Contests are great for building your mailing list and creating user-generated content (UGC). A good contest has a hook, a call to action, and clear and succinct messaging that is consistently pumped out across multiple platforms and touchpoints. You should also track all activity related to the contest to measure the effectiveness of different messaging, contest types, and promotional channels. Tourismo can help you take care of that!
Contest Types
Tourismo enables many different types of contests, each suited to different purposes:
Survey Contest: A user completes a custom form.
E-mail subscriber Contest: subscribe to our newsletter!
Quiz Contest: A user completes a custom questionnaire with enough correct answers.
Social Media Post Contest: A user posts an image on social media, typically with a hashtag and an @ reference to your brand.
Photo Submission Contest: A user submits an image (or images) via a form, sometimes with additional information, such as a description or a story.
Check-in Contest (App Only): A user checks in to one or more locations one or more times.
Reward Types
Any of these contest types can be executed as a single-step or multi-step contest, and the rewards can come in the form of:
A random chance to win a prize, or prizes
Direct reward (everyone who submits, get's it)
Pick the best (ie. a photo competition for best sunset photo)
Points (App-only)
Badge (App only)
Coupon Code (WooCommerce)
Any other type of prize, delivered manually via communication, usually email.
The Process & Required Materials
Design Your Contest
Identify Partners and Prizing: Ideally, seek discounts or freebies from local suppliers. Once you've picked your partners, invite them to claim their listing in Tourismo.
Define a Timeframe & Rules: Set a start and end date for the contest, and a set of rules for the contest. Once you've picked your timeline, create a challenge in Tourismo, and populate your Terms & Conditions.
Gather Creative Assets & Write Your Copy:
Catchy Title: Ensure it is a call to action.
Byline: Provide more detail.
Hero Image: Depending on your brand, people often respond well to seeing other happy people enjoying an experience. Consider showcasing the prize in the context of someone enjoying it. Use the Tic-Tac-Toe principle for your image and leave large margins to account for cropping. A square image is best.
Promote Your Contest
Create a Social Media Calendar: Include dates, language, and images to promote the contest. Make sure to check Meta's terms and conditions and rules to ensure what you are promoting is compliant.
Plan Ad Campaigns: Work with your marketing partner to plan Meta and Google Ad campaigns.
Launch Your Contest:
Feature the contest prominently on your homepage, in your app, and/or in other relevant areas, including region or listings pages, if relevant.
Promote the contest on social media regularly, using different types of images and story angles; talk about the place, the experience, or the people.
Utilize email marketing to notify your existing subscribers about the contest.
Collaborate with influencers or local personalities to spread the word.
Deploy posters, digital signage, and other types of advertising to promote your contest, using a QR code to track conversions.
Monitor Your Contest
Track Submissions: Check for any problems with submissions, cheaters trying to game the system, or any errors or confusion in the instructions.
Analyze Traffic: Observe where your traffic is coming from and adjust your campaigns and messaging accordingly.
Engage Participants: Respond to comments and questions on social media to keep the engagement high.
Close the Contest
Create Urgency: Near the end, ramp up your messaging to create urgency.
Announce the Winner: Contact the winner directly and announce the winner promptly across all channels.
Review Analytics: Analyze the results, celebrate wins, and invite feedback from your contest partners on ways to improve for next time.
Follow Up: Send a thank you email to all participants and offer them a special discount or incentive for future engagement.
By following these steps and utilizing the tools available in Tourismo, you can create an effective and engaging contest that not only boosts your mailing list but also generates valuable UGC and increases brand awareness. Happy contesting!