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Using Online Contests To Grow Your Contacts
Using online contest to grow your contact list is growing in popularity. Recently I have noticed that several online businesses have become known as the experts in gaining substantial results by using contests.
Choosing a prize that would be of interest to your target market and then choosing a theme for the contest. The theme can be around a calendar event (such as Valentine`s Day), a networking event (website launch) or a business milestone (business anniversary).
Of course, you must think through how your online participants will enter the contest, but there are many a free programs that generate a themed form.
Advertising will be the next thing to think about. If you don`t advertise that you are running a contest, your target market won`t come to enter. Post on forums, distribute press releases, articles about running contests and send out an announcement to your present contact list. Partner up with a membership site (of your target market) and have them post it on their member site and/or include in their newsletter. This is usually well received because it is of value to their members.
My newest contest was launched yesterday. I partnered up with 2 other business owners and we are giving away 2 complimentary admissions each week, to the "Walk the Walk For Financial Freedom" Virtual Growth Summit on April 27 - 29, 2007. This summit is 3 days of intensive focus on business growth, power networking, global connections and much more. Look for the butterfly and flower button on 3 separate sites. The first site is http://www.EnergyTourCafe.com</A>
If you have held online contests, please share what theme and what the results were. Did you gain substantial contacts? What would you change in your next contest?
Pamela Akkerman
Choosing a prize that would be of interest to your target market and then choosing a theme for the contest. The theme can be around a calendar event (such as Valentine`s Day), a networking event (website launch) or a business milestone (business anniversary).
Of course, you must think through how your online participants will enter the contest, but there are many a free programs that generate a themed form.
Advertising will be the next thing to think about. If you don`t advertise that you are running a contest, your target market won`t come to enter. Post on forums, distribute press releases, articles about running contests and send out an announcement to your present contact list. Partner up with a membership site (of your target market) and have them post it on their member site and/or include in their newsletter. This is usually well received because it is of value to their members.
My newest contest was launched yesterday. I partnered up with 2 other business owners and we are giving away 2 complimentary admissions each week, to the "Walk the Walk For Financial Freedom" Virtual Growth Summit on April 27 - 29, 2007. This summit is 3 days of intensive focus on business growth, power networking, global connections and much more. Look for the butterfly and flower button on 3 separate sites. The first site is http://www.EnergyTourCafe.com</A>
If you have held online contests, please share what theme and what the results were. Did you gain substantial contacts? What would you change in your next contest?
Pamela Akkerman
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Comments
I don`t have any extensive experience in IRS tax laws but I had always been told by my CPA, that anything over $50 in value must be reported to the IRS. I believe it is up to the receipent to claim the prize on their year-end taxes.
Maybe someone else has more experience in this. I have always tried to keep it under $50 except with our current contest which is valued at $249 each.
Pam
To offer some great prizes (I am working on setting mien up right now)
You can tailor it to fit your predicts team and so on works much like adsense
The contest was to challenge people to take one day out of their life and "handle" the energy drains, clutter, incomplete tasks, etc. that get in the way of accomplishing their goals.
Everyone who posted an update on the forum with a "win" got a prize from one of our sponsors. It as a lot of fun and was very successful in having people share the contest with others.
If you want to check it out, you can go to www.cleansweepchallenge.com</A>. Even though the contest isn`t active, you can still download the tools for yourself and schedule your own Challenge Day.