Using contests and sweepstakes in your marketing strategy is an effective way to engage your community and promote your brand, but executing them properly is key. With so many types of promotion options available, it can be hard to know where to begin. At Moms Meet, we’ve found that, for many brands, hashtag sweepstakes are a great choice given their wide reach and social media engagement. Here’s some things to help you get started with a hashtag sweepstakes.
Why Choose a Hashtag Sweepstakes?
While the perfect type of campaign depends on specific goals, there are many different benefits to sweepstakes utilizing hashtags, rather than a one-time entry form. Consider an entry form just like a letter, for example. If one person writes a letter and mails it to one person, the message doesn’t get very far. If that one person mails that letter to 5,000 people, the message will continuously spread. Remember, hidden submissions won’t generate conversation, while individual hashtag entries drive a continuous message. Viral messaging may not drive more entries, the message is what’s really important. That’s why hashtag sweepstakes are a great option for many brands.
When choosing the type of sweepstakes you plan to run, keep in mind that the goal isn’t just one time entries. Many companies are actually looking for brand or product awareness, customer acquisition and retention, to spread education, gain social media followers, and increase sales and brand presence. These objectives, executed through a hashtag sweepstakes, will do much more for a brand in the long run than a single entry sweepstakes.
How to Create an Effective Hashtag
Creating a sweepstakes hashtag isn’t as easy as simply putting a “#” in front of a word. Research, creativity, and strategy must all be utilized to gain substantial traction and bring the most buzz and entries to your sweepstakes as possible. For instance, hashtags that are too long or can easily be misspelled, should be avoided. Weaving a hashtag into a month, season, celebration, or news event can make it more appealing and intriguing for your audience. For instance, the hashtag sweepstakes #BeatWinterBlues would gain more interest than a more vague, general hashtag of #TipsForYou. Being specific, without being too niche, is crucial to success.
How to Create Engagement Through Your Entry Method
When it comes to entries, it’s suggested practice to encourage creative answers, videos, testimonials, or photos to drive engagement. Moms Meet recently partnered with Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, a producer of natural, certified organic, and gluten-free milled grain products to promote their new line of on-the-go Oatmeal Cups. To convey the message of their convenience and appropriateness for busy-families, the #TakeBobAnywhere sweepstakes was launched, in addition to their Influencer product sampling program, encouraging moms from all over the country to share photos of the places they were able to take “Bob”.
Hundreds of moms submitted photos on all channels of social media with the packaging, selfies, and personal testimonial and stories highlighted. From parks, to vacations and camping trips, and everything in between, Bob’s Oatmeal Cups proved to be portable, delicious, and perfect for their target market, gathering almost 30 million impressions in its three-month promotional period.
How Moms Meet Can Help
In addition to the creative and strategic steps behind a sweepstakes, are the legal regulations. Navigating periodically-updated FTC guidelines and rules of disclosure for promotions, can be tricky. Moms Meet has the knowledge, experience, and history of launching and conducting sweepstakes in-line with all regulations.
From concept, design, implementation, tracking, and follow-up, Moms Meet can take the headache out of a successful hashtag sweepstakes. We have a well-established online community of millennial, health-minded moms, bloggers, and influencers that are change-agents in their communities.
