{"id":4630,"date":"2014-06-04T16:03:41","date_gmt":"2014-06-04T16:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.promosimple.com\/?p=4630"},"modified":"2019-02-01T04:38:12","modified_gmt":"2019-02-01T04:38:12","slug":"giveaways-101-defining-requirements-bonus-entries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/giveaways-101-defining-requirements-bonus-entries","title":{"rendered":"Giveaways 101: Defining Requirements &#038; Bonus Entries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Now that you\u2019ve settled on your <a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/giveaways-101-setting-goals\/\"><span class=\"s2\">goals for your giveaway<\/span><\/a>, you\u2019re ready to move on to the following stages of your giveaway campaign. What you need to pay attention to first is clearly defining your <a href=\"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/contest-rules-template\"><span class=\"s3\">contest rules<\/span><\/a>, and then determining whether there are ancillary goals that can help you to get the very most out of your promotion. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Playing the game by the rules<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The importance of keeping the entire campaign legal cannot be emphasized enough. It\u2019s essential to get familiar with all the federal and state rules and regulations for conducting giveaways. This crucial step prevents both companies and the participants to breach the laws which can lead to serious financial penalties and repercussions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Everything needs to be clear and straightforward, and everyone should be able to easily find the rules of your giveaway on your website or social media post. Also, it\u2019s highly recommended to add as many references to those rules as possible because it increases their transparency. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Depending on the type of giveaway (sweepstakes, raffle, or contest) you might need to include different points, for instance: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Who can enter<\/b> (e.g. sweepstakes usually allow only U.S. citizens to participate)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The way the winner will be chosen<\/b> (contest judging criteria)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>How technical issues will be handled<\/b> if they occur, etc. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Lastly and most importantly, what the administrator or sponsor of the giveaway intends to do with the gathered information must be disclosed in the rules. This is especially important if the information is to be used for marketing or research purposes, as all entrants have to be able to clearly understand what they are agreeing to. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Getting the most out of your giveaway<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In addition to the requirements that all entrants must complete, you can also add <a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/mandatory-versus-bonus-entries\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>bonus entries<\/b><\/span><\/a>, which are optional for entrants. In return for completing these entries, the entrant is awarded a set number of additional chances to win the giveaway. For instance, when an entrant completes a bonus section (e.g. shares the social media post) they will be rewarded with extra bonus points which should give them a higher chance to win your contest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">However, tread carefully when it comes to adding these bonus entries. First, you have to keep the goals of your campaign in mind and determine whether including optional entries will contribute to meeting your goals successfully. And second, if you add too many requirements you can seriously affect the total number of entrants. Just think about it: it\u2019s one thing to ask for an email, but if you ask for more personal details &#8211; people might bounce right off the page.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Growing your email newsletter list with giveaways<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you have an established email campaign, you\u2019ve probably realized that growing and maintaining a quality subscriber list is an activity that takes constant vigilance. It requires much more than a \u2018set it and forget it\u2019 kind of marketing. However, a giveaway can help make the task much easier, as they proved to be an incredible tool for growing brand awareness and attracting new users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If email marketing has so far been a crucial part of your campaign, you\u2019re probably familiar with terms like attrition rates, SPAM complaints, and bounces &#8211; these may even keep you up at night. One of the most powerful aspects of a giveaway is that users must provide legitimate email addresses when they enter, or else they cannot be contacted if they win. Surely this significantly decreases the bounce rate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">However, not every entrant will immediately be so taken by your brand that they agree to receive daily emails from you. By including an email subscription as a bonus entry, only those who are interested in your daily\/weekly\/monthly newsletter will subscribe. This helps to maintain your list integrity and reduce the chances of your open rates dropping or complaints increasing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">With PromoSimple, it is incredibly easy to integrate some of the most popular email service providers (e.g. <a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/email-integrations\/mailchimp\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>MailChimp<\/b><\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/email-integrations\/constant-contact\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Constant Contact<\/b><\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/email-integrations\/madmimi\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Mad Mimi<\/b><\/span><\/a>) directly into your campaign, as users are automatically added to your lists when submitting the entry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/how-many-entrants-complete-bonus-entries-in-giveaways\/\"><b>Should you include bonus entries in your giveaway?<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One thing is certain: incentivization gets people to do things. By giving people incentives like bonus points that improve their chances of winning the prize for completing certain actions, you can positively affect the outcome of your campaign. Thus, if your aim is to grow your leads and the number of your giveaway entrants or increase your social media followers, bonus entries can be a super-powerful mechanism you can use to achieve those goals. Evidently, bonus entries can be so much more than just an email collection tool.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Namely, bonus entry options are the ancillary goals for your giveaway. They are \u2018nice to have\u2019 but even if they are not completed by every entrant, it doesn\u2019t mean that your giveaway was a flop. For instance, your primary goal might be to increase your Facebook fan base, which means attracting new Twitter or Instagram followers is just a secondary goal. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-5162\" src=\"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-1-693x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"693\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-1-693x1024.png 693w, https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-1-203x300.png 203w, https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-1.png 751w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 693px) 100vw, 693px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"p8\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>How do you do include a bonus entry?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><span class=\"s4\"><\/span><strong><span class=\"s1\">By carefully considering the giveaway requirements<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When a giveaway includes requirements such as being a Facebook fan or a Twitter follower, you are restricting the audience that will participate in your promotion. Potential entrants that are not on, and don\u2019t want to be on a particular social network aren\u2019t going to enter your promotion. That\u2019s why you need to be clear about the goals of your campaign and define what the important actions you want people to take<\/span><span class=\"s5\"> <\/span><span class=\"s1\">are and include those in your bonus entries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">By letting your audience decide how to interact with your brand<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Including optional, bonus entries allows your entrants to decide how they\u2019d like to keep up with your news. While some will be happy to follow you on social networks, receive your emails, subscribe to your RSS feeds, and opt into every other communication channel you participate in, others will want to limit this interaction. Bonus entries give the user the power to decide where and when to hear from you. There\u2019s a fine line between someone\u2019s initial interest in your brand and intrusion into their virtual space. Therefore, it\u2019s up to you to provide more entry alternatives which can cater to your audience\u2019s different interaction preferences. This way you\u2019re letting your audience know that you respect the way they want to interact with your company. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">By setting realistic expectations for bonus entries<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Not all entrants are going to complete all bonus entries, so be sure to keep your expectations realistic. In fact, just a bit more than <a href=\"http:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/how-many-entrants-complete-bonus-entries-in-giveaways\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>40% of entrants complete at least one bonus entry<\/b><\/span><\/a>. Unsurprisingly, subscribing to email newsletters has the highest participation rate. This is due to the fact that every entrant must have an email address, whereas some entrants may not have accounts on social networks or may otherwise be unable to enter some bonus entry options. But bear in mind that incentives can help to grow your leads, so giving something in return for completing bonus entries can help you hit your targets.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">By avoiding the most common mistakes<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">If you want to increase the chances of organizing a successful promotional campaign, there are some things you should avoid. Every process can be subject to many mistakes, and these ones, in particular, can be related to the type of entries you want to include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">The entry process is not clear. <\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">Every step of the bonus entries process needs to be very straightforward, and all actions should be easy and goal-oriented for the entrants. Actions should also take just a few seconds to complete, which additionally improves participation rates of your giveaway. So, if you create a confusing entry process, people might not know what they need to do to take part in the giveaway. And if it\u2019s time-consuming, some people might even opt out from the whole contest. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">Starting from your promotion landing page and CTA, all the way to the entry confirmation, everything needs to be as clear as possible so that entrants are motivated to complete the process quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">The entry barrier is too high<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">This just might be the biggest reason a lot of promotions fail. Having a high barrier either means that the whole entry process is too long and asks for too much information from the users, or the necessary requirements simply take too much time to complete. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">For instance, if you ask the entrants to provide their name, email address, phone number, home address, and whatnot, some may find it too much and simply leave. Facebook login, too, can quite often represent an issue. Many people simply don\u2019t use this social networking platform or, which is usually the case, don\u2019t want to grant access to their Facebook information. Thus, if you\u2019re planning to use Facebook login as a gateway to your giveaway, consider adding an alternative entry method as well. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">If you do decide to ask people for a bit more info, it could be a good idea to split the promotion into bite-sized chunks. For instance, you could ask for an email address first, then move on to other actions or pieces of information. This way, even if they decide to bounce from the second page you\u2019ll still have an email address to contact them one more time and encourage them to complete the process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">The good thing about this is that in most cases a name and an email address are quite enough to complete at least one goal of your promotion.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">There are no follow-up emails<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">Even though your giveaway campaign resulted in a huge number of leads or social media followers, it might turn out to be a failure in the long run. Why? Because of the bad customer relationship approach and a poor follow-up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">Aim at building lasting relationships with your existing and new customers. Start by sending each of them a personalized email thanking them for entering the giveaway, informing about the winners and, if possible, providing them with a consolation prize. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">A good follow-up will inspire your audience to become and remain loyal, which further leads to referrals. Follow-up emails or communication through social networks for instance often make for happy customers who are likely to share their positive experience with their communities and your potential followers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <\/span> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p9\"><span class=\"s1\">Finally, this can generate social engagement and positive buzz around your brand and giveaway.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">The platform is wrong<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">First things first, you have to check whether the entire entry process works. Before launching your campaign, test everything on different internet browsers, as well as mobile devices. The latter is especially important because more than one billion people access the internet from their mobile and smartphone devices. You\u2019d be surprised by the number of promotions that fail just because people experience issues or cannot enter the giveaway via their phone at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">Choosing the right, or the wrong platform in this case, to host your promotion is paramount. Depending on your goals, decide whether it is your website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram profile that will work best in your favor.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">No Purchase Necessary is neglected<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\">We\u2019ve already mentioned the importance of keeping things in accordance with the rules and regulations of organizing giveaways. This particularly applies to purchasing a product as a means of entry or increasing an entrant\u2019s odds in a giveaway, which is considered an illegal lottery. Therefore, it is highly recommended not to make this an entry option as part of your giveaway and include the No Purchase Necessary practice in your giveaway rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-5163\" src=\"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-2-692x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"692\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-2-692x1024.png 692w, https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-2-203x300.png 203w, https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/illustration-2.png 751w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">The bottom line is that giveaways are a fun way to engage with your audience and reward them for their participation and loyalty, as well as grow your business and brand\u2019s image. By including some bonus entry options (e.g. to subscribe to a Newsletter, like a Facebook post, follow a brand on Twitter, subscribe to an RSS Feed, leave a comment, etc.) you increase <i>your own<\/i> giveaway winnings &#8211; increased brand awareness and expanded new customer list.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now that you\u2019ve settled on your goals for your giveaway, you\u2019re ready to move on to the following stages of your giveaway campaign. What you need to pay attention to first is clearly defining your contest rules, and then determining whether there are ancillary goals that can help you to get the very most out [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[56,26,63,73,11],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4630"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5138,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4630\/revisions\/5138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/promosimple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}