Customer Experience

By adaptive - May 6th, 2014

Using competitions and other contests to promote your brand on social media networks can be a highly effective means of increasing brand awareness and engagement

Everyone loves to win something. The use of competitions and contests has been a tried and tested method of engaging with a wide range of audiences for decades. Add social media into the mix, and contests can become a whole new channel of communications. Indeed, Accent marketing found that 55% of consumers are using sales and promotions to engage with brands before making a purchase.

Research has consistently shown that consumers tend to follow brands at least initially because of a promotion or other advantage that has been communicated to them via a trust person on their social network. Brands then can use this jumping off point as a means to reinforce the level of engagement they gain after the promotion has concluded.

New research from Tamba has taken a close look at how competitions form a vital component of social media marketing today. Their findings conclude:

Competitions can increase brand awareness

94.22% of respondents stated that competitions have introduced them to brands they would otherwise not have known about.

Competitions can enhance brand perception

Brands that offer competitions are viewed more favourably by 78.7% of respondents.

Competitions can increase and maintain brand reach and engagement

84.5% of respondents continue to share content from a brand on their social media profiles after a competition ends, with 44.5% doing so on a daily basis.

Competitions do influence purchase decisions

74.6% of respondents said that the competitions they have entered have influenced their decision to buy from the brand.

Competitions can encourage word-of-mouth recommendations

74% of respondents are more likely to recommend a brand that offers competitions.

What is clear from this new research is that competitions have evolved. Social media now delivers a whole new facet to this activity, which can only be advantageous for brands. With whole ‘compo’ networks now thriving, contests can be a highly lucrative means to grow a consumer base.

Engagement via promotions will continue to be a major reason for consumers following your brand, but increasingly, more interactivity – often via contests – will ensure these interactions are not short lived.