6 Things I Learned Running a Facebook Contest

When I was asked to run a photo contest for Photonic Health on their Facebook page earlier this year I got really excited. Since I quit my day job and began to dive into the world of online marketing, I have been learning everything that I possibly can about “How To Use Social Media for Business” and I was finally given a chance to head this project, I could hardly wait to start. After all, the best way to learn is by doing.

Here is the basis of the contest that I was given. The owners of the company, Bryan & Donna, were in need of a photo to complete their educational book that they are in the process of writing. They needed a shot of a horse’s underside in order to demonstrate the Conception Vessel on the animal. (If you don’t know what a conception vessel is I highly recommend leaning about acupuncture and eastern medicine in general) The best part, they were offering their Standard Photonic Red Light, a prize valued at $350! Not your typical prize for a Facebook photo contest. (Check out this Squidoo Lens I created to learn more about Photonic Light Therapy) The contest ended up being very successful but not without some major bumps in the road.

Here are the lessons that I learned running this photo contest:

1. Plan Ahead – I rushed right into things, making a standard post on Facebook announcing the Photo Contest without really thinking ahead. The contest called for a pretty difficult task in getting a horse to roll over and snapping the perfect shot. I initially gave people only one week to enter the contest and only allowed 3 entries per contestant. This clearly came off as amateur and after realizing this I started to see the big picture. We needed to have a pretty large selection of photos to choose from in order to get exactly what we were looking for. This lead to my next couple lessons.

2. Do Not Rush People – When I announced the contest would only run for a week, I wasn’t thinking about how people would react. I instantly got complaints about how people didn’t have time to take a photo of this sort & that they were upset because they couldn’t enter the contest. I was thinking that people would drop everything and try to win the amazing prize. I forgot that these people all had jobs and most only had little time to actually be with their animals. I ended up extending the contest two more weeks, but that too was not enough time. Their was clearly an interest in the contest but without adequate time to snap photos, many felt rushed and wouldn’t even try. So I ended up extending the contest 2 more times and the contest ran for over a month. In retrospect , it was foolish of me and came of as unprofessional to all of our page members.

3. Clearly State the Guidelines – With that initial post that I made, the rules for the contest were very basic and for some reason, I created a rule that only 3 entries were allowed per person. People began to submit photos but they were hardly what we were looking for. I ended up changing the guidelines in the middle of the contest to allow unlimited # of entries. Again coming off as if we had no clue how to run a contest. (I didn’t) Finally, I got smart and created an app on our page using the Static HTML App. Clearly put the instructions here and began to send out the link for this. After the mess I initially created we began to receive some quality submissions.

4. The Static HTML App can dramatically increase “likes” – After reading this post from Pat Flynn, I finally got smart and created a Static HTML App for the Facebook Page. The awesome part about this app is that you can create 2 different pages, one for those that don’t like your page and then one for those that do. So on the page for those that had yet to like Photonic Health I created an image that stated, “like us to enter our photo contest” with an arrow pointing to the “like” button. Once someone liked our page they were lead to the other page that had the guidelines for the contest as well as an example photo. This allowed me to share the link to the app in order to generate “likes” as well as stating the instructions on how to win our contest. I began to spread this link around facebook and twitter. In creating this App we were able to double our “likes” and inform those interested on the rules of the game.

5. Do Not Spam People To Enter Your Contest – After the Static HTML App was created I began to share the link with any & every Facebook page & Twitter handle that was related to horses. While this did result in a some additional “likes” to our page, it alienated others. I didn’t even think of it as spamming people until I got some sound advice from another blogger in the horse industry. She informed me that this was a good way to get blocked from Facebook pages or unfollowed from Twitter. Asking your Mailing List or other sponsors to spread the word is by far the best way to approach this. The greatest increase in “likes” came when a large company that we sponsor kindly posted our link on their FB page, not from the numerous posts that I made on other pages.

6. Thank Individuals That Took Time To Enter The Contest – Another big regret that I have is not taking the time to thank each individual that entered a photo. Had I done this small task, those that entered would be much more likely to continue interaction with us on the page in the future. Of course I created a generalized post that thanked everyone but that did not resonate with everyone the way a personalized comment on their photo would have. Taking the time to show people that their interactions with a company matter can create relationships and trust that will eventually lead to sales.

All in all, the contest was a huge success with over 100 entries and increasing our overall reach. With these lessons that I have learned there is no doubt that the future contests that I hold can be even more successful.

Please feel free to leave a comment and feedback.

Thanks,

Reggie

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Take Action TODAY!!

