The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how brands are doing sweepstakes. As you consider hiring a sweepstakes company to help you run a sweepstakes, what should you do differently this year to ensure that your sweepstakes is a success? 

Understanding the best sweepstakes to run in 2021 is critical to keeping consumers engaged and exceeding their expectations. The good news is that this year has offered us a wealth of insight into what is working and what is not working. 

Here are some ideas for sweepstakes to run in 2021.

1. Instant Win

When the pandemic hit, many shoppers dialed back on shopping at retail locations in favor of delivery services or buying online. As a result, brands had to double-down on their messaging in order to reach their customers who may never see their in-store sweepstakes promotions. 

The solution? Brands are now running more instant win sweepstakes than ever. By letting customers know that they can enter to win a prize on a monthly basis, recurring instant win sweepstakes help brands reach both online and in-store customers.

Also Read: What Instant Win Game Sweepstakes Rules Should Include

2. Staycation Sweepstakes Prize

With COVID-19 impacting global travel, certain sweepstakes prizes such as vacation packages, are simply too difficult to deliver amidst a pandemic. Brands are skipping out on the flights and exotic vacation destinations in favor of staycations by offering weekend “getaways” to local places that are close to where the sweepstakes winners live.

This helps keep sweepstakes winners safe and also ensures that the brand can actually deliver the prize once the sweepstakes has ended.

3. COVID-19 Vaccine Sweepstakes

Some brands are also pitching in to help with the effort to get more Americans vaccinated against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccine sweepstakes are popular this year with brands offering sweepstakes prizes such cash, scholarships and gift cards.

The prizes are exciting and are attracting eager sweepstakes entrants who have gotten the vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine sweepstakes are also easy to enter because the official rules permit entrants who have been vaccinated to be automatically entered into the drawing pool of potential winners.

Hire a Sweepstakes Company to Manage Your Sweepstakes

The bottom line? COVID-19 has brought a lot of changes to promotional marketing. As a result, hiring a sweepstakes company to manage your sweepstakes is your best bet in 2021.

With many employees working remotely and job openings at an all-time high in some industries, brands are finding it harder to manage sweepstakes in-house. Sweepstakes management gives you everything you need to manage your sweepstakes professionally.

A sweepstakes company will also review your sweepstakes to ensure that it follows sweepstakes laws and is executed smoothly. Now you can look forward to a well-run sweepstakes that delights customers and meets your ROI goals.

Need help with sweepstakes or contest management? Call 305-505-5393 or email us with your questions.

The post The Best Sweepstakes to Run in 2021 appeared first on Sweeppea Blog.

Running a sweepstakes is exciting and a great way to engage customers and boost sales. However, there are a lot of steps required to run a sweepstakes so it’s in your best interest to carefully plan your promotion and choose the right sweepstakes administration company.

Here is how to prepare to start the search for sweepstakes management services.

1. Plan Ahead

A general rule to follow when planning a sweepstakes promotion for a holiday is to plan three months ahead of the holiday. By planning well in advance, you can ensure that you have covered all of the legal requirements for a sweepstakes.

Conversely, if you are running a monthly giveaway, going with a full-service sweepstakes management option can help launch a sweepstakes much faster. However, it’s always a good idea to give yourself extra time, especially if you will have to register and bond the sweepstakes.

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2. Gather Details About Your Product or Service

If the purpose of your sweepstakes is to boost sales or raise brand awareness, your sweepstakes needs to do a great job of communicating this message. Start by describing in full detail the product or service that your company offers. Then spell out how and why it appeals to customers. As you might have guessed, you’ll be able to leverage these unique qualities in your sweepstakes to effectively market your business.

3. Sweepstakes Eligibility and Rules

Now’s the time to decide how you want your sweepstakes to work. Figure out where you want your sweepstakes to run (e.g. all 50 or 48 contiguous states or selected states ) and who is eligible to enter. This will give the sweepstakes management company something to work with so that they can start designing a campaign that’s customized to your business goals.

It will also help you to narrow down options when it comes to choosing sweepstakes administration services. Choose a sweepstakes company that has prior experience in the type of promotion that you want to run.

4. Research Your Options

Sweepstakes administration companies vary widely in the services that they provide to their clients. While full-service sweepstakes companies like Sweeppea will manage your sweepstakes from the concept to prize delivery and taxes, other companies may only offer partial services.

A good rule of thumb to follow is that if your brand has never run a sweepstakes previously or you are looking to maximize the ROI from your promotion, opt for a sweepstakes company that offers full-service sweepstakes management services. In this way, you can guarantee that your promotion is legally compliant and is also optimized for maximum results.

5. Hire a Sweepstakes Management Company

Now that you’ve taken the preliminary steps to plan your sweepstakes and research sweepstakes management companies, it’s time for you to make a decision. Here are a few questions that you’ll want to ask:

• Have you run sweepstakes in our industry before? What were the results?
• What type of sweepstakes promotion is best for the goal that we want to achieve?
• How can I track my sweepstakes while it’s running?

Next Steps

Let’s be honest: You’re busy and you’re focused on keeping your current customers happy and attracting new ones. A successful sweepstakes means happy customers. By taking these steps to carefully plan your sweepstakes before you hire a sweepstakes company, you’ll be on the path to a successful sweepstakes campaign!

Need help with sweepstakes or contest management? Call 305-505-5393 or email us with your questions.

The post What Does Your Brand Need to Have Run a Sweepstakes? appeared first on Sweeppea Blog.