How can I make my online competition a success?

Online competitions and contests are a popular and successful marketing tool in Switzerland. They are not only used to generate leads and build up newsletters, but also to increase awareness and attract more visitors to a website. What makes an online competition successful? There are a few essential points to consider here.

1. planning: What goals are being pursued?

Before you start the actual competition, you need to set clear objectives. You should consider what benefits you want to gain from a competition and how this will be measured. Some examples of goals are lead generation, newsletter registrations, increased sales or increased traffic to the website.

2nd prize: What will be raffled off?

An attractive prize is the be-all and end-all of an online competition. This should always be tailored to the company and the target group. Exclusivity is also helpful to stand out from the crowd. However, you should also be aware of this: The more specific the prize, the greater the risk that fewer people will be interested.

Trips or cash are always very well received. But beware: such prizes are particularly suitable if the company is targeting a wide audience. That's why the prize should first and foremost match the company.

3. budget: How much is invested?

The question of costs is an important issue for many companies. First of all, you have to be clear about how much budget is worthwhile in order to achieve the formulated goals.

Then you have to be aware that most of the budget should go into the actual promotion of the competition. That way you get the best possible result. Otherwise you will have a great competition and prize, but not reach enough participants. That's why it's important to plan a sufficient advertising budget.

4th type: How is the competition structured?

There are different types of competitions. The most common are pure entry forms on the website, but social media prize draws (e.g. on Facebook) or photo competitions are also popular.

In general, the simpler the competition, the higher the conversion. Social media and photo competitions often involve more effort for the participants and are comparatively expensive for the organizer. However, such competitions can make sense in order to strengthen the branding effect. This is especially true if the company already has a strong social media presence. If the main objective is to generate leads and build up email addresses, simpler competitions are recommended.

A successful online competition is all about brevity: Brevity is the spice of life. Short and meaningful sentences are the motto. The competition should also be simple and easy to understand. The whole thing should be presented with an appealing image that matches the prize.

5 Legal & Co.: What else needs to be considered?

Legal requirements must be complied with. Clear conditions of participation and information on data protection are mandatory and are linked directly to the competition. These specify who may participate and how the prize is drawn. This includes entry deadlines and the exclusion of legal recourse. When it comes to data protection, it is particularly important to mention the type, purpose and scope of the use of personal data by the competition organizer. For example, the participant must agree to the use of their data, e.g. for sending a newsletter.

Last but not least, an imprint is also required. The legal notice contains company information and contact details of the company organizing the competition. Compliance with the legal requirements not only protects the organizer, but also promotes the transparency of the competition and the trust of the participants.

Promoting competitions is a core business of B2C Link. The Zurich-based marketing agency operates competition platforms in German & French with tens of thousands of newsletter subscribers as well as theme-oriented websites.