Watching my nephew, Campbell, take the first steps in his life, I realized that my internet entrepreneurial experience is similar.  Like my nephew, my steps haven’t been too confident and like Campbell, I have to hold my hands above my head in order to keep my balance.  If we keep trying, we will soon become more and more confident in every single step that we take.

The one thing that I have really begun to embrace is taking action.  The thing is though, that neither of us could have gotten to this wobbly point if we didn’t overcome the fear of those very first steps.  This website was one of those first steps but for the previous 3 months I have been learning.  I have been reading books, watching videos and following blogs.  In the last month though, I have turned the corner and actually began to put a plan to action.

I am not positive about where these first steps will take me, but that’s the exciting part.  Thinking about the kind of person Campbell could become and then thinking about what my website could become makes me realize that the sky is the limit.

Take action TODAY and follow your efforts.  Success is right around the corner

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Online Marketing is REAL!

If your not ONLINE, your business is OFFLINE.

So you have a TON of work to do for your business and not enough time.  Then you need learn the ins and outs of online marketing right now!!!  It will serve you forever, as it an extremely beneficial way to free up time. No one has enough time here on earth… and it takes time and effort to maintain great customer service.  Well, online marketing is your way of providing a great service to people ONTIME and with a smile.  Automated email systems (or autoresponders), set up well are almost like hiring an assistant.    This is a pretty heavy undertaking…. But if you do more now, you won’t have to do nearly as much later.

First things first, you must build a list or a database of names and emails.  Since you cannot just email random people anymore, that’s called spam; you need to create a way for potential customers to opt in to your list.  This can be on your website or when someone makes a purchase.  Now that you have made it easy for people to join your database, your new assistant (an autoresponder) kicks in and distributes emails at strategic times with strategic content to get patrons excited about your product.  Beware; you are automating your customer service so you need to be careful as well.

“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” ~ Bill Gates

These emails can be set up to be sent IMMEDIATELY after a purchase or at strategic times when a potential customer is on the fence about purchasing your product or service. Your autoresponders must be planned out to every tiny detail and possible thought of your customer.  Done well, it is possible for you to create a relationship without even lifting a finger.   That relationship can make a customer feel a connection to your business.

It’s true that once someone feels connected to a brand or service that they will become true to your company and will begin to talk about you to their friends.  Sharing or leaving a message for a friend to check out your business has never been as easy as it is now.   Facebook and Twitter are incredibly powerful and have never made it so easy for someone to gain fame (i.e. KONY 2012).  It was the first time many people had heard of Invisible Children, I had known about them for nearly a year thanks to a high school friend that is constantly in my news feed.  They have been raising money for many years now and clearly made enough money to produce a great video that went viral.

This is where social media comes in.  WORD OF MOUTH has always, always, always been the best way to obtain business and grow relationships.  Well… since humans don’t really like to talk to each other in person anymore you need a new way of reaching your audience.   Today, it is much easier to tell people (lots of people) about what you like and don’t like or what you have or have not had a good experience with on your Droid or iPhone.  Your reputation is extremely fragile in this new medium.  Unlike the autoresponders section of online marketing, social media and content marketing requires your full attention for up to an hour 3 times a day.  When someone responds to some of the content you posted on facebook in the morning and they don’t get a reply within a day, you have failed that customer.  They will lose interest in you and move on to the next company or product, you just lost a customer.  It seems silly but with the short attention spans of people today, it is a reality.

That brings us to content marketing.  Social Media has made it so people are constantly absorbing massive amounts of content.  From images, to videos, to articles and blogs content is king.  Now-a-days you can join in on people’s conversations and produce some great content that is relevant to your business.  That engages customers allowing them to announce to the world that they “like” your content.  Suddenly all of your customer’s friends are following you and absorbing your awesome content.  If you are able to create and share QUALITY content that intrigues them, they won’t mind a pitch for your product every now and again.  They might actually want to buy it because you have provided them with great content.

Then, after they make a purchase they are pleasantly surprised to see an email in their inbox from your company assuring them that they made a good choice to purchase your product.  This of course is your autoresponder providing them with superb customer service ONTIME, while you were just teeing off on the first hole.  It is a thing of beauty.

So get serious about this stuff, no matter what business you’re in, you can benefit from online marketing.

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reggierossi.com launch

I have been incredibly curious about blogging and exactly how I can fit into this new digital world, I have found that my calling is online marketing. This is a new phenomenon (or not so new) that I have become a part of. I am absolutely fascinated by it. I can’t believe that I have been given an opportunity to work with some incredible companies. I have been asked to help start my wife’s company, Integrated Equine, as well as as a company that is about to grow up before my eyes, Photonic Health. I am incredibly blessed to have this opportunity and I plan on making the most of it. Please follow me on this journey!

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