241 ideas engage your audience

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241

IDEAS

ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE TO


Introduction

This playbook is the ultimate guide to building out your calendar of promotions and interactive content. Inspired by our annual 30in30 webinar series, we’ve packed this guide with ideas in each of the top 30 categories. From Christmas and Halloween to Fan Spirit and Travel, you’ll find all the ideas you need for quizzes, sweepstakes, ballots, and much more, so you can fill out your entire calendar. Plus, discover tips and best practices to engage your audience, grow your database, and drive more revenue. So, grab your calendar, get your pencil ready, and join us as we travel month-by-month and give you more than 240 engagement campaign ideas you can start running right now.

LIZ CRIDER Director of Affiliate Success liz@secondstreet.com @emcrider

JULIE FOLEY

Director of Affiliate Success julie@secondstreet.com @julie_foley

The Categories We’ll Explore: 1 Halloween

16 Weddings

2 Nature & Weather

17 Travel

3 Food

18 Home Improvement

4 Thanksgiving

19 Patriotic

5 Giving Back

20 Political

6 Christmas

21 Pets

7 Health & Fitness

22 School Events

8 Basketball

23 Football

9 Valentine’s Day

24 Fan Spirit

10 Auto Racing

25 High School Events

11 Automotive

26 Creative & Talent

12 Mother’s & Father’s Day

27 Music, Movies, & TV

13 Your Community

28 Beauty

14 Golf

29 Drinks

15 Local Events

30 Parenting


Halloween


Halloween

$2.5 BILLION

Drives Foot Traffic to Your Advertisers

Expected Spend on Costumes

$350 MILLION

Expected Spend on Pet Costumes Source: National Retail Federation, 2015

Advertisers to Target

Haunted Houses

Hay Rides & Corn Mazes

Costume Shops

Unique Seasonal Advertisers

Local Events

halloween

Halloween offers tons of seasonal sponsorship opportunities like haunted houses, costume shops, and candy stores. Go after these seasonal sponsors right when they pop up in your market and offer them exposure through engagement campaigns like a Cutest Trick or Treater photo contest. Parents are sure to have pictures already, so this should have a relatively low barrier to enter while driving lots of user engagement. In addition, your sponsor will be able to build an email database of potential customers.

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halloween

Pet Photo Contest

1

Halloween Costume Style Quiz

Quizzes

• Which Witch Are You? • Trick or Treat: How Much Do You Know About Halloween? • Which Halloween Costume Should You Wear?

Haunted Brewfest Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

• Happy Hallow-Win Sweeps • Win [VIP Tickets to Haunted House, Complete Costume Makeover, Family Pack to Harvest Festival, etc.]

Pet Photo Contest

Photo Contests • Cutest Trick or Treater • Happy “Howl”oween Pet Costume Contest • Best Costume Contest


Nature & Weather


Many local businesses such as HVAC companies, gutter cleaning, and snow tires have very busy times of year due to weather related incidents. With so many people interested in outdoor activities like hiking and camping, nature can be a great focus for tourism or for outdoor equipment stores. Plus, with many people snapping photos of nature and weather scenes, photo contests and galleries can be very successful and create tons of content for your site.

#1 Subject of Amateur Photographers

Complements All Your Weather Content

Advertisers to Target

Heating & Cooling Repair

Landscaping Services

Gutter Cleaning

Snow Removal Services

nature & weather

Nature & Weather

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nature & weather 2

Can You Eat That Mushroom or Plant?

Photo Contests

• Winter Weather Photos • Celebrate the Great Outdoors • Fall Colors

Guess the First Snowfall

Quizzes • What Kind of Camper Are You? • What’s Your Tornado Safety IQ? • What Season Are You?

Weather Photo Galleries

Sweepstakes

• Guess the First Snowfall • Win [Weather Radio, Luxury Camping Gear, Hiking Equipment, etc.]


Food


Food

Everyone loves food - that’s why it makes a great category of engagement campaigns. Restaurants lend themselves to a variety of promotions and interactive content. Photo contests are a great chance to target a younger demographic by encouraging them to go and post a picture of a special restaurant or food item while being entered for gift certicates to other restaurants. Campaigns featuring food are universal and appeal to a large audience, not to mention the prizes are always delicious.

Easily Customize for Specific Sponsors

Advertisers to Target

Restaurants

Grocery Stores

Banks

Bars

Specialty Food Stores

food

Capture Readers’ Attention With Dining Guides & Special Sections

Everyone LOVES Food

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food 3

How Well Do You Know Shreveport-Bossier City Cuisine?

