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  • 5 Ways to Grow Your Email List With Facebook Contests

    by Zsuzsa Kecsmar / January 27, 2015

    social media how toDo you want more email subscribers?

    Have you run contests on Facebook?

    Facebook contests and sweepstakes are an excellent method for capturing email leads.

    In this post I’ll share five ways to grow your email list with Facebook contests.

    grow your email list with facebook
    Discover 5 ways to grow your email list with Facebook.

    #1: Offer Multiple Prizes

    When you offer several prizes, people are more likely to enter since there's a greater likelihood of winning.

    Cloud Freebies, a UK-based site where people can sign up for samples, vouchers, deals and contests, held a drawing where fans could win one of three hampers full of chocolate. The prize was low-value, but entry was easy. Just enter name, email and address, accept the terms and click to enter.

    There are several things this contest does well.

    The decision to give away three chocolate hampers was excellent. Research shows that multiple inexpensive prizes perform better than a single, high-value grand prize, since people think that they have a better chance to win a lower-value prize.

    The contest was well-branded and clear. Even though the colors seem a bit wild, they represent the company's website. Plus the photo of the yummy prizes was certainly appealing.

    cloudfreebies contest front
    Fans could win one of three packs of sweets in this contest from Cloud Freebies. Low-value prizes perform well.

    Plus, fans were given an incentive to share. Invite friends to increase chances of winning. The more they shared, the better the chance to win. (And the positive result for the company: more email addresses for their list.)

    Take it up a notch: Increase the reach of your sweepstakes by further incentivizing your subscribers to share. Draw the winners only from the subscribers who shared the contest the most.

    #2: Cater to Your Niche

    If you have a niche business, embrace it. Come up with a contest your fans can't resist.

    An online marketplace for dog breeders and potential owners, Dogs and Puppies ran a photo contest where fans could upload a picture of their dog dressed in a Halloween costume to enter. Fans vote for the best pics.

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    The three photos with the most votes win a prize. Plus, two voters would win prizes too!

    dogsandpuppies contest front
    A photo competition where users upload something related to your niche makes a great contest. Dogs and Puppies fans entered by uploading a photo of their spooky dog.

    This contest works for many reasons.

    It's a niche topic. Dressing up a dog at Halloween is fun for any fan of a dog-centric site. It's also timely for Halloween and seasonal contests work well.

    The prizes are appropriate and meaningful. Prizes determine a contests' participants and what dog-lover wouldn't want to win a prize for his or her pet?

    It values voters. There's a barrier to entry for the initial part of the contest (uploading a photo), but also a chance to win for those who take a minute to vote. Voters are also potential customers. And this contest captures their email too!

    dogsandpuppies contest entry
    To vote, dog lovers need to opt in. There's a value in voting because two prizes were offered to voters as well.

    Take it up a notch: The contest promotional material should be visually appealing. This app has too much text. At the very least, insert photos of the prizes to break up the content. Also, be sure the period for uploading and voting on pictures does not overlap.

    #3: Support Your Community

    Local businesses can seize the opportunity to offer an event in their town as a contest prize.

    The Premier Bone and Joint Centers, orthopedic practices in Wyoming, did a “Game Day” sweepstakes: a package of four tickets to a University of Wyoming football game, dinner and hotel accommodations. An ideal prize and a fun day out for a family.

    premiere bone joint contest front
    Support your college team or another local organization by offering an event as a prize.

    There are lots of strengths to this contest.

    It has a fantastic grand prize that supports a team in the community. A lot of fans will want to take the opportunity to enter to win. It strengthens the connection among the company, the sponsored team and the customer, and inspires brand loyalty.

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    Plus, the design of the app is clean and in harmony with the colors of the company's website. The sponsoring company is a medical practice and the contest just screams “professionalism”—as it should.

    Take it up a notch: This contest has a prize package of tickets, dinner and hotel. Since multiple prizes perform better, split up the package and let more fans win.

    #4: Offer an Exclusive Opportunity

    Just as many small prizes will drum up interest, so will having a phenomenal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with several winners.

    Jamie Cullum is a singer known all over the world. His team organized a secret concert. Fans were invited to enter a sweepstakes where winners were drawn randomly for a chance to win one of 30 pairs of tickets.

    jamiecullum contest front
    Go all out and arrange a contest with an exclusive opportunity as the prize.

    Known brands and entertainers can certainly raise the stakes when it comes to contests. This sweepstakes has a lot going for it.

    First of all, the contest design is well-branded. It screams “VIP.”

    Plus, you can't do much better than the prize of a VIP concert for avid fans at a secret location with tickets not available for purchase. This tempting prize attracts the singer's biggest fans (and those close to the venue in Germany) to enter via email.

    Since there are multiple prizes, a lot of people will enter because winning seems more likely.

    The contest entrants earn extra points if their friends subscribe from the shared link. That kind of incentive means the campaign spreads faster.

    jamiecullum contest entry
    When entrants can increase their chances of winning by sharing, the contest will get more visibility.

    Take it up a notch: Invite people to enter to win attendance at an exclusive event that's not limited by location. An invite-only online concert may have a similar interest with many more people entering because it's accessible to all.

    #5: Make It an Ongoing Event

    Regular interaction increases engagement. Construct a contest that gives your fans multiple chances to enter.

    The Rock n Roll Resort, a dance club and concert venue, ran a contest where the prize was a 3-day pass for two people to a music festival.

    rockandrollresort contest front
    When you offer more chances to win, you keep fans coming back for more.

    This is a great contest for locals.

    The contest app design is reminiscent of concert posters, so it's branded and grabs attention.

    A 3-day pass to a music festival is a very attractive prize for music lovers. The fact that people can enter the sweepstakes every day to increase their chances is a boost to engagement.

    The contest also uses a point system for more opportunities to enter. The phrasing “You can earn 100 points after 10 invited friends enter” catches more attention than if it read, “Earn 10 points after an invited friend enters.”

    rockandrollresort contest entry
    In addition to multiple opportunities to enter, fans get extra points for sharing on various networks, as well as when their friends enter.

    Take it up a notch: If you have a club or other event venue, give away a few pairs of tickets, not just one. Remember, the more the merrier. A giveaway of three pairs of tickets (one for each day) would cost the same, but might attract more subscribers.

    Conclusion

    A Facebook contest is really just a fun landing page with higher conversion rates. It's a wonderful marketing tool, especially to increase email subscribers.

    It's easy to put together a Facebook contest app, especially since there are smart self-service tools to use, such as Antavo, ShortStack, Wishpond and others.

    Find a fitting theme, offer appropriate (and multiple, if possible) prizes and create an appealing design that fits with your brand. You'll gain new fans and increase loyalty of those who already like your company.

    What do you think? Have you created contests and sweepstakes to grow your email list? Which contest app do you use? What recommendations do you have for those launching a contest? Please tell us in the comments.

    grow your email list with facebook contests
    Tips for growing your email list with Facebook contests.

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    Tags: Facebook

    About the authorZsuzsa Kecsmar

    Zsuzsa Kecsmar is co-founder of Antavo Loyalty Software, a marketing tool for online stores to run gamified reward programs that build up customer retention, average basket value and sales.
    Other posts by Zsuzsa Kecsmar »

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