🤓 Clarity Corner:
A giveaway is a promotional event, where participants have the chance to win prizes (usually free items or services) offered by businesses.
There’s different types of giveaways, including: contests (skill-based), sweepstakes (random drawing), and raffles.
Giveaways, like sweepstakes, are very easy to enter because they’re free and don’t require any special licenses or permits. Raffles are a bit different since they ask participants to make a purchase to be eligible for a prize — a bit like a lottery, so it can be perceived as gambling.
Nonetheless, the main goal of giveaways is to engage your audience and boost brand awareness. This can be done by hosting free giveaways, so why not give it a try?
Key Aspects of Giveaways
1. Engagement
As mentioned, improving engagement rates is usually the main purpose of giveaways. These competitions call for interaction between participant and brand, whether it’s through a like, follow, share or comment. It’s very simple, but the results are effective. This engagement creates a sense of excitement and strengthens your brand community.
2. Promotion
Did you know you can use giveaways as a marketing tool?
If you didn’t, you do now! 😎
It’s a clever way to promote new products, services, or a brand as a whole. These new products or services may be yours, or another brand’s, if you’ve partnered with one to expand your reach. Either way, it’s a win-win, because you get something in return anyway: improved engagement or higher sales. Sometimes, it’s both.
3. Audience Growth
Giveaways are a great way to attract new followers and potential customers. Especially if you have a unique hashtag, encourage your participants to share your post or tag their friends, or if you’ve partnered with a brand.
There’s a high likelihood of people visiting your social media page, and joining the giveaway themselves. Especially if they’ve seen their friends do it, as it builds credibility in your brand.
Examples of Giveaways
1. Social Media Giveaways
Social media is a fantastic platform for boosting your brand awareness and engagement, so it’s no surprise that most giveaways happen there.
It’s easy to participate in social media giveaways, too. Usually, participants are asked to like, share and tag their friends in a post. That’s all it takes for them to have a chance of winning a valuable prize.
2. Skill-Based Competitions
Having a skill-based component in your giveaways is slightly more challenging, but equally fun. Skill-based contests aren’t based on luck, but on skill or merit.
In order to have a good chance of winning, participants must demonstrate their knowledge, skill or judgement, in a particular area.
Let’s say you’re running a photography contest, and entrants are asked to submit a photo featuring red and blue. This contest will test their photography skills and how well their photo fits your criteria. Depending on these two points, they may or may not be the winner of your giveaway.
3. Car Giveaways
Car giveaways are typically pay-to-enter, so you’ll need a license for this one. However, because the prize is of such great value, more people will be inclined to enter.
4. Branded Swag Giveaway
Hey, if you’ve got a cool logo, why not show it off?! Place it on mugs, pens, tote bags, or t-shirts. Anywhere you like. These make for cool prizes as well, especially if you have a loyal customer base and have a successful merch line.
Let Us Give Our Knowledge Away…
Feeling curious and inspired? Ready to host an awesome giveaway? We’ve got you covered.
Our team of experts is excited to help you kick things off. From online competitions to marketing and social media, we’re your go-to support. Let’s get brainstorming! Contact us.
