Online Contests & Competitions

Online contests & competitions, sometimes referred to as prize giveaways, are events participants enter to try and win a prize. Online contests can take many forms, from media contests calling for photo or video submissions, to completing a survey to be entered into a prize draw, to instant win-style games like a Wheel of Fortune. Brands create online contests as they present marketing opportunities, like promoting products, or getting newsletter opt-ins.

Creating your own online contest is easy when you use the Drimify games creation platform. Start by selecting the appropriate game engine for your brand and the prize(s) you’re putting up, whether that’s an instant win game, a media contest, or a casual mini-game with a leaderboard. Customise the graphics, the copy, and the settings to your needs, then publish, and promote.

Picking a winner for your online competition depends on the prize(s) you have on offer and the type of competition you’re running. On Drimify, you can create contests where everyone wins, or have the winners randomised, with you configuring how many people can win a main prize according to how many you have to give away. Competitions like the Photo and Video Contests let you approve a shortlist, then let your audience vote for the winner(s).

To run a successful online contest you need to remember the 3 Ps: plan, promote, and promise. Planning involves thinking through all the details: know the objective, the target audience, the duration, and tailor the prize(s), the experience, and the promotional strategy around these. Next, you need to promote it, as a contest that only a couple of people enter won’t deliver on your objectives. Finally, you need to fulfil your promise and deliver the prizes to the winners.

Online contests & competitions can be subject to specific territorial regulations, such as anti-spam laws, data privacy regulations, and potentially require special licences in the case of paid competitions. It is essential to research and comply with your local regulations to avoid legal issues, and to ensure the fairness and transparency of your contest.

The nature of the prize you’ll have up for grabs will depend on your target audience and the objectives of your competition. It’s important to offer an attractive prize in line with your brand’s offering, which is to say, it should be something that will encourage people to enter as it’s something they would want, and the opportunity to win it makes it worth their time to participate. That being said, the prize shouldn’t be so high ticket as to make the contest unprofitable for your business.

The type of competition you choose will depend on your campaign, your objectives, your sector, your target audience, and your preferences. For example, creative contests such as Photo or Video Contests can collect user-generated content (UGC) for marketing purposes, while Quizzes or instant win games can attract wider audiences. Digital Calendars, or a themed series of competitions are also very popular in the run-up to specific holidays or events on social networks.