Five Tips for Making Your Social Media Promotions Sizzle

First things first: Providing killer day-to-day content is no longer enough within social media. Consistency is now a given in the worlds of Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+. Each are crowded platforms with hundreds (more likely, thousands) of other brands competing for the attention of the millions of people in those spaces. And some (ahem, Facebook) actually hold your organic content hostage unless folks are engaging with it.

You must stand out. And one of the best ways to do that: social media promotions. Contests, sweepstakes, games, quizzes, social coupons and more repeatedly deliver results within social media. They accelerate fan and follower growth by 10 to 20 percent, increase engagement by more than 100% for the duration of the campaign and – most importantly – incite action that directly impacts your business.

If investing in a social media promotion is a possibility for your brand, check the box on these five tips to get it right:

1. Play by the rules. Every platform has them, so make sure you’re following them. Pinterest copyright rules, Facebook Cover Image restrictions and more need to be navigated. If launching a contest within Facebook, consider partnering with a vendor who creates Facebook-approved applications. Companies like Strutta and Offer Pop will ensure your promotion flies.
2. Entertain them. Dazzling design, music, video and more are critical for engaging folks within social media today. Provide the unexpected and you’ll be further rewarded with increased engagement.
3. Keep it simple. If fans, followers, +1ers or pinners need to jump through hoops to engage with your social media promotion, you’ve failed. Our most successful promotions are always the simplest. Enter à win. Click à play. Find the shortest path to engagement and implement it.
4. Give them a reason to engage. Incentives work, so use them. Great grand prizes, coupons and more have all been successful at grabbing attention. Not all incentives need to cost you money. The grand prize could be the designation of a Super Fan, complete with a parking spot of his or her own. (But cash prizes work really, really well too.)
5. Make it viral. There are ways to increase the chance your social media promotion will go viral. Incent sharing in chances to win a sweepstakes. Consider community voting to shortlist or award a winner. Social coupons have built-in sharing to their success model.

It’s a crowded landscape within social media. Use these five tips to keep your promotions rising to the top with engagement. Questions? Ask: darnold@hiebing.com or, on Twitter, @BigKitchen.