The digital leap has created a unique environment for planning concerts and other events, and many organizers are searching for fresh ticket giveaway ideas. Hundreds of thousands of people look forward to these group social activities, but lingering worries about the health aspects of these events have dampened the industry. A ticket giveaway is an opportunity to usher in a new phase in your customers’ lives and link that milestone with your product and brand image.

Contest Entry and Ticket Giveaway Ideas

Below, we discuss planning your event in the ‘new normal’ world. Creating ticket giveaways should usher in memorable experiences for those connected to your brand, and the first step is to decide on the structure and goals you want to achieve.

Is the Event a Good Idea?

How will people be entering your promotion? Before brainstorming ticket giveaway ideas, be sure that the event is consistent with your brand. Is it likely to provide a positive experience for the winner who will bring considerable publicity for your business? Ask yourself about your event and vision:

  • Is it the right fit for the target audience? 
  • Does the event provide further opportunities for promotion afterward? 
  • How will your brand look after the event is over?

If families and teenagers are a large part of your customer base, prize tickets to a comedian’s show or an adult-focused theatrical production may not be appropriate. If you are not running the event yourself, you need to be able to trust the promoters. You also need to know that your hard work will not be susceptible to ambush marketing by event competitors.

The Goals of Giveaway Contests

The second consideration is the goal. Are you trying to build brand awareness? Are you promoting a new product? 

The Right Engagement

If your giveaway is a reaction to a crisis or an underperforming marketing campaign, how will it influence these issues? A campaign that increases engagement needs to have contestants provide user-generated content. It could be something as simple as a personal photo or a quote—if it is personal, your audience will connect to it more easily. 

The Right Prize

The contest structure can initiate prize ideas and reinforce the value of those rewards. For example, if the prize is a chance to meet a celebrity, the contest could be to caption a photo of that icon. A ticket giveaway could be part of a cross-marketing campaign if your product is sponsoring a local event.

The Right Pitch

There are many types of contests, and you can tailor a contest so that it resonates with your target consumer. The campaign should put them in the mindset to appreciate and spread your brand’s message. Promotional ideas might do well around: 

  • A photo contest supporting self-expression
  • Photo caption contests promoting creativity
  • Trivia contests rewarding knowledge and achievement
  • Brand loyalty contests that directly involve a product

You could also explore social media giveaways that involve liking, tagging, and sharing content that creates and promotes a sense of belonging within your customer base.

Fresh Ticket Giveaways in Four Easy Steps

A well-executed giveaway campaign makes great returns on your investment. The company’s reputation after the event should reflect reliability and relevance in its niche. Follow these four tips for ticket giveaway ideas that hit their mark:

1. The Foundation

A well-executed plan will help an effective giveaway leave the ground smoothly. If you know the goals you want to achieve through the event, the next questions should be around legal requirements and customer needs.

How Will Government Rules Affect Promotion Ideas?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) might have rules regarding your giveaway or contest. There may also be reporting obligations for federal and local tax agencies, bonding and registration requirements or other federal, state or local laws that need to be addressed. Any ticket giveaway ideas should adhere to the letter of the law in your state, but attention to announcement wording and advertising copy is just as important for connecting with your customers.

How Does the Giveaway Meet Customer Needs?

Any misunderstandings or miscommunication leaves customers feeling misled and perpetuates negative word-of-mouth. For example, excluding friends and family of your organization from prize eligibility avoids the awkward situation where one of your friends or employees wins the grand prize.

2. The Megaphone

Before announcing the contest or giveaway, set up a mailing list and encourage your customers to join when they go to your website to enter. You could incentivize this promotion by offering an additional chance to win for participants who share the announcement and tag a friend on your social media platforms.

Email

If you maintain a mailing list, inform your customers of the giveaway or contest before you go mainstream. Explain the benefits and include a clear call to action. They should know how and where to sign up and feel excited to participate. Don’t forget your legal disclaimers (they’re required by law!).

If you do not have a mailing list, the promotion might also be a convenient way to establish one. 

Social Media

Don’t rely on standard advertising media to promote and capitalize on your giveaway. Send Facebook ads and targeted tweets to your followers. Encourage your dedicated customers to share and retweet your announcements to friends and family. 

While the giveaway is going on, announce winners on social media with daily or weekly drawings. Encourage the winners to share their stories on a blog post, especially if they will be using your product as part of the contest. Make sure that your promotional material stands out with relevant hashtags and a dedicated hashtag for the giveaway (and, like we said, don’t forget those legal disclaimers).

3. The Promotion

The start of the promotion should generate a buzz, but that excitement is only useful if you are prepared to harness it. Email and social media promotions should include relevant calls to action that lead to landing pages on your website. Effective data from your campaigns will generate leads, and that’s the point.

4. The Management

Giveaway participants should reach your website, see where to sign up for your newsletter, and join loyalty programs. Exclusive promotional pricing offers for all entrants (not only winners) allows everyone to feel like winners with your brand. A smoothly run contest or giveaway requires planning, experience, and time, and the result is greater visibility for your brand.

Do you need an experienced sweepstakes and contest management team to assist you with brand awareness, the buzz for a new product, or repositioning your campaign? National Sweepstakes Company will work with you to create the perfect sweepstakes, contest or giveaway that adheres to all regulations in your state. Schedule an online consultation or call us at 888-744-3217 today.

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