17 days ago, I had 184 subscribers thanks to a little effort I like to call social begging (read more about what that entails here).
A little over 2 weeks later, and I now have 306 subscribers.
What’s happened between now and then?
Let’s get into the nitty gritty because I know you have no time to waste.
Running a social giveaway
As a quick recap from my last report, on Month 1, Day 17, I launched a 2-week contest to my new subscribers, giving away a $250 gift card to AirBnB.
By using the KingSumo software for WordPress, I’m able to get this contest in front of far more people than the 184 subscribers I had at that time.
Why?
Well, contestants are encouraged to share the giveaway link because they increase their odds of winning by doing so.
Brilliant, right?
How to implement a successful giveaway
Success Factor #1: Choose a compelling prize.
Your price MUST be compelling for your specific niche. And, it must be specific enough that it doesn’t attract entrants who don’t match your ideal audience.
Let me say that again because it’s really important.
The point of running a giveaway isn’t about attracting a ton of people who aren’t interested in what you have to say.
Rather, you want to get noticed by people who are in alignment with your ideal customer profile.
So how do you get noticed by them?
By offering a prize that they want.
Likewise, it is so very important that you did the Market + Message work I go over in TMP Report Day 0.
Otherwise, you risk building a poor-quality list through your giveaway.
(If you do this, there is no point to running that giveaway any ways.)
Therefore heed my advice and pick a compelling prize.
For example, my message is “Travel guides + recommendations for adventurers who don’t want to be tourists.”
And thus I needed to pick a prize that attracted (1) people who like to travel and (2) people who like more authentic travel experiences.
So what prize did I choose?
A gift card to AirBnB…a place to find lodging that allows you to experience a destination more like a local.
What a great fit, right? Do you see how the prize closely matches my market + message?
When you run a giveaway, I want you to find an equally compelling prize.
Success Factor #2: Engage your contestants throughout the giveaway.
If you want to get maximum results from your giveaway, you need to engage your contestants throughout the duration of the contest using email.
Not just when they enter.
Now just when the giveaway ends.
I recommend:
- Sending an email upon entering the contest
- Sending an email a few days later reminding the contestant how to increase their odds of winning
- Sending a few reminder emails throughout the contest
- Sending an email one day before the end of the contest
- Sending an email when the contest ends thanking the individual for entering
Are you thinking: “Lauren, that’s a heck of a lot of emails! I don’t want to bother anyone or bombard them.”
You aren’t the first person who’s said this to me. ☺
Here’s the thing:
- You don’t want the contestant to forget about you.
- You don’t want the contestant to unsubscribe as soon as the contest is over.
- You want the contestant to share your contest link, over and over again.
If you only send your contestant one email, they won’t do any of these things.
So recognize your fear, get over it and follow my recommendations above.
Your giveaway results will be that much better for it.
A sample engagement email
Success Factor #3: Promote your giveaway multiple times, on multiple channels.
If you only promote your giveaway once, you won’t get much traction.
Case in point? Every single time I posted / emails / promoted this giveaway, I received a flurry of new entries.
I won’t make this longer than it has to be.
Post, post, post.
Email, email, email.
Promote, promote, promote.
You’re giving away something awesome for free. No one will know about it if you don’t share it with the world.
Want my exact recommendations on the email campaigns + automations you need to maximize your giveaway results? Click here to get access now.
Success Factor #4: Nurture your entrants after the giveaway.
Giveaways tend to attract spammy email addresses.
That’s just the nature of running a contest.
Accept it and know that part of your job is to weed these people out.
A few ways to do it:
(1) Get contestants to confirm their entry (like a double opt-in.)
(2) Nurture these subscribers AFTER the contest ends, so they get to know / like / trust you. And anyone who doesn’t will jump off your list right away.
For example, 4 days ago when the giveaway ended and I announced the winner, 8 people unsubscribed.
A little painful? Yes, of course.
Worth it? Heck ya!
No pain, no gain, right?
I don’t want anyone on my list who doesn’t absolutely want to be there.
Moreover, the giveaway still added 252 quality, awesome new people to my list.
Thinking about your next giveaway…
As you read this report, plan out your next giveaway.
Have questions or comments about how to do so? Please share in the discussion section below.
Want my exact recommendations on the email campaigns + automations you need to maximize your giveaway results? Click here to get access now.
PS: Have you noticed I hit my “better” goal for the first 90 days of the TMP project? Woowoo! Shooting for the stars now and aiming for that “best” goal. (Read more about my goals here.)