Quizzes • How Well Do You Know (City) Cuisine? • What Ice Cream Flavor Are You? • Test Your Chocolate Knowledge

NOW Foodie Instagram Photo Contest

Photo Contests

• Show Us the Best Burger in (City) • What’s Cooking on Your Grill? • Fix My Kitchen: Makeover Photo Contest

Food Truck Bracket

Brackets

• Food Truck Bracket

Ballots

• Best Chef in (City) • (City) Pizza Showdown!


Thanksgiving


When it comes to Thanksgiving, any engagement campaign that can connect food and family has the potential to be a big success. Promotions and interactive content for this category are universal, can reach every market, and have mass appeal making them get lots of participation. Contests featuring Thanksgiving recipes or a turkey coloring contest, are great opportunities to target families. With almost 3 billion dollars spent on Thanksgiving dinner last year, a no brainer idea is a sweepstakes offering a grocery gift card. Grocers are competing for those Thanksgiving dollars and will be eager to sponsor your promotion or interactive content.

Annual Spending on Thanksgiving Dinner is

Complements Your Holiday Special Programming

$2.8 BILLION Source: statisticbrain.com

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

Grocery Stores

Banks

Lots of Co-Op Dollars Available

Retail Stores

thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

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thanksgiving 4

Thanksgiving Giveaway

Sweepstakes

• Grocery Giveaway • Win [Ultimate Thanksgiving Feast, Deserts, Turkeys, Thanksgiving Food, etc.]

“What Type of Thanksgiving Food Are You” Quiz

Quizzes • Which Pie Should You Make for Thanksgiving? • What Type of Thanksgiving Food Are You? • Test Your Turkey Trivia

Carl the Turkey Submission Contest

Contests

• Turkey Coloring Contest • Who Are You Most Thankful For? Photo Contest


Giving Back


Giving Back

Strengthen Your Connection With Your Audience

Creates Feel-Good Content

Advertisers to Target

Health Care Professionals

Banks

Schools

Businesses Want to Give Back

Restaurants

giving back

Giving Back can be a very rewarding engagement campaign category giving you a chance to spotlight individuals or groups who are making a difference in their local community. From submission contests promoting great nurses to essay contests allowing individuals to speak about an important issue like texting and driving, the service category can be a great place for your company to help promote local goodwill. Giving Back engagement campaigns are a great way to show how you or your advertisers are aligning with their community.

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giving back 5

Giving Back Awards Ballot

Ballot

• Top Doctors Ballot • Favorite Teachers Ballot • Top Non-Profit in (City)

We Love Nurses Submission Contest

Contests • Favorite Nurses Contest • Community Grant Contest • Most Inspirational Teacher Contest

Community Kickstarter Grants Submission Contest

Quizzes

• Where Should You Volunteer? • How Much Do You Know About (City) Non-Profits? • How Do Your Donations Help?


Christmas


Christmas

Holiday Spending Expected to Exceed a

Promote Special Programming & Create Engaging Content

Trillion Dollars Source: Deloitte

Advertisers to Target

Retail Stores

Local Events

Restaurants

Grocery Stores

christmas

Year after year, Christmas is one of the biggest seasons for engagement campaigns. Popular amongst your audience and advertisers, Christmas promotions and interactive content are an excellent way to get a piece of the warm holiday feeling during this most wonderful time of the year. While the ideas are endless, some of the most successful are sweepstakes for shopping sprees, jewelry, or electronics. Whatever you pick, Christmas campaigns are sure to provide lots of good cheer.

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christmas 6

Scared of Santa Photo Contest

Photo Contests

• Scared of Santa Photos • Ugly Christmas Sweater • Show Us Your Holiday Spirit

“What Christmas Movie Are You?” Quiz

Quizzes • Which Holiday Movie Are You? • How Much Do You Know About Christmas Food Around the World? • Do You Feel the Holiday Stress?

12 Days of Giveaways Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

• 12 Days of Christmas Sweepstakes • Win [Shopping Spree, Gift Card, Jewelry, Holiday Meal, High End Electronics, etc.]


Health & Fitness


January is a prime time for Health & Fitness engagement campaigns. With a huge number of people focusing on getting fit and healthy for their New Year’s resolutions, not only will this be a great way to engage your audience, but you’ll also find tons of advertisers looking to target consumers looking for better health. But, don’t just limit yourself to January. Create campaigns that tie into all the national health months like Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and Heart Health Month in February.

Engage Readers with Lifestyle & Health Sections

Promotes Events & Encourage Attendance

Advertisers to Target

Health Care Providers

Fitness Centers

Health & Fitness Stores

Grocery Stores

health & fitness

Health & Fitness

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health & fitness 7

“Test Your Fitness IQ” Quiz

Quizzes

• Test Your Breast Cancer Knowledge • Test Your Fitness IQ • How Well Do You Know Your Workouts?

New Year, New You Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes • New Year, New You Sweepstakes • Win [Gym Membership for a Year, Electronic Fitness Equipment, Personal Training Sessions, etc.]

New Year, New You Photo Contest

Photo Contests

• Show Us Your New Year, New You • Fix My Gym • Show Us Your (City) Marathon Pictures!


Basketball


Basketball

40 Million

Local, Regional, & National Opportunities

Americans Fill Out A College Basketball Bracket Source: American Gaming Association

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

Sports Bars

Retail Stores

Sell Through Regular & Post-Season

Banks

basketball

You don’t want to miss out on the excitement that is basketball in March! Advertiser spend is up, and it will align with all your sports content and programming. College basketball fans are incredibly passionate about their sport and their team and that presents a huge opportunity for you. Don’t limit yourself to a single tournament bracket, make the most of this season by combining it with quizzes, sweepstakes, and more.

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v

Akron Zips Ticket Sweepstakes

basketball 28

College Hoops Fan Personality Quiz

Quizzes

• Test Your Basketball Movie Trivia • Which College Hoops Coach Are You? • Pro Basketball Trivia

Basketball Bracket Bonanza

Sweepstakes • Ultimate Basketball Fan Tickets Giveaway • Win [College Tournament Tickets, Ultimate Fan Gear Makeover, Man Cave Makeover, etc.]

“Which Cavs Champion are You?” Quiz

Brackets

• College Basketball Tournament Bracket • High School Basketball Bracket

Photo Contests

• Show Your (Team) Pride


Valentine’s Day


With Valentine’s Day campaigns at the end of January and into February, this is a perfect time to take advantage of some more of those seasonal advertisers that you may not be working with all year long. Submission contests like Cutest Couple and Best Engagement Story will not only drive tons of pageviews and ad impressions to your site, but area also ideal as holiday content and programming.

$19.7 BILLION

Create Engaging Holiday Content

Retail Spending in 2016 Source: U.S. News & World Report

Advertisers to Target

Restaurants

Florists

Jewelry Shops

Travel

valentine’s day

Valentine’s Day

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valentine’s day 9

Cutest Couple Photo Contest

Contests

• Cutest Couple Photo Contest • Share Your Engagement Story • Dream Wedding Photo Contest

Valentine’s Jewelry Sweepstakes

“What Should I Get My Sweetheart for Valentine’s Day?” Quiz

Sweepstakes • Treat Your Sweetheart Sweepstakes • Win [Jewelry Giftcard, Floral Package, Ultimate Spa Day, etc.]

Quizzes

• Romantic Movie Trivia • What Should I Get My Sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? • Which Celebrity Couple Are You?


Auto Racing


Auto Racing

Season Runs for 10 Months!

Lots of Returning Users & Ad Impressions

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

Sports Bars

Race Tracks

Retail Stores

auto racing

February isn’t all hearts and flowers - it’s also the start of auto racing season. Auto racing is a fantastic opportunity for engagement campaigns as the season runs a full 37 weeks (talk about frequent visitors!) Plus, not only will your promotions and interactive content complement your auto racing programming, but if you’re looking for revenue, auto racing presents a huge opportunity to target incredibly lucrative advertisers.

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auto racing

Tickers Codeword Sweepstakes

10

“Test Your Racing Knowledge” Quiz

Quizzes

• Racetrack Trivia • Test Your Racing Knowledge • Racing Movie Trivia

Auto Racing Pick’em

Sweepstakes • Ultimate Race Fan Sweepstakes • Win [Trip & Tickets to Race, Total Fan Makeover, Ultimate Track Experience, etc.]

