The success of your text to win sweepstakes relies on how many people you reach and how many of them enter. To boost those numbers, you want maximum exposure for your campaign and that can be done with the help of social media.
Here are a few tips on using social media to promote your text to win sweepstakes:
Facebook is a Must
Facebook is the first place you should turn to when deciding how to promote your sweepstakes. With 197 million users in the U.S., Facebook is a microcosm of the general population and is a great resource to build excitement around your text to win.
We recommend organic posts about the sweep on your Facebook page at least once a week. You can also promote it to people outside of your fan base (and hopefully gain new fans), with a Facebook ad campaign. Facebook ads are a cost-effective ad buy online and can bring a lot of attention to your text to win.
Don’t forget, if you’re using a web entry form in tandem with the text entry, you can send fans to the online form directly. They can then enter their mobile numbers and confirm by text or you can just tell them to text your SWEEPKEY (the word they will text to enter) to 65047 for a chance to win.
Also read: Tips for Success on your first text to win sweepstakes
Twitter Tactics
Twitter has a lot more noise. It’s estimated that the average lifespan of a tweet is 18 minutes. To reach your audience effectively on this platform, use hashtags that are relevant to your campaign. Try creating your own hashtag for the sweeps too.
Twitter cards can bring the tweet a little extra attention (as an organic post or a paid one). You may also want to consider reaching out to influencers on Twitter to have them tweet about your text to win sweepstakes as well.
You can use a call-to-action like “Text SPORTS to 65047 for a chance to win tickets to…” or link directly to our web entry form and have users enter first online, then confirm by text.
Pinterest is Best for Certain Sweepstakes
The key to success on Pinterest is strong visuals with a vertical orientation. It’s best to reconfigure your creatives especially for Pinterest. Keep in mind also that Pinterest’s audience is best suited to text to win sweepstakes involving food, beauty, health, fashion and travel.
Again, use a text call-to-action in your graphics or send followers to our web entry form where they can enter their mobile numbers.
Also read: Promoting a Concert or Musical Festival ? Promotional Ideas for Mobile
Instagram Hashtags
While visuals are just as important on Instagram as on Pinterest, good hashtags are also key to success when promoting your text to win sweepstakes here. Pick hashtags that are short, relevant, memorable, and not too general or overused for best results. Influencer campaigns are also prevalent and can increase your visibility on Instagram.
Since Instagram posts can’t carry live links, we recommend using a strong call-to-action with instructions on how to enter by text in the post.
Promotional Best Practices for Text to Win
You may know best practices for social media marketing, but there are a few differences when promoting a text to win. Make sure you include the following for best results:
1. Use a strong CTA in your graphics
Visual content is important for any social media campaign. But within your graphics you should also include the call-to-action (e.g. “Text WIN to 65047 for a chance to win…”) to get the best results for your text sweepstakes.
2. Include required disclosures
Wherever the call to action is made, you must also add a disclosure to let entrants know “Message & data rates may apply.” This is required of all text to win sweepstakes to make entrants aware that entering could result in extra fees.
Also read about the rules of text message marketing.
3. Link to your web entry form
If you plan to use the web entry form as part of your text to win campaign, you can also link to the form from your social media posts. The form is a way to collect more information (email, etc.), but can also act as the first stop of an entry. Once a person enters their mobile number in the form, they get a text message asking to confirm their opt-in. This method helps drive entries from your social properties, keeps it mobile and follows the rules.
Need help setting up and promoting a text to win sweepstakes? We’re here to help. See our features to get started or contact us.