Facebook Contests Can Boost Social Interaction

The world of social media is a funny place. And we live in that funny place. If you’re a small business-owner, you know better than most how important it is to get all eyes online on you. Facebook contests are yet another creative online technique you can deploy to accomplish the mission of marketing without really trying.

Holding a contest might sound kind of silly at first. I mean, what are we talking about here… costumes? Not to fear. Online contests have actually become quite a popular means to attract attention and create an entertaining buzz that people enjoy. If you are interested in increasing your Facebook fan base, a contest can no doubt help. But choosing the right type of contest is central to the success of this type of marketing attempt. Here are some ideas for contests that have worked for others and might just be the right pick for you.

Everyone Loves a Game of Chance

Not only do people love sitting on the edge of their seat waiting to find out if they won a prize, you love collecting new email addresses and fans. Ask people to enter and announce that you’ll choose a random winner on a specified date. This is a somewhat simple contest that doesn’t require much time and effort on your part and just might get you the most participants at the same time.

The bad part about “sweepstakes” type contests is that there’s no real event which makes them not quite as entertaining. If your goal is to make a big (and lasting) impression, holding a sweepstakes probably isn’t the best choice.

Winning in an Instant is Irresistible

Getting anything in an instant is satisfying. Contests that announce “instant winners” are a fast attraction because they’re just that…fast. There’s no waiting around to see if you won. Simply enter and you know your results in a flash.

This type of contest is effective at drawing in new fans and also engaging the ones you’ve already got. Even though people like witnessing the latest winners, they’re not highly likely to share this type of contest with friends. The fact that this type of not usually very “viral”, it’s not the ultimate choice for increasing awareness of your business or products.

Say It With Pictures

It’s clear just by looking at Facebook that it is mostly a bunch of photos. Seeing is believing. If you’re selling some type of product or offering a service that’s able to be photographed (such as teeth whitening before and afters or cross training results after a one-month program, asking people to share their view is entertaining, creative and makes a longer-lasting impression for sure.

The hard part about photo contests is that they do require the use of an app (which you should make sure has fraud protection and moderation built-in) and it’ll require much more of your time and attention. Also, although people like to feel like they’re winning is not just by chance but because of their unique entry, entering a contest like this takes time. You may not get nearly as many entries and you definitely won’t get as many worthwhile emails to stash in your collection of contacts.

Open the Polls

If you’re looking to make your fans feel like they’re in control, fan vote type contests are the way to go! Engage everyone and gather opinions from those who should matter most to you…your customers. Suggest something you’re going to add to your menu, a new product you’re thinking of selling or whatever it is you’re thinking of adding into the mix. Ask for feedback and opinions from fans. You might be surprised on how much they get you thinking and bring up things you may not have even considered. Fans have a lot of good ideas in their minds and drawing those ideas out is a smart way to hold a contest!

Since this type of contest usually doesn’t have one real winner, you may not get as many responses but you will likely get useful information out of it. The good part is that fans who participate

Pop Quiz Your Peeps

A quiz is a good way to engage current fans and bring in new ones because it is challenging, fun, and usually becomes quite viral. Since fans and friends of fans and friends of those friends are drawn to something stimulating, you’ll see that people really get into their responses…and each other’s responses as well. If you offer prizes, quiz contests are even more exciting.

Please do be warned, however. Quizzes take up time. A lot of your time (or the time of whoever is running the contest for you). The setup of something like this isn’t exactly easy and entering also requires time which many people may not be willing or able to give you.
Persuasive Personalities

Since we’re all curious about each other and how we all live similarly, differently and otherwise, reading a personality test that your friend took is extremely educational (and somewhat makes you feel like you’re reading a gossip magazine). If you get people to participate in this type of contest, be ready for it to spread like a wildfire.

While personality profiling is fun, it’s also time consuming. Someone who works for you (or worse yet, you) will have to write these questions and answers. Since you’ll need people to invest time in you, you need to put time into this contest to make it good. The more creative and unique you make it, the better.

Give it Some Thought

There’s no doubt that contests work. Whether you’re looking to perk up the ears of the fans you have, or get new ones entirely, consider using a contest to change it up. Put thought into it before you just hurry and post something to get started quickly. Thinking things out ahead of time and considering what types of responses you might get is key.