In part one of this blog series we discussed why you should host a contest for your B2B company including setting your goals and parameters to make it successful. This post will show you how to take what you’ve learned and put it into action. Let’s look at how to launch your contest, keep it legal and finally, how to wrap up a good contest.
1. Logistics
Launching your contest the right way is all about communication. Make sure everyone within the company is aware of the contest because getting buy-in from different teams will help ensure its success. They can talk up the contest to the partners and customers they interact with and will be more enthusiastic about the results.
You also need to make sure you have appropriate support lined up. People entering the contest will more than likely have questions. There needs to be someone within the company that can help with responses, support questions, and the technical aspects of your contest.
Another thing to consider for the contest is utilizing a tool to make the administration of your contest easier. Some of the more popular tools include Rafflecopter, OneKontest, and Wildfire. Some of these applications have a fee, but they can help you work within the different social media networks terms and conditions.
2. Keeping it Legal
Speaking of terms and conditions, you need to ensure your contest is legal. That means following the rules of any network you are using for promotion and setting your contest up properly for your jurisdiction. That usually means hosting a game of skill instead of a game of chance. A game of chance will often require a special lottery or a raffle permit from your state authority.
A game of skill is one where participants are judged on an entry based on merit or opinion. The results do not have to be fair and equal as long as the terms state who can win, how they can win, and what the judging criteria is.
You also need to think about International considerations and be aware that different countries have their own laws about contests. It’s in your best interest to follow these laws.
As for prizes, you should be aware that winners will need to pay taxes on their winnings and you may need to supply tax documentation about the prize, or reward.
3. Wrapping Up Your Contest
Following the steps above will lead to a great contest, but wrapping it up correctly will ensure it’s success. First, you need to announce the winner. This will show those who entered that there really was a winner. And if you can get a photo of the winner, all the better. Share this information on your social media platforms, blog, and website.
Continue to get the benefits of the contest for your business by following up with the leads, followers, and fans that you generated. Offer something to these new contacts in order to keep them engaged. This could be an interesting piece of free content, an incentive/discount for signing up or for purchasing a product. If your contest was directed at your ideal customers you may find a great return of reaching out to this new fan base.
Photo Credit:www.daughters-day.com
The post 3 Steps to Launching a B2B Contest Successfully – Part 2 appeared first on Channel Maven Consulting.