Pick’em

• Auto Racing Pick’em

Photo Contests

• Ultimate Auto Racing Fan


Automotive


Automotive

Generates Hot Leads

Supports Auto Show Events

Advertisers to Target

Aftermarket Automotive

Automotive

Car Shows

Lots of Co-Op Dollars Available

Insurance

automotive

If you’re looking to drive revenue, automotive campaigns are for you. With opportunities of digital co-op dollars, dealer groups, and aftermarket retailers, a ton of ad dollars are coming from the automotive category. When you add on survey questions, these engagement campaigns are ideal for capturing data and delivering hot leads to your advertisers. With just a few short questions, you can find discover who is in the market to purchase a car in the next couple months.

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automotive 11

“What Driver Are You?” Quiz + Sweeps

Quizzes

• Do You Know the Rules of the Road? • Car Maintenance Trivia • What Type of Car Should You Drive?

Malibu Madness Sweeps

Sweepstakes • Gas Card Giveaway • Win [Car Washes for a Year, Lease for a Year, Gas Card, Winter Car Makeover, etc.]

Ugly Truck Photo Contest

Photo Contests

• Ugly Truck Photo Contest • Show Us Your Ride • Share Photos from the Hot Rod Car Show


Mother’s & Father’s Day


Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaigns continue to be popular year after year. Both lend themselves to a huge variety of engagement campaigns. Consider sweepstakes with great prizes, quizzes about famous moms and dads, and even great photo contests highlighting wonderful family pictures. These holiday campaigns aren’t just about content. These holidays are major commercial events making it easy to find a long list of sponsors.

Fun Content to Promote

Targets a Niche Demographic

Advertisers to Target

Home Improvement

Spas

Grocery Store

Restaurants

mother’s & father’s day

Mother’s & Father’s Day

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mother’s & father’s day

12

Father’s Day Photo Contest

Contests

• Mother & Daughter Look-a-Like Photo Contest • Just-Like-Dad Photo Contests • Love My Mom Contest

Mother’s Day Jewelry Sweeps

Sweepstakes • Maid for Mom Sweepstakes: Maid Service for a Year • Win [BBQ Grill Makeover, Total Spa Day, Family Pack of Tickets, etc.]

Celebrity Moms Quiz

Quizzes

• What Should You Get Your Dad for Father’s Day? • Who’s Your TV Dad? • Famous Moms Trivia


Your Community


People are so loyal to their community. Leverage that passion to create promotions and interactive content focused on the all the best aspects of your local audience. While you can create quizzes about local history or photo contests featuring great city hot spots, a citywide metro ballot can target every single person in your community and drive some major revenue! These local community campaigns are incredibly engaging and drive tons of ad impressions and interaction on social.

Metro Ballot: Largest

People are Passionate About Their Community

Revenue Opportunity of the Year

Advertisers Want to be a Part of This

Advertisers to Target

Real Estate

Local Utilities

Schools

Restaurants & Bars

Banks

your community

Community

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your community 13

#MyMiami Instagram Photo Contest

Community Quizzes

Photo Contests

Quizzes

• Favorite Place in (City) • Best View in (City) • Why I Love (City)

Memphis Most Citywide Metro Ballot

• How Much Do You Know (City) Trivia? • Are You a (City) Native or Tourist? • How Much Do You Know about our Local (City) Musicians?

Ballots

• Citywide Metro Ballot • Best Cuisine in (City) • Best Attractions in (City)


Golf


Golf

Golf presents a very affluent audience, and engagement campaigns are a great way to tap into the golf spending with advertisers who may not normally spend with you. These promotions and interactive content aren’t all about the money - a fantasy golf pick’em is a great way to connect with your golf programming and will drive pageviews as users return week-after-week to play.

golf

Targets an Affluent Audience

Encourages Return Visitors

Advertisers to Target

Retail Stores

Golf Courses

Restaurants

Diverse Group of Advertisers

Travel Services

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Golf Getaway Sweepstakes

golf 14

Ultimate Golf Card

Pick’em

• Fantasy Golf Pick’em

Ecommerce • Golf Card

Fantasy Golf Pick’em

Sweepstakes

• Golf Getaway Giveaway • Win [Golf for a Year, Luxury Equipment, Trip to Exclusive Courses, Golf Lessons, etc.]

“Who’s Your PGA Tour Buddy?” Quiz

Quizzes

• Pro Golf Trivia • Which Pro Golfer Are You? • What’s Your Golf Game Like?


Local Events


Local Events

Collects Stories & Photos for Content

Builds Pre-Event Excitement

The Benefits are Endless!

Increase Ticket Sales

Gather Consumer Data

Generate Leads

local events

Combining events and engagement campaigns are a HUGE win. Not only can interactive content and promotions capitalize on community passion, but they will also help get the word out, generate excitement, increase ticket sales, and even grow your database for future initiatives. Don’t forget to use the stories your campaigns create as additional content for your site.

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local events 15

Citrus County Fair Photo Contest

Yoga Festival Sweeps

Photo Contests

Sweepstakes

• County Fair Photo Contest • Show Us Your (City) Renaissance Fair Photos • What’s Your Favorite Thing About the (City) Homecoming?

• Family Fun at the (City) Fair Giveaway • Win [VIP Tickets, Food Vouchers, Family Pack of Tickets, Fan Experience, etc.]

Summercamp Band Quiz

Quizzes

• How Much Do You Know About the (City) Music Festival? • Which Fair Event Are You? • Test Your (City) Renaissance Fair Trivia


Weddings


Weddings

Average of

$31,213

Spent per Wedding

Highly Engaged Audience

Source: CNN

Consider Advertisers You’re Not Working With

Advertisers to Target

Bridal Stores

Bakery

Limousine Rental

Jewelry Shops

Travel Services

weddings

The wedding and bridal audience is highly engaged and has yearly churn. This means advertisers are looking to target new customers year-afteryear. Wedding promotions and interactive content are great at collecting consumer data, growing an email database, and identifying hot leads. Plus, these campaigns turn into excellent content on your site and tie in great with the wedding special sections and events you’re already doing.

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weddings

Groom’s Cake Dive Photo Contest

16 Fairy Tale Wedding Sweepstakes

“What Kind of Bride Are You?” Quiz

Contests

• Cutest Couple Photo Contest • Best Engagement Story

Ballots

• Best of Weddings Niche Ballot

Sweepstakes

• Win Your Fairy Tale Wedding • Win [Wedding Dress, Groom’s Tuxedo, Limo Rental, Honeymoon, Cake, Floral Arrangements, DJ or Music, etc.]

Quizzes

• What Kind of Bride Are You? • What’s Your Celebrity Wedding Style? • What Does Your Engagement Ring Say About You?


Travel


Travel

Engagement campaigns are a great way to complement all your travel content and programming. Plus, travel promotions and interactive content are great for your sales team. Regional travel sales have tons of perishable inventory, and this is a great way to get money from these advertisers that may not typically spend. Make sure you customize your campaigns to drive even more value from your promotions and interactive content.

travel

Grow Your Email Database

Advertisers to Target

Hotels & Lodging

Salons & Spas

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Enhance Your Travel Content

Golf Courses

Lots of Inventory Focus on Regional Offers

Travel Services


travel

Trip to Disney World Sweepstakes

17 Island Getaway Sweepstakes

Perfect Vacation Quiz

Sweepstakes

• Great Getaway Giveaway • What Kind of Camper Are You? • Win [Dream Vacation, Travel • TestPlane Your Outdoor Knowledge Vouchers, Tickets, Attraction • What’s Tickets, etc.] Your Tornado Safety IQ?

Quizzes

• What Type of Hotel is Right for You? • What’s Your Vacation Personality? • Where is the Perfect Vacation for You?

Photo Contests

• Summertime Fun in the Sun • Best (City) Staycation Spot


Home Improvement


Engagement campaigns that can tap into the home makeover craze are perfect to tie into your content and programming. And for your sales team, there’s a lot of ad spending from this category. You can customize just about any promotion or interactive content to produce big results for your Home Improvement advertisers. Check out our Seller’s Guide to find tips for survey questions and email opt-ins perfect for deckers, roofers, or home repair sponsors.

Tap Into the Home Decor & DIY Craze

Supports Home Shows

Advertisers to Target

Real Estate

Building Supplies

Retail Stores

Generates Quality Leads

Home Repair

home improvement

Home Improvement

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home improvement

$25,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes

18

“What Color Should You Paint Your Front Door?” Quiz

Worst Room Makeover Photo Contest

Photo Contests

• Fix My Messy Closet Photo Contest • Couch Potatoes - Couch Makeover Photo Contest • Favorite Room in the House Photo Contest

Sweepstakes

• Deck Out My Deck Sweepstakes • Win [Total Room Makeover, Home Store Shopping Spree, Appliances, Landscaping & New Deck, etc.]

Quizzes

• Deck Maintenance Trivia • Test Your Home Energy IQ • Should I Repair or Replace My Roof?


Patriotic


Patriotic

Increase Event Attendance

Enhance Your Current Coverage

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

Banks

Schools

Advertisers Like to be Aligned with This

Local Events

patriotic

While an obvious time to run Patriotic engagement campaigns is Fourth of July, you’ve got tons of opportunities all year long with Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and many more. These promotions and interactive content are great for tying into the local event coverage you’re already producing like fireworks shows, parades, and concerts. Plus, advertisers love the chance to show their patriotic spirit and support of the troops by aligning themselves with your initiatives.

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Salute to Veterans

patriotic 19

Canada Day Spirit Photo Contest

Contests

• Salute to Veterans Contest • Support Our Troops Photo Contest • American Pride Photo Contest

Ticket Sweepstakes

Memorial Day Trivia

Sweepstakes

Quizzes

• Freedom Festival Ticket Giveaway • Win [Tickets to Local Event, Vacation to National Landmarks, Trip to Historic Places, etc.]

• Fourth of July Trivia • How Well Do You KNow the U.S. Constitution? • Name That State Capital


Political


Political

1.2 BILLION

Predicted Digital Spending on the 2016 Election

20

Source: USA Today

Tell Stories in a New Way

political

While political engagement campaigns are good every year, they’re especially fitting in a Presidential Election year. You’re already producing tons of content around your local and national elections. Creating a quiz about the topic is a unique way to educate your audience and engage them in a new way of telling the same story. Political promotions and interactive content are ideal for making your election coverage stand out amongst a sea of others.

Engage & Educate Your Audience


political 20

Krish Kobach Quiz

Quizzes

• How Well Do You Know (Local Politician)? • Which Candidate is Most Like You? • How Much Do You Know About Presidential Elections?

Democratic Debate Ballot

Ballots

• Who Should We Elect to the (City) City Council? • Top Politicians in (City)

“How Much Do You Know About Charlotte Politics?” Quiz

Surveys

• How Do You Plan to Vote on Proposition A? • How Did the City Council Do This Year?


Pets


Pets

People love their pets. This is a passion that spans all-year round and is always a big draw for audiences. Photo contests like cutest pet costume or Santa paws engage a wide audience and drive massive pageviews. Plus, these contests create great content for your company. For your salespeople, this is a category that has some great opportunities for local and national chains alike. If you’re not running a pet campaign, you need to be - this is a highly engaged audience you need to tap into.

pets

People Spent

Aligns With National Pet Adoption Months

$60.2 BILLION On Pets in 2015

Source: American Pet Products Association

Advertisers to Target

Retail Stores

Pet Stores & Services

Veterinarians

Target Advertisers of All Sizes

Banks

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pets 21

Cutest Pet Photo Contest

Contests

• Dog Days of Summer Photo Contest • Pet Costume Photo Contest • Pet Tricks Video Contest

Pet Food for a Year Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

• Happy Howl-idays Sweepstakes • Win [Pet Food for a Year, Grooming for a Year, Electronic Pet Video Monitor, etc.]

Pet Care Trivia

Quizzes

• Meow! What Kind of Kitten is Right for You? • What’s Your Spirit Animal? • What Breed of Dog are You?


School Events


From back-to-school to graduation, school events are popular content for your audience. Photo contests are ideal as parents take tons of photos of their kids, and they can be repurposed as content on your site. Plus, there are tons of advertisers who love to align themselves with the schools in their community, so these engagement campaigns can be also be excellent for your sales team.

Engage the Parents in Your Audience

People Take TONS of Photos of Their Kids

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

College & Universities

Retail Stores

Target a Diverse Group of Advertisers

Banks

school events

School Events

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school events 22

“Are You Smarter than a Triad High Schooler?” Quiz

Quizzes

• Are You Smarter Than a Middle Schooler? • Back-to-School Movie Trivia • Can We Guess Your Back-to-School Style?

Back to School Photo Contest

Contests

• Back-to-School Photo Contest • Share Your Prom Photos • Congrats Grads Photo Gallery

Prom Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

• Picture Perfect Prom Sweepstakes • Win [Ultimate Prom Package, DJ for Your Prom, Total Prom Makeover, etc.]


Football


Football

70%

Engages Fans Of All Levels of Fandom

Last Year, of Americans Who Own a TV Tuned into an NFL Game Source: USA Today

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

Sports Bars

Restaurants

Banks

football

Football has a huge following and is one of our top revenue-driving categories. Engagement campaigns around football are able to reach every level of the fandom. Football pick’ems can be created to run the entire 21-week season, driving return visits each week, while quizzes and sweepstakes can be run anywhere in between. And when it comes to advertisers, there’s lots of spending as they love the chance to get in front of this huge audience.

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College Football Pick’em

football 23

Vikings Season Ticket Sweepstakes

Quizzes

• Which Famous Pro Quarterback Are You? • Who Said It: Manning or Ali? • Match Up Trivia: Green Bay vs. Minnesota

AFC Matchup Trivia Quiz

Pick’Em

• Pro Football Pick’em • College Bowl Game Pick’em • Big Game Challenge

Carolina Panthers Quiz

Sweepstakes

• Ultimate Football Frenzy Giveaway • Win [Tickets to the Big Game, Trip to College Bowl Games, Ultimate Football Fan Makeover, etc.]


Fan Spirit


Fan Spirit

Tap Into the Passion in Your Community

Align With Existing Content

Advertisers to Target

Local Events

Bars

Mobile Carriers

Advertisers are Fans Too!

Sports Retail

fan spirit

People love to prove their passion for their favorite teams, movies, and more. Promotions and interactive content that can tap into these specific fandoms result in a highly dedicated and engaged audience. Not only can this tie into unique programming or content on your site, but specific advertisers will love the chance to target their niche audience.

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fan spirit

Star Wars Fan Photo Contest

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True Blue Fan Sweepstakes

Most Spirited Baseball Fan

Sweepstakes

Photo Contests

• Most Fan-tastic Fan Sweepstakes • Win [Trip to Live Taping of Show, Tickets to Big Games, Ultimate Tailgate Prize Pack, Complete Home Theater Makeover, etc.]

• How Spirited Are You? • Are You a True Fan? • Show Us Your Fan Pride

Fan Spirit Photo Contest

Quizzes

• Ultimate (Name) Trivia Quiz • Are You a True Diehard (Name) Fan? • The Hardest (Name) Quiz You’ll Ever Take


High School Sports


People are passionate about their favorite high school sports teams. These promotions and interactive content are great at engaging a wide audience from students and faculty to parents, family, and friends of the athletes. Plus, advertisers love the chance to align themselves with this category and get in front of the audience that will participate in these campaigns. You’re likely already producing tons of content about the high school sports in your area - this will be a great way to engage your audience even more.

Generates

Promote Live Coverage & Sports Content

MILLIONS of Votes

Advertisers to Target

Automotive

Sporting Goods Stores

Restaurants

Advertisers Want to Support Local Schools

Sports Bars

high school sports

High School Sports

25


high school sports

High School MVP Pick’em

25

Best Dance Team Video Contest

Player of the Week Photo Contest

Quizzes

• High School Football Rivalry Trivia • How Well Do You Know the (School Name) Basketball Team? • Which High School Mascot Are You?

Contests

• Friday Night Lights Photo Contest • High School Athlete of the Week Contest • High School Dance Team Showdown Video Contest

Pick’Em

• (City) MVP Pick’em • High School Football Pick’em • High School Cheer Squad Pick’em


Creative & Talent


This one-of-a-kind category encourages users to interact with your brand in a creative way. Whether you’re having a Battle of the Bands video contest or a photo contest highlighting original creations, these promotions and interactive content can truly inspire your audience. Plus, these create outstanding content and programming for your site and can engage an incredibly passionate and niche audience.

Enhance Your Event Sponsorships

Target a Niche Audience

Possible Partners

Local Events

Bars & Alcohol Distributors

Concert Venues

Many Businesses to Partner With

Mobile Carriers

creative & talent

Creative & Talent

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creative & talent 26

BRA-vo! Decorate a Bra for Breast Cancer Photo Contest

Quizzes

• Should You Start a Band? • Are You the Next Picasso? • What Holiday Craft Should You Make?

Tachevah Battle of the Bands Ballot

Contests

• Battle of the Bands Video Contest • Best Local Artist Photo Contest • Show Us Your Little Artist

Bead Creations Photo Contest

Ballots

• Top Arts & Entertainment in (City) • Battle of the Bands • Most Talented High Schooler


Music, Movies, & TV


The entertainment industry produces a wealth of ideas for engagement campaigns. Tie this into the reviews your editorial team creates, your marketing of an upcoming concert series, and all those excellent fall tv show premiers. Plus, if you’re looking for revenue, you’ll find many advertisers like concert venues and movie theaters looking to promote their events.

Build Excitement Around Your Entertainment Coverage

Promote Content & Programming

Advertisers to Target

Concert Venues

Bars

Mobile Carriers

Seasonal Advertisers with BIG Budgets

Theaters

music, movies, & tv

Music, Movies, & TV

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“Do You Even Metallica, Bro?” Quiz

Quizzes

• What Band Should You Join? • Are You a True (Show Name) Fan? • Which Famous Actor Would Be Your Best Friend?

Dinner & Movie Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

• Summer Concert Sweepstakes • Win [Movie Tickets for a Year, Ultimate Fan Experience, Tickets to Concert or Shows, etc.]

Brackets

• Top Bands Bracket • Greatest (Actor’s Name) Movie of All Time • Ultimate (Show Name) Episode Showdown

music, movies, & tv

Summer Concert Tickets Codeword Sweepstakes

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Beauty


Beauty

This category complements all your lifestyle content. From best beards to hottest bartenders, you can create promotions and interactive content to engage everyone in your audience. Plus, these engagement campaigns are great for a lot of niche advertisers in your market looking to target and collect data on potential customers.

beauty

Complements Your Lifestyle Content

Entice Niche Advertisers

Advertisers to Target

Hair Salons

Beauty Retailers

Nail Salons

Fitness Centers

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beauty 8

Hottest Bartender Ballot

Ballots

• Best Tattoo Artists in (City) • Who’s Got the Best Beard in (City)? • Best Makeup Design

Best Beard Photo Contest

Photo Contests

• No-Shave-November Beard Photo Contest • Fix My Bad Tattoo Photo Contest

“What’s Your Beauty Obsession?” Quiz

Quizzes

• Do You Need a Spa Day? • How Much Do You Know About Make-Up? • Are You a Fashionista?


Drinks


Drinks

Great for Driving Foot Traffic

Targest Younger Demographic

Advertisers to Target

Alcohol Distributors

Mobile Carriers

Restaurants

Take advantage of co-op dollars

Sports Bars

drinks

This category is another great one for tying into all your lifestyle content. People are passionate about their favorite drinks and love a chance to share their favorite bars, breweries, and evening hangouts. And these engagement campaigns are turning into big money-makers for your sales team. With the ability to collect data from survey questions and drive foot traffic with coupons, advertisers are anxious to leverage the power of promotions and interactive content.

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drinks 29

#OdinMugShot Instagram Photo Contest

“What Kind of Artist Are You After a Glass of Wine?” Quiz

Quizzes

Old Milwaukee Fishing Trip Sweepstakes

• What Kind of Craft Beer Are You? • Test Your Wine Knowledge • Who Said It: Beer Edition

Contests

• What’s Your Drink-of-Choice? • Best Cocktail Recipe • Fix My Bar: Home Bar Makeover Photo Contest

“Bar Wars” Beer Bracket

Brackets

• Best Local Craft Beers • Drink Up: Best Bars, Breweries, & Hangouts in (City)


Parenting


Parenting

People LOVE to Share Photos of Their Kids

Parents Spend TONS of Money on Their Kids

Advertisers to Target

Pediatricians

Schools

Day Care Centers

Advertisers Want to Engage This Audience

Banks

parenting

Year-after-year parenting proves to be one of the most popular categories for engagement campaigns. There are tons of lucrative advertisers looking to be a part of these campaigns and get in front of their target customers. This is also an amazing opportunity to create additional content to tie into all the parenting programming you’re already producing. Parenting is hugely popular with your audience, it drives tons of ad impressions and pageviews, and can align with all the kids and family events you’re already running. It’s a win for everyone.

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parenting

Beach Baby Photo Contest

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Cover Kids Photo Contest “What’s Your Parenting Style?” Quiz

Quizzes

• What’s Your Parenting Style? • Are You Ready for a Newborn? • What’s Your Child Safety IQ?

Photo Contests • Santa Baby • Cutest Kid • Kids are Messy!

Ballots

• Top Family-Friendly Spots in (City) • Best Day Cares in (City)

Sweepstakes

• Win [New Parent Survival Kit, Toy Store Shopping Spree, etc.]


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

for more information on how you can succeed with promotions & interactive content, visit:

lab.secondstreet.com


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