send out an email to all of those who opt-ed in to the sweepstakes to not only announce the winner, but to thank them with a surprise and delight offer.

If you make sure to ask yourself these questions before putting together your sweepstakes, it will help ensure that you run an effective sweepstakes. If you need help with ideation don’t hesitate to reach out to us. 

Effective Sweepstakes

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