People love freebies and contests. The chance to do something small and win something big is appealing to the human psyche. So, use that to your advantage – in a good way, of course.
How can you host a contest?
There are several types of contests you can host on your website.
- A Drawing:
In this type of contest, contestants receive an entry for simply providing their name and email address. You’ll receive a lot of entries if you keep it simple.
Pros: You get email addresses and many entries.
Cons: No content added to your website. Lots of freebie seekers. - Submit a story, tip or idea:
In this type of contest, contestants must submit a story, tip or idea based upon your designated theme. This can be a great way to add content to your website, if you clearly state in the contest rules that all entries become the property of your website.
Pros: You get content.
Cons: Less entries than a drawing. - Share a picture:
In this type of contest, contestants must submit a picture to enter.
Pros: Interesting and pretty looking contest.
Cons: You may not receive many entries. If the contest is via email, you’ll be receiving attachments – which could invite viruses. - Call in an idea or story:
In this type of contest, contestants must call a phone number and leave a message (according to the contest rules) to enter.
Pros: Interesting and fun contest.
Cons: You may not receive many entries.
The next step is to spread the word about your contest. Simply go to google.com and type in “Submit your contest” and you’ll find a wealth of places that list contests.
Tips for Having a Successful Contest
- Make it easy to people to enter. They are oftentimes in a hurry and won’t come back.
- Use the contest to build your mailing list.
- Make sure to have a thank you page that your visitors go to after they enter. You can make money on an affiliate offer or another freebie on that page.
