How to Run a Successful Online Gontest

Before the Internet, conducting a contest meant paying for print ads and hoping people would take the time to fill out an entry form-then actually mail it.

In contrast, online contests are easier to participate in, easier to run, and a good way to learn about your customers. But they do require a certain amount of preparation:

Determine your target audience and appropriate channels. Acknowledge the assets and limitations you have to work with. Take time to understand your audience and what you expect from them. Think about the appropriate channel for engagement: brand website or blog, Facebook. Twitter. etc.

Encourage creativity. Usergenerated content such as photos and short videos help participants engage with your products. They also take advantage of the natural urge to compete, giving participants their turn in the spotlight.

Make it easy to enter and stay involved. Ensure that the entry process is easy to navigate and the entry requirements are clearly explained. A contest that requires participants to upload photos and videos on one platform, share through another, and vote on a third will generate confusion and frustration.

Facilitate communication. A contest is an opportunity to engage in an active dialogue with your current and prospective customers. fans. and followers. Share contest updates, respond to questions, and encourage participants to share their entries and rally for votes. Make sure appropriate social media buttons are prominently displayed.

Collect information. If you ask the right questions, you'll learn a lot about your contestants through the entry process. You'll also learn a lot from the interaction and conversation that takes place around the contest-if you take the time to listen.

Wom Building Products also uses Facebook to conduct its contests, which are offered twice yearly. This spring's competition introduced the company's new focus on Americanmade products. The winner-selected at random from nearly I ,600 entriesreceived two free airlines tickets to anywhere in the U.S.

"We had an overwhelming response to the contest, which drew far more entries than either of our two previous sweepstakes," says Wolr's chief marketing officer Jim Groff. "It just reaffirms the fact that contractors and homeowners prefer high-quality products that are made here at home."

Although Groff acknowledges that Facebook does have contest rules, he says they are easy to follow. The contest application required by Facebook wasn't a problem either: it was developed by the company's outside web resource.

As for the focus of this year's fall contest, Wolp is soliciting suggestions from its Facebook fans. "We wanted to start a conversation. a positive dialogue about building products," he says. "We did all that with the contests."