How To Run Competitions On Social Media

Remember the times when the only way of enterting competitions was to call a telephone number, or collect numerous bottle caps? In some cases this is still a prominent way for companies to run competitions, but they currently face an ever-increasing obligation to reach out to consumers online. I mean what better way to interact with consumers? It just makes sense. The internet has facilitated the opportunity for organisations to run competitions across various social media networks, allowing companies to entice an endless number of consumers to participate, without the expensive phone lines! Here is some tips on how to run competitions on social media:

• Make the prize as tempting as possible - You want to ensure that the prize is something that your customers really want. You may want to consider creating a series of prizes, for finalists, runners up and so forth. Alternatively you may way want to make it a one off prize, which conveys that the prize is something of real quality, making it far more desirable. 

• Ensure that you are clear on the objectives of the competition - Do you want to expand your business on Facebook, Twitter or both? Is the ultimate goal to drive more customers to your website? Do you want to obtain more customer e-mails for your database? These are some of the things you need to consider before even running your competition, considering your objectives constantly will help you focus on them without losing track, and consequently, you should see results.

• Remember the rules! - Facebook has some pretty stringent rules for competitions on their website, the first, often missed, is you aren't allowed to run it through your business page, therefore you have to administer it through a Facebook App. Twitter also have rules, for example, you should discourage the creation of multiple accounts so that individuals can enter more than once, failure to meet this rule will result in the accounts being suspended. You're probably thinking "what about Google+?", well unfortunately Google+ do not allow any contests, sweepstake or other such promotions on their website, unless you redirect customers to your website, where of course you hold full responsibility. This may be something that will change but only time will tell.  Below are links for the competition guidelines on the three social media platforms mentioned: 

          http://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php

          http://support.twitter.com/articles/68877-guidelines-for-contests-on-twitter

          http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/+/policy/pagescontestpolicy.html

• Use what is available to you - The most effective way to get people involved with your competitions is to make it as easy as possible for them to post their responses and share with others. Eventually you'll be able to create a ripple effect, reaching a great number of both current and potential customers. Introduce the use of the 'hashtag' and encourage customers to like and share your post as a form of entry, baring in mind that Facebook won't allow you to use the 'like' button as a voting mechanism. Despite its difficulty, you might want to run your contests across various platforms to further your outreach, Twitter and Instagram may be a good place to start, as they sit nicely alongside each other with the same adoption of the 'hashtag'. 

• Be creative - New social media networks and sharing apps are making it increasingly easier to reach customers and offer you the chance to make creative competitions. Vine is a new app that allows people to create short videos of anything they want, so think about how you can encourage them to be creative in the use of your product as a method of entry? Vine also adopt the 'hashtag', so they can post and share!

Remember that anyone can post a multiple choice question online, be different, be creative, be fun and reap the rewards!

The Top 10 Sports People On Social Media.

Since the rapid growth of social media networks in the last half decade, there has been a plethora of sports personalities that have looked to engage with their fans online. But what makes a good online sports personality, and why should you follow them, like them or add them to your circles? Is it someone that is a little bit controversial, someone humorous, or somebody that shares what there everyday life is really like?

Some sports people take to the online gauntlet in order to clarify stories that have been, in their eyes, misinterpreted by the media. Joey Barton, an ex Queens Park Rangers player is one of many football players to take to Twitter to communicate his opinions. It has often left him in hot water, with the FA having punished him in the past for unprofessional comments. Alas, he seems determined to continue his controversial remarks and for this reason he is an amusing, yet under everything extremely intelligent individual, and this is what makes him incredibly appealing.

Perhaps an athlete that takes to their social media profiles to promote competitions and share pictures is what you are looking for. One excellent example of someone who does this is Cristiano Ronaldo, the most liked football player on Facebook and the most followed athlete on Twitter. He tweets in Spanish and English, offering regular competitions to win an array of goodies, including match tickets and signed memorabilia. 

An insight into the lives off of the pitch or court is what many individuals look for when associating themselves with their sports heroes online. Some of the most scrutinised athletes such as Serena Williams, Lebron James, and Mike Tyson often post pictures on both Twitter and Instagram, giving us the audience a look into their personal lives. It is a cool way for them to interact with their fans on a more personal level and for this reason they are well worth looking out for on the internet.

Despite the fact it isn't the first sport in this country, there are three particular wrestlers across all of the social networks that i consider to be in the top ten sports people online. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), John Cena and Michael Hickenbottom (Shawn Michaels) all heavily engage with their fans online. In my eyes they also offer something a little different, which is the ability to inspire through motivational quotes both from themselves and other pages that people can then also engage with. You don't have to enjoy wrestling to enjoy these profiles and that is what makes them so great. On the other hand, if you grew up watching them as i did, they are still as appealing as ever, and this is why i have included them in my top ten sports personalities on the web.

Another two sports people that are a particular favourite online are Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter. Not only do they constantly keep us updated on what they are doing on Twitter, but they take the time to post on Facebook as well. In addition to this, they interact with players of other sports, with Ian Poulter being particularly outspoken of his love for Arsenal Football Club, often engaging in 'banter' with Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United. This makes both individuals extremely interesting to keep tabs on and thus, you should include them in your online interests. 

This is not a perfect list for everyone,  many of us will have various views on what constitutes the 'best' sports profiles online. However this, i believe, is a fantastic place to start as each star has a diverse set of qualities that make them all appealing.

Written by Bradley Gavin - @BradleyGavin