Using Sweepstakes and Contests to Build and Engage your Facebook Fan Base

Having a Facebook page for your business is one thing, but growing your fan base and keeping your fans engaged is another. An easy way to achieve these things is through the use of sweepstakes and contests. We at MSLK did just that and experienced very positive results.

From November 9th thru December 3rd we ran a sweepstakes giving away ten sets of our “Cheers!” Gift Tags. Participants simply had to become a fan of MSLK and provide their name and email address and they were done. Even with such a simple sweepstakes we saw a 13.2% increase in our fan base and nearly a 400% increase in our monthly active users. If MSLK was able to yield such results with a simple giveaway, just think what it could do for your own brand.

Sweepstakes are an easy way to simply increase your fan base. Pressing the Like button on Facebook requires a very low level of commitment to begin with. By having a sweepstakes, people are more encouraged to become a fan because they see that there is something they can gain by doing so.

A contest, on the other hand, is a good way to both increase and engage your fan base. A contest is different from a sweepstakes in that a contest requires some level of skill. For example, entrants may be competing to come up with the best idea for a new fragrance for a cosmetics company. A contest has the ability to make fans feel like what they have to say is important and that their support is appreciated. Non-fans, again, are encouraged to Like your page because they feel like there is something to gain from becoming a fan.

A really great example of keeping fans engaged through the use of contests is the Facebook page for Oreo. Oreo keeps its millions of fans engaged by hosting a weekly “Fan of the Week” contest. Fans are simply required to post a picture of themselves enjoying Oreo cookies, and the winner gets their picture used in the Oreo Facebook profile picture for the week. The contest is simple, but fans are still enthusiastic in showing their love for Oreos and are able to feel like Oreo appreciates that enthusiasm.

So give it a try. If your fan base is in need of a little jolt, then try out a sweepstakes or a contest. In MSLK’s book, these methods have definitely proven to be real winners.

-Cristina Gomez