Contests
10 Ways to Promote Your Sweepstakes or Giveaway
Here are 10 ways to promote your sweepstakes, giveaway or contest. It’s up to you, and your budget, to find the best way to reach your current and future customers. When you use any of these methods, please remember to use the correct disclaimer language and include a way to access the full rules, either in print or online. 1. Posting to your social channels FREE Posting about your sweepstakes on your company or brand’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and even LinkedIn and Pinterest, is a no-brainer way to reach your current customers. Try to be creative with your post and be sure to … Continue reading
Sweepstakes Email Opt-in Best Practices
The primary purpose of many sweepstakes is to build a brand’s mailing list; having a valid email opt-in on the sweepstakes registration page is imperative to the success of the promotion. If you fail to use best practices when setting up your opt-in, then your ability to email users for the purposes you had in mind may be at risk. Here are 3 things to keep in mind when crafting an email opt-in for your next sweepstakes or contest. 1. Provide full disclosure. Providing clear disclosure of everything you will be using a consumer’s email address, or phone number, … Continue reading
20 Things Small Business Customers Want Out of a Rewards or Loyalty Program
If you are creating a loyalty program for your best customers, here are 20 things that customers frequently ask for to get them to come back for more: A welcome kit – customized to your business The option to get updates via text, email — or push notifications on an app if you have an app Rewards bucks/points to spend on items in your store Exclusive discounts Exclusive offers Free product Upgrades in service or products for being a member Exclusive event invites Chances to win big ticket items thru sweepstakes and giveaways The opportunity to enter exclusive contests … Continue reading
Paying for Votes Doesn’t Pay Off
If you are lucky enough to be a finalist in a contest you might think about going to extraordinary lengths to win — like paying for votes. But what really works and what is a bad idea? Before you get yourself into trouble and get disqualified, you should consult the official rules of the contest. The rules outline all the ways you could get disqualified for cheating, and some things that you think are harmless could end up hurting your chances. Here is a partial list of some things that you should never do, or at least do thorough … Continue reading
3 New Year’s Resolutions for a Better Promotional Marketing Plan
As the year winds down, it’s that time again when people start thinking about setting resolutions to make the coming year better than the last one. And while it’s usually personal resolutions that make the headlines, like joining a gym or eating less takeout, it’s also a good time to make some resolutions for your business. This year, why not think about incorporating some simple actions to take your brand awareness and engagement up a notch by making some resolutions for a better promotional marketing plan? Some of you may be asking what exactly that means – and what … Continue reading
Top 5 Marketing Posts 2018
Here they are! They yearly top 5 marketing posts on the Marden-Kane blog from 2018. If you haven’t read them all, what are you waiting for? 2018 #1: Contest Laws by State Before you run a promotion in the United States, you might want to check sweepstakes or contest laws by state. Some states have more vigorous laws regulating sweepstakes and contests and you can’t claim you didn’t know what you didn’t know after the fact – there may be big fines for non-compliance. Continue reading → 2018 #2: A Message to Our Clients About GDPR Compliance On … Continue reading
Trick or Treat with These Halloween Contest Ideas
Fall is almost here and we have heard rumblings about Halloween decorations and pumpkin spice already being in stores! Don’t get left behind; it’s time to start your Halloween contest planning. Here are a few Halloween contest and prize ideas to help celebrate the new season: Pumpkin Carving Contest: Fall is the time to head to the farm for pumpkin picking, hay rides and fresh apple cider donuts – yum! You can challenge your customers to take their freshly picked pumpkins and carve them into something unique and fun. Then ask them to upload a photo of their creation to Instagram or … Continue reading
Contest Laws by State
Before you run a promotion in the United States, you might want to check sweepstakes or contest laws by state. Some states have more vigorous laws regulating sweepstakes and contests and you can’t claim you didn’t know what you didn’t know after the fact – there may be big fines for non-compliance. Here is a sampling of states that have strict laws regarding promotions: Florida: In Florida you must register and bond any sweepstakes where a cumulative total of prizes is over $5,000 and the winners are determined by chance in a random drawing. This must be done at … Continue reading
Teen Trends for Back to School Promotion Planning 2018
Can you hear it? It’s the school bell ringing. Time for your back to school promotion planning! So what trends should you know about as you plan for this back to school season? Here is where it’s at for kids, tweens and teens this year: Snapchat. Snapchat is still a top social app of choice for today’s teens, even though popularity seems to be waning a bit. Why do they keep using it? Maybe it’s because no one wants to break a snap streak, a fire or number emoji next to a friend’s username that shows how many consecutive days you have been … Continue reading
10 Questions to Ask Before Partnering with a Promotion Agency
A contest, sweepstakes, instant win game or other promotion concept may be a great way for your client to increase sales and build their branding efforts, but if you have never done a promotion before don’t try to do it alone. You will need an experienced, knowledgeable promotion marketing agency to partner with you to make sure you run a legal, compliant, successful promotion. But what should you look for when partnering with a promotion agency? Here are ten questions you should be asking before you select a promotion agency to partner with for your next contest or sweepstakes: How well … Continue reading
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Recent Articles
- 10 Ways to Promote Your Sweepstakes or Giveaway
- Sweepstakes Email Opt-in Best Practices
- 20 Things Small Business Customers Want Out of a Rewards or Loyalty Program
- Paying for Votes Doesn’t Pay Off
- A Day in the Life of a Promotional Marketer (or in this case, “Promotional Barketer”)
