We Have a Winner: Contests in Social Media Can Boost Your Visibility

Social media provides a great and inexpensive way for businesses and their customers to communicate.

Oftentimes this will happen organically and automatically via blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and numerous other ways. Sometimes a company will want to increase the level of interest and communication. Because this cannot be forced (or even purchased outright) there has to be a creative way that provides some interest and incentive for the customer to want to take part.

Contests online are one of the best ways to provide this incentive. They provide fun and interesting engagement for the customer and provide an avenue for increased awareness for the business.

As a general rule, I never enter contests from mail or radio, because I feel like they require too much effort, regardless of what I may potentially be winning. However, I do enter contest online because they are usually quick, easy, and fun to enter.

One of the first online contests I remember winning was a Twitter book giveaway run by Tampa's Jaden Hair (@SteamyKitchen). I had been a follower of hers for quite some time when tweeted that she was giving away a book to the 50th person to retweet the contest. It was easy to do and, lo and behold, I won! I still keep this book in my office and will use it from time to time with my vision therapy patients. Every time I pull it off the shelf, I remember Jaden and the contest.

Here are some interesting contests going on in Tampa social media right now:

• The soccer team FC Tampa Bay is giving away two tickets to their 3000 Twitter follower. I know that this contest works because I didn't even know about this team yet I still was interested in the following them to perhaps when tickets to a game.
• My office, Bright Eyes, is having a glasses makeover contest. People are submitting pictures of themselves in ugly glasses from years past, and voting on the best pictures. Most people think the idea is a lot of fun and somebody will win a brand-new pair of glasses!

In the next post I will talk about some easy guidelines for running a great online contest. And if you know of any great contests going on in Tampa right now? Let me know!