Your website should be a bountiful source of leads for your sales staff. With the right kind of planning, an online contest can produce a steady stream of qualified prospects. Here are some pointers:
Decide on the contest objectives. Since you want to draw attention to your products and services, select an activity that will encourage contestants to examine your website. A "spot the blooper" contest, for example, asks contestants to explore your site looking for an intentional error.
Use your prize to qualify contestants. If the winner receives a free trial of your service, for instance, the people who enter will already be interested in what you have to offer. They qualify themselves by participating.
Make participation easy for contestants and useful for you. Set up a response mechanism that lets people quickly and easily send in an entry along with their email address. Send entrants a confirmation, one that can include a sales message.
Determine how you'll select winners. In the blooper contest mentioned above, more than one contestant might spot the "mistake." Will they all be winners? Or will they go into a random drawing to pick a single victor? Also, consider such variables as frequency - how often will you select winners? - and the number of participants.
Follow up with everyone. Once you've selected and notified your winner, send an announcement to all the contestants thanking them for playing and suggesting that they try again. Devote a lot of care to personalizing your message. This is your chance to make a powerful impression on each prospect